ERIC Number: EJ1280258
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2168-8281
EISSN: N/A
A Tour of Wood Product Manufacturing Facilities in British Columbia as an Example of Experiential Learning
Cool, Julie; Ellis, Simon; Jiang, Feng
Natural Sciences Education, v49 n1 e20030 2020
The provision of meaningful experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate students in natural resources-based programs is particularly important. In 2017, the Department of Wood Science at the University of British Columbia reintroduced a dormant, 1-week tour of manufacturing operations for students in the Wood Products Processing undergraduate program. This article describes the background to the reinstatement of the tour and some of the important logistical factors involved, including the timing of the tour in the academic calendar, the scheduling of manufacturing facilities visited, transport and accommodation considerations, and planning time at an outdoor education camp. The desired learning outcomes are discussed together with some of the challenges developing and enacting appropriate evaluations connected to them. An initial single, written technical report was later supplemented by evaluation components better connected to the desired experiential learning outcomes. Aspects of safety, participation, and punctuality were added, as were daily quizzes. The daily quizzes have evolved from paper-based questions requiring statement responses to online, objective quizzes, which provided more timely feedback to students. The pros and cons of additional overview and/or summary sessions are discussed in relation to encouraging greater student engagement in achieving the desired learning outcomes.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Manufacturing Industry, Woodworking, Experiential Learning, Curriculum Enrichment, Undergraduate Students
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2191/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A