Implications for Environmental Topics and Projects
Some examples of experience-based projects include role playing, service learning, internships, studying abroad, open-ended projects (guided discovery), group projects and field study. The more open-ended and non-formulaic an assignment is, the more likely students will rely on their own experience and reflection and immerse themselves in the topic. Environmental subjects are especially suited to experience-based learning because humans play a role in just about every environmental issue. Thus using an experience-based approach to an environmental topic invites students to examine their own effects on the environment, whether positive or negative. Once students have become concretely aware of the ways in which they impact their environment, they can reflect on that and experiment with different environmentally-conscientious behaviors.