THE ROLE OF ALTERNATIVE BREAK EXPERIENCES IN COLLEGE STUDENT INTEGRATION OF LEARNING

Fieldwork conducted at Christopher Newport University by Julianna Wait

BACKGROUND: ALTERNATIVE BREAK Alternative break experiences focus on:

Enhancing what is already known through: Stressing theory learned in the classroom Applying theory to field experiences

Assisting learners with learning new skills Helping students pursue what they know they

don't know (McElhaney, 1998, p. 30)

BACKGROUND: ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK Strong emphasis on the importance of

“giving students a broad foundation of knowledge, skills that can be used across a range of contexts, and opportunities to see the connections among different domains of learning” (King, Brown, Lindsay, & VanHecke, 2007, p. 3)

Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trips can support this goal

BACKGROUND: ASB• Commonly held theory: students are provided

with ample opportunity to integrate learning through participation in ASB experiences

• Why? – ASB is outside of the classroom– ASB typically has a guided reflection component– ASB often brings students from varying

disciplines together to work towards completion of a common goal

BACKGROUND: CNU ASB CNU REACH Out What does “REACH” in REACH Out stand for?

Raising Educational Awareness through Compassion and Humanity

BACKGROUND: CNU ASB Purpose of the CNU REACH Out program is to

provide an “alternative break program that focuses on the education of issue specific engagement through direct service…[where] students will share knowledge and reflect about social problems, all the while enhancing their personal growth,” (REACH Out Facebook Page, 2011)

BACKGROUND: CNU ASB• Nine students and two CNU staff members

traveled to Baltimore, Maryland for spring break 2011

• Worked with Catholic Charities of Baltimore

BACKGROUND: CNU ASB• Activities that the students participated in

consisted of: – making, serving, and eating meals with individua

ls at two centers designed for individuals who are transitioning from poverty to stability

– painting rooms in the centers– organizing food storage spaces– spending time with women who had once been

sexually harassed or abused– teaching English to immigrants

PURPOSE OF RESEARCH To assess whether or not integration of

learning occurred during or as a result of the REACH Out alternative spring break trip

Through the analysis of: REACH Out Application REACH Out Facebook REACH Out Blog Observation of cohort’s final reflection Personal conversations following the reflection

THEORIES OF LEARNING Seven out of nine students experienced

integration of learning Kolb’s Experiential Learning Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Connections

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Kolb believes that “learning is the process

whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience…[and] to understand learning, we must understand the nature of knowledge, and vice versa,” (1984, p. 38)

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING The four stages in Kolb’s theory are:

1. Concrete experience: experience in which learning occurred

2. Reflective observation: individual consciously reflects on the experience

3. Abstract conceptualization: learner attempts to conceptualize a model of what was observed during reflection

4. Active experimentation: learner attempts to plan ways in which the theory observed can be tested in a future experience (Kolb, 1984)

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING: VISUAL

ConcreteExperiences

Reflective Observation

Abstract Conceptualization

Active Experimentation

Feeling

Watching

Thinking

Doing

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING EXAMPLE Student discussing experience with reflection

(stage one) “I was anti-reflection at first. I didn’t know

what to say or what to think. I mean I could tell you what we did but I didn’t know what you all wanted me to really say and it was frustrating. I thought reflecting was dumb and a waste of my time…”

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING EXAMPLE “I realized last Wednesday [half-way point of the

trip] that the reflections were useful ya know? Like the structure of talking it all through and rethinking what I learned and reconsidering what people said and stuff and hearing what you all had to say really gave me more insight.”

Student has progressed from stage one to stage two of the Kolb theory Experience reflection; reflect on reflection

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING EXAMPLE Purpose of guided-reflection Student progressed to stage three of the Kolb

theory Student was actively seeking a model to

conceptualize what he learned from his experience with reflection and his reflections on reflecting

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING EXAMPLE “I guess I learned that reflection ain’t all that

horrible ya know? Like it can really be useful. I have already thought of how we can use it in my fraternity and with my volunteering with Diversity Initiatives. I want others to learn what I did [about reflection]. Reflection gave me like a box to put around my experience…and sometimes you need a box. You can’t just be outside of the box all the time. I am thankful that she made us do reflections.”

KEEP THIS IN MIND… Students are regularly presented with

opportunities for integration of learning through “outside-the-classroom activity (off as well as on campus) that provide students with certain types of experiences that facilitate the integrative process, experiences through which they are confronted with new perspectives and are challenged to integrate insights from divergent perspectives,” (Newell, 2010, p. 8).

TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING Frame of reference

associations, concepts, values, feelings, conditioned responses

structures of assumptions through which we understand our experiences

Frames of reference selectively shape and delimit expectations, perceptions, cognition, and feelings (Mezirow, 1997, p. 5)

TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING The process of transformative learning

involves transforming frames of reference through: Critical reflection of assumptions Validating contested beliefs through discourse Taking action on one’s reflective insight Critically assessing frames of reference

(Mezirow, 1997, p. 11)

TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING Mezirow states that, “new information is only

a resource in the adult learning process. To become meaningful, learning requires that new information be incorporated by the learner into an already well-developed symbolic frame of reference, an active process involving thought, feelings, and disposition. The learner may also have to be helped to transform his or her frame of reference to fully understand the experience,” (1997, p. 10)

TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING Individuals must be made aware of the

assumptions that they hold and the way in which newly acquired information fits or does not fit into the assumptions

TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING EXAMPLE Many students mentioned that the

individuals that they met and served were not who they pictured they would be

“I thought they’d all look like crack addicts and stuff…not like us. I mean how many of those people did we see that looked like you or me a few years from now. I just kept thinking these people cannot really be the people we’re supposed to be helping.”

TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING EXAMPLE Student reflection:

“I realized again last week that we don’t know who each other really is. You know? It’s important to realize that you never know who someone is or where they come from. I think that’s an important lesson to learn and pass on to others…”

TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING EXAMPLE Student reflection continued:

“I mean with Father (not sure name), he told us about his background…like he did drugs and stuff and then God like smacked him and so he’s now working to help others learn what he has from God and ya know I never expected a Priest to have a background like his…”

TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING EXAMPLE Students were made aware of their frame of

reference through their interactions with the individuals they were serving

They realized that although some individuals may have had a drug or alcohol addiction, there were many more who lost their jobs, lost their family members, became depressed, or had an unpleasant experience disrupt their life

TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING EXAMPLE “We’re all one wrong decision away from

being in their shoes.” Through their experiences, the students

transformed their frame of reference to accommodate the new information that they acquired.

BLOG EXAMPLES "It Could be Oatmeal” Guided Reflection

OTHER EXAMPLES Lack of integration of learning:

“I haven’t really talked about it with anyone because I’ve been so busy. I know from my Spain trip that it’s hard to tell people your story and stuff. I mean I’m not like having withdrawals because I haven’t had time to but as soon as I have time which is never I might. It was a pretty awesome experience like I’ve been put in similar situations so I knew what to expect.”

OTHER EXAMPLES Which then turned into:

“But from it I like found my job…with the military. They have a Peace Corps thing called civil affairs and I didn’t realize what the job entailed but apparently it’s like what we did last week…and what I did in Spain and on church trips growing up and stuff. I like doing that…”

Integration of learning DID occur (connection)!

OTHER EXAMPLES Connection to faith

“And then like I am pretty religious and when I like, that last day we saw those people singing was really touching. Like even (though) those people don’t really have anything they have like a greater faith in God than I do and I have all this stuff and it was like I realized that I need to step it up and stuff like read my bible and stuff. And be thankful for what I have and stuff. And so now I’m going to try to be more God focused and it like made me really thankful for everything and like…I need to work harder.”

OTHER EXAMPLES Small piece of big picture

CONCLUSION Integration of learning may not have

consisted of connecting concepts and ideas learned in class to what they were experiencing while serving, but that does not mean that integration of learning was not actually occurring

CONCLUSION These students were integrating learning

across multiple contexts such as: Fraternities/sororities Clubs/organizations Faith-based groups/concepts Day-to-day activities Interactions around campus Career/life goals

CONCLUSION Alternative spring break trips provide ample

opportunity for students to integrate learning across many different context beyond the classroom

REFERENCESREACH Out Facebook. (March 2010). Retrieved from:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Reach-Out/101102116622267?ref=ts

King, P. M., Kendall Brown, M., Lindsay, N. K., & VanHecke, J. R. (2007). Liberal arts student learning outcomes: An integrated perspective. About Campus, 12(4), 2-9.

Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

McElhaney, K.A. (1998). Student outcomes of community service learning: A comparative analysis of curriculum-based and non-curriculum-based alternative spring break programs. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations. (AAT 9840602)

Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative learning: Theory to practice. New Directions for Adult & Continuing Education 74, pp. 5-12.

Newell, W. H. (2010). Educating for a complex world: Integrative learning and interdisciplinary studies. Liberal Education, 96(4), 6-11