1. Running Head: EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 1
Experiential Education
Theory and Practice of Experiential Education
Mackenzie DeMuth
University of Northern Iowa
April 25, 2016

2. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 2
Experiential Education
“Experiential Education is a philosophy that informs many methodologies in
which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused
reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop
people’s capacity to contribute to their communities.” The student becomes more actively
involved in the learning process than in traditional, didactic education.
There are so many different experiential educators. Some include: teachers, camp
counselors, therapists, instructors, coaches, etc.
Experiential Education is used in my different settings. Some examples of the
different settings are: non-formal education, place-based education, project-based
education, global education, environmental education, student-centered education,
informal education, active learning, service learning, cooperative learning, expeditionary
learning, internships, and group based learning.
Principles of Experiential Education: Learning Cycles
Stage 1 Model: Experience: simply that experience alone is sufficient for learning.
Stage 2 Model: Experience-Reflection: Outward Bound Plus Model
Stage 3 Model: Dewey 1938 DoReviewPlan
Stage 4 Model: Kolb 1984 1. Experiencing2. Reviewing3. Concluding4.
PlanningTransfer of Learning
Stage 5 Model: Joplin(1981) Focus-action-support-feedback-debriefing
Kelly(1995) Encounter-(dis)confirmation-revision-anticipation-investment
Pfeiffer and Jones(1975) Experiencing-publishing-processing-
generalizing-applying

3. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 3
Stage 6 Model: Priest and Gass (1990, 1997) The Experiential Learning and Judgment
Paradigm. Experience-induce-generalize-deduce-apply-evaluate.
Environmental Education
Environmental Education is a process that allows individuals to explore
environmental issues, engage in problem solving, and take action to improve the
environment. As a result, individuals develop a deeper understanding of environmental
issues and have the skill to make informed and responsible decisions.
Definitions:
“Helping people to become happily acquainted with the life and wonders of wild
nature. It is inspirational and educational” (Enos Mills, 1920).
Interpretation: definition for four decades:
“Interpretation is an educational activity which aims to reveal meanings and
relationships through the use of original objects, by firsthand experience, and by
illustrative media, rather than simply to communicate factual information” (Freeman
Tilden, 1957).
“Interpretation is the communication link between the visitor and park resources”
(Grant Sharpe, 1976).
“Environmental interpretation involves translating the technical language of a
natural science or related field into terms and ideas that people who aren’t scientists can
readily understand” (Sam Ham, 1992).
“Interpretation is how people communicate the significance of cultural and natural
resources. It instills appreciation and understanding” (Knudsen, Cable, Beck, 1995).

4. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 4
“Interpretation is a mission-based communication process that forges emotional
and intellectual connections between the interests of the audience and the inherent
meanings in the resource” (National Association for Interpretation, 2001).
“Interpretation is the translation of the language of the scientists, the voices of the past,
and the significance of the places to help create meanings and connections with the
people of the present” (Carolyn Widner Ward, 2002).
“Any communication process designed to reveal meanings and relationships of
cultural and natural heritage to the public, through first-hand involvement with an object,
artifact, landscape or site” (Interpretation Canada).
Interpretation is NOT:
 Communication of facts (Freeman Tilden)
 Someone’s personal soapbox
 Equal to Environmental Education
Interpretive Programs are programs of field trips by interpreters that is not connected
to a curriculum.
Environmental Education is part of a larger system with an established
curriculum, educational goals, and specific learning objectives.
My personal definition of Environmental Education: The process that people do to get
more involved in nature and learning about the environment while enjoying it.
Outstanding Curriculum
-Project WILD: Project WILD is a wildlife-focused conservation education program for
K-12 educators and their students. It is one of the most widely used conservation and
environmental education programs among educators of students in Kindergarten through

5. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 5
high school. It is based on the premise that young people and educators have a vital
interest in learning about our natural world.
-Project Food, Land, and People
-Project WET
-Project Learning Tree
Communication
Communication is transferring meaning from one source to another. Sometimes
due to barriers in communication, interpreters are necessary to complete the process.
Interpretation is an artful form of communication stressing ideas and relationships to help
build connections between resources and people.
Two Types of Interpretation: Personal vs. Non-personal
Personal interpretation is person-to-person communicating. It is when there is an
instructor or guide and they explain how to do something or what something is to a group
of people. An example of this is Darrin explaining how to kayak and how to be safe while
kayaking to a group of people. There is physical interaction between interpreter and
visitor. It is a more meaningful form of communication. It is also a good way to achieve
management goals and objectives.
Non-personal interpretation is when it’s object-to-person communication. This is
when signs, posters, exhibits, etc., share information with people. They will allow people
to read them or observe them without someone else telling the people what to do or what
that exhibit may be. There is no physical interaction. It allows more visitor freedom and
reaches more people.

