Draws parallels between the processes outlined in a British government green paper and the processes of experiential learning and community development in a preparation program for community and youth workers. The value of using experience as a basis for learning and the importance of reflection to turn experience into learning were highlighted.…

Today's educational environment forms the stage for a host of debates, many of which centre on the use of standardized assessment in the classroom. With this push towards standardization, less time is being devoted to incorporating 'experiential' knowledge, or that knowledge which comes from hands-on, travel, natural and other worldly experiences,…

This article presents the author's response to Joseph Reimer's article titled, "Beyond More Jews Doing Jewish: Clarifying the Goals of Informal Jewish Education." The author discusses the "role" of teacher, which includes: engaging students in an academic subject each teacher has mastered, mentoring a particular small group of students about the…

This paper reports on a pilot study that examined the use of a science and technology curriculum based on robotics to increase the achievement scores of youth ages 9-11 in an after school program. The study examined and compared the pretest and posttest scores of youth in the robotics intervention with youth in a control group. The results…

Focuses on one person's perspective toward responsibilities of and toward the history of the museum profession. A plea is put forth for developing a feasible documentation system and national network of exhibit reviews. (Author/SA)

Reviews research on literacy in out-of-school settings, identifying conceptual advances in theories of literacy arising from nonschool research and highlighting recent research on literacy in out-of-schoolsettings. Discusses the implications of such research for teaching and learning in a range of contexts, including school. (SLD)

Identifies definitions and types of informal learning. Examines issues such as the utility of informal learning, the processes involved, and the lack of methods to assess the quality of learning acquired informally. (SK)

Describes the creation of an arts playground at Queen's University, Ontario (Canada), containing "tools" for children and adults to direct their own explorations in the arts. Discusses how a classroom might function like such a playground, and considers the issues of structure, communication, and evaluation of students' progress. (SV)

Examines characteristics of informal outdoor education offered by youth programs and human services agencies. Discusses the nature of curriculum and whether it is necessary, relative emphasis on process or product, experiential learning, appropriate use of activities, the importance of dialog in stimulating critical thinking, and client reflection…

Informal and incidental learning are based on learning from experience, embedded in organizational context, focused on action, governed by nonroutine conditions, concerned with tacit dimensions, delimited by the nature of the task, and enhanced by proactivity, critical reflection, and creativity. (SK)

Studies how visitors use mechanical interactive exhibits: how they respond to interactive controls, problems encountered, and how museums can best solve those problems through redesign of controls and exhibits. Problems are described under the following headings: (1) Visitors' Understanding of Exhibits; (2) Design of Interface Controls; (3)…

Reviews the results of an in-depth investigation of research on learning in children's museum settings. Focuses on how young children aged 4 and 5 engage with exhibits and how this might lead to learning. The investigation yielded not-very-surprising findings and some coding categories that may be useful to museum researchers and designers. (PVD)

Applies research on the instructional effectiveness of science-oriented field trips to humane education programs. Advocates the use of animal-related field trips and provides guidelines for excursion activities. (ML)

This study investigated the tacit knowledge of highly productive and influential scholars in educational administration. Tacit knowledge is personal knowledge so thoroughly grounded in experience that it cannot be fully expressed. Some researchers suggest it is a marker of practical intelligence. Individual, indepth, semistructured interviews were…

Strategies are given for enhancing learning in the informal environment of the museum. Collaboration between the school and classroom is encouraged. (SA)