Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Nancy Gadbow
Committee Member
Richard Conrath
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
adult learners, adult learning, adults as learners, collaborative learning, college coursework, college faculty, college instructors, diverse students, early childhood teachers, educating early childhood teachers, evaluation, evaluation plans, experiential learning, formative committees, implementation, laboratory component coursework, laboratory preschools, literature review, non-traditional students, ongoing evaluation, program development, shared learning, student responsibility, summative committees, teacher education, teaching activities, teaching techniques, traditional students
Abstract
The purpose of the project was to develop effective strategies for fostering collaborative learning among traditional and non-traditional students participating in experientially based college coursework. The project targeted college faculty interested in meeting the needs of diverse students pursuing careers working with young children and includes plans for implementation and evaluation.
Development and evaluation methodologies and several procedures were utilized to complete this project. To gain theoretical and practical knowledge, a review of literature was completed. Topics explored included adults as learners, experiential learning, collaborative learning, educating early childhood teachers, program development, and ongoing evaluation. Formative and summative committees were convened to review and validate the important components of the project.
The result of this project was the successful development of a collaborative learning plan including teaching techniques and supporting resources, with implementation and evaluation plans. The resulting collaborative learning plan provides a comprehensive framework for providing enhanced collaborative learning experiences for students participating in laboratory component coursework. The plan includes forty-five teaching activities designed to bring traditional and adult learners together for shared learning and is designed to shift part of the responsibility for teaching and learning from the instructor to the students.
The teaching techniques, although designed with early childhood teachers in mind, are easily adapted to other fields and are flexible enough to meet the learning needs of various college students. The resulting product is an easy to use, flexible, and respectful teaching tool that provides support for new and veteran college instructors wishing to expand the quantity and quality of collaborative and experiential teaching experiences available to students.