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Interpreters
Interpreters can be many people. Some examples are: Environmental educators,
interpretive naturalists, naturalists, park rangers, cultural and historical interpreters.
They work in the Federal, State or Local government.
If they work in the National Park Service USDA Forest Service, US Fish and
Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, or US Army Corps of Engineers they are
working for the Federal government. If they work for the Iowa Department of Natural
Resourcing they are working for the State government. If they are working for County
Conservation Boards or City Parks and Recreation they are working for the Local
government.
They can also work for private agencies and organizations. Some Profit
Organizations include: Tour companies, guide services, motels, travel organizations, and
museums. Some Non-Profit organizations are Nature Conservancy, National Audubon
Society, Sierra Club, Park Associations or Museums.
Goals of Interpretation
The primary goal of interpretation is connecting the visitor to the resource. They
use orientation services (cognitive and spatially locate themselves in the resource),
Information (connect to resource and meet basic informational needs), and Educational
Messages (natural resource, cultural, and management based messages). The secondary
goal of interpretation is to protect and manage within management goals. This includes
protecting the visitor, protecting the resource, and promoting the agency.

7. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 7
Teaching Concepts
Recognizing types of learners: watchers, feelers, thinkers, and doers. Teachers describe,
demonstrate and do. They have to think about the student’s safety, comfort zones, their
ability to see and hear you, etc. Working with a variety of ages is important and will
happen to a person some point in their life. It is important to know the different levels of
groups and how to teach them.
Learning
Short Term Memory: students can handle 2-4 bits of information at a time. The
teacher must sell the information to the student in order for them to understand.
Long Term Memory: there are three levels. 1. Surface 2. Conceptual 3. Instinctual
Students learn better when they see, do and self discover rather than just hearing
the information.
Nature Deficit Disorder
Nature Deficit Disorder is when children aren’t spending enough time outdoors.
This leads to behavioral problems. It is important for children and everyone else to spend
time outdoors and in nature. It’s good for the body and mind. The term is from Richard
Louv. He coined it in his 2005 book called “Last Child in the Woods.” When I was a
child I spent a lot of time outside. I was always playing sports or exploring some wooded
area because that was interesting to me. I still love the outdoors and spend as much time
as I can outside.
Nature Centers and Exhibits
The best exhibits/signs have the following:
 Seldom provide detail or in depth info but provoke visitors to want more

8. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 8
 Reveals the meaning of the site (unified theme)
 Purpose is to interpret objects and experiences on the site
 The information should be compatible with the site
 Short and concise information
Sign Basics: Serif font is the best for paragraphs. It’s easy to read. Times New
Roman is a good serif for signs. The type size for headings should be big enough to read
from afar. Use of caps is important for headings. The font should also be flush left and
ragged right. Open space is very important. It gives some room and it makes the sign look
less busy. Pictures are always a great way to get people’s attention. The basic materials
that the signs should be made out of are: wood, fiberglass, metal, and porcelain enamel.
Avoiding square panels and reflective materials is a good idea. Choosing weather
resistant materials is the best choice.
Exhibits: When to use an Exhibit? Exhibits are good to use when there isn’t an
interpreter around to explain things to the visitors. Another reason is when there are
enough visitors to justify the expense of an exhibit. It should be safe and convenient as
well as not a distraction from the site.
Characterization
First Person: Become the character in every aspect: dress, dialogue, mannerisms,
delivery, etc. Really know the character and stay in it at all times. Research and
practicing the character is very important to make it believable and fun for the audience.
Third Person: Looks like a person from a different era but speaks about people and events
from a current perspective. Usually they use crafts and demonstrations to help the
audience understand.

9. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 9
In both first person and third person clothing, makeup, and details are very important.
Clothing should be authentic. Makeup can be simple like mud, dirt, flour or grease but
should be believable. The details can include smoke, food, tools, music or anything that
will help the performance.
Puppets
Puppets are fun to help focus peoples attention. They can be helpful for
communicating ideas to all ages. The interpreter can use them in a humorous way to get
the audience to laugh and enjoy the presentation. Puppets are easy to carry and
inexpensive. They can also be a great way to show what the real animal looks like so the
audience can have a better understanding of that animal.
Tips for using puppets:
 Move puppet in sync with what is being said
 Open and close mouth with each syllable
 Move lower jaw, puppets head should remain level
 Stay in character
 Puppets should make eye contact with audience
 The puppet should carry the program and be the main focus
 Develop a distinct personality and voice for puppet
 Keep the program active and short
Storytelling
Storytelling is fun and everyone listens if it is well told. It’s an old way to get
people involved and using their imagination. A well told story could capture the
audience’s attention and interest them. Not everyone can be a good storyteller. They have

10. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 10
to be animated. The interpreter has to be creative and willing to practice the stories but
not tell them the same way every time. Stories provoke emotion and can teach people
values. People can also learn culture and character of others through storytelling.
Storytelling has many different techniques: relaxation, humming exercises, using
different parts of your voice, inflection, diction, and facial expressions all contribute to a
great story. The interpreter should set the scene, develop the story, use a crisis and have a
moral.
There are some do’s and do not’s of storytelling. The do’s are: speak loudly and
clearly, speak in a good pace, tell the story spontaneously, use silence for effect, and
practice. Some do not’s are: being with an apology, really long stories, reading from a
script, expressing opinion, using unwelcoming language or body language, and getting
sidetracked. Also don’t be too detailed, use weak gestures, use fake voice or leave your
listeners without a resolution to the story’s conflict.
Interpretive Hikes
Night hike: Darkness or reduced lighting provides a different perspective on the
environment.
Wet Walk: It can be fun, unusual, revealing and literally get everyone immersed in the
theme.
Moving Mechanically: Using other modes of transportation like their car, bike, or
anything else they can use to get around to still be involved and explore.
Roving Interpretation
This is a personalized, face-to-face communication where the audience has
chosen the venue the resource is the stage, and the interpreter is a catalyst for knowledge.

11. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 11
Roving provides the means to protect the resource and the visitor and to ensure a quality
recreational experience.
There are many reasons for roving. A few are: public relations, providing timely
and site-specific information and education, gaining a better understanding of the visitor
and the resource, and protecting that resource.
Evaluation and Assessment of Programs
Evaluation is a critical component of all interpretation. It links many of the
elements discussed in the other chapters of the book and brings the reader from program
creation to program assessment. It is conducted because people want to know more and
want to do better. There are many reasons why evaluations of programs are done. It is
important and provides insight into the overall success of interpretive efforts.
There are 3 big components that should be evaluated and they are: the interpreter,
the audience, and the program.
 Interpreter: Body language, appearance, enthusiasm, credible, voice quality, eye
contact, confidence, grammar, and passion.
 Audience: Learning, attendance, satisfaction, enjoyment, behavioral change,
emotional impact, attention, memory, and provocation.
 Program: Connection, relevant, enjoyable, appropriate, thematic, engaging,
structured, cost-effective, and accessible.
Outdoor Recreation
Competence: Knowing or not knowing how bad or good you are at something.
Teaching strategies: three D’s: describe, demo, do. This includes doing the whole
thing once to show everyone, doing a part of it to break it down then doing the whole

12. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 12
thing again with everyone participating. It’s an easier way for people to learn. Interaction
is very important and people learn faster that way.
Having a lesion plan is important and organized. Intro, setting, goal, components,
methods, equipment, and evaluation are what you should include in a lesson plan.
Knowing how to enjoy outdoor adventures with kids is important. Slowing down
and letting them explore is great. Have fun with them.
Six practical reasons for outdoor adventures:
 Fun
 Affordable
 End up with incredibly capable kids
 Educational
 Instill safety consciousness in children early in their lives
 Own life will be enriched
Theory of Optimal Arousal: BoredomOptimalAnxiety
Earth Day at Hartman Reserve Nature Center
Earth Day is on April 22 each year. It marks the anniversary of the birth of the
modern environmental movement in 1970. It is important for people to learn about the
Earth and what they can do to make it a better place to live.
Hartman Reserve was a really good time for everyone involved. Everyone in class
had a topic. They made poster boards, an activity for the kids and had a presentation. We
all did a great job I thought. I learned a lot from other posters and had fun interacting
with everyone that came to Earth Day.

13. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 13
Evening Class/Night Time Activities
Getting together with the class out at Black Hawk Park was a lot of fun. We
played games, animal called, sang songs and ate smores. There are several different types
of programs that are presented in a darkened environment. Night hikes, night sky and star
gazing, campfire, and audiovisual programs are all things that people can do in a
nighttime setting.
Nighttime safety is very important. There are a few things people can do to be safe in the
dark.
 Selecting a trail that is wide and level, recheck the route, count the participants,
designate someone to be the last person of the group, advise everyone to have
some sort of flashlight, and encourage everyone to have a buddy.
Professionalism, Organizations, IAN Standards
The characteristics of a profession: knowledge-based, standards of practice,
accreditation, quality control, and continuing educational opportunities. As an interpreter,
you have responsibility to represent the organization for which you work in an
appropriate and ethical manner.
Guest Speakers
Angi Reid: Angi is the Education Coordinator at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. She
came in and helped us make nature journals. They were really cool and I’ve used mine a
few times. I would love to write more and get other people involved more in nature.
Sitting outside and thinking about life is a great way to distress. I learned why it’s
important to write in nature.

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Mike Havlik: Mike is a naturalist from Dallas, CCB. He talked about the teaching
pedagogy. Teaching pedagogy are teaching strategies that help people understand things
that they learn. Each pedagogic is described so that you can quickly understand how the
technique might be relevant to your teaching. I honestly had no clue what this was so it
was interesting to learn about.
Linette Bernard: Linette is the ICEC Executive Director. She talked about Kinder Nature
and why it is used. Kinder Nature is a website that has many songs and activities on it for
teachers to teach to their classrooms. It reminds me of Project WILD. It is really nice to
go to if you need an idea about a song or activity to do with a group of kids. I didn’t
know about this website before she came in so it was fun to learn about.
Linettte came back to our class and talked about Interpretation with Live Animals. She is
apart of SOAR and is a communications director of it. She houses a hawk that she
brought into class. I learned that these animals are not your pets and you shouldn’t treat
them like pets because they are wild animals. It was very interesting and I enjoyed it a
lot.
Mike Bonser: Mike is the Conservation Officer for the Iowa DNR. He talked about
Communication and Interpretation in Law Enforcement. He was an interesting guy full of
knowledge. I learned many things from him. One thing is that is can be hard to do. He
has many different people he deals with everyday.
Steve Martin: Steve works at the Butler county CCB. He is a storyteller and a good one at
that. I learned different ways to tell a story and how to make them believable. He really
caught my attention and it was fun to hear his stories. He scared some of the class

15. EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION 15
sometimes with his ‘all of the sudden’ loud voice but it good everyone’s attention and
was fun.
Andy Martin: Andy is the Outdoor Recreation Coordinator at UNI. He goes on trips with
the students and runs the office in the WRC. Outdoor rec is very important and is a great
thing to have at UNI. The outdoor rec trips look really fun and I would love to go on one
sometime. I learned many things about UNI outdoors that I didn’t know. It was cool
hearing about the history of it and why it’s important to have on a college campus.
Conclusion
All of the topics I learned in this class will help me become a great working
professional in a career working with kids and outdoor recreation. I can use what I
learned to create a great environment for all of the people I work with and teach.
Learning how to work with kids was something that comes natural to me but it was fun to
learn more about it. In any field it is important to know how to work with others. I
learned a lot in this class and had fun doing it. I liked the interactive activities and group
projects. It helps me learn when I’m being interactive. I thought Darrin did a great job
teaching this class also. It helps when the professor gets involved with the students and
has a good time doing so. I will miss this class but I’m very happy with how it went and
what I took away from it.