Adrian Colborn
Major: Social Enterprise and Innovation
Academic Advisor: Dean Snyder
Co-op Advisor: Rick Kraince
Co-ops: Antioch College, Residence Life Administrative Assistant (Spring 2021); Scrutineers, Election Protection Contractor (Winter 2022); Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts, Assistant Coordinator of the Teaching and Learning Center (Spring 2023)
Additional Campus Involvement:
Community Council Co-chair (‘20)
College Council Representative (‘21-’24)
Accessibility Committee Chair (‘23-’24)
Languages: English, French
Home City: Piqua, Ohio
E-mail: acolborn@antiochcollege.edu
A Review and Analysis of the Effectiveness of Experiential Learning in American K-12 Education
Abstract:
This paper explores the effectiveness of experiential learning models, with particular emphasis given to service-learning and actions civics approaches, in American K-12 civic education. Civics education currently resides in a space of political contention in present-day United States; while some state legislatures and private organizations have advocated for - or sought to require - the inclusion of experiential learning models such as action civics, others have moved to restrict or prohibit them entirely. Advocates argue that experiential civic education better prepares students to serve as active civic agents in addition to providing a more robust, equitable approach to instructing on core civics knowledge - those opposed argue that students taught in this manner are pushed to act as political agents without the necessary knowledge to act, as these methods fail to foster understandings of the workings of government and American history in students. In response, this paper seeks to determine the relevance of experiential learning in civics for American students through an analysis of the existing literature surrounding these models in the United States. Current research demonstrates the effectiveness of varied methods of experiential learning in civics education - particularly when numerous methods work in cohesion to provide thorough, hands-on education on civic life and history. Ideally, this paper will serve to provide clarity to the ongoing contention and aid in the promotion of the most beneficial best practices for the next generation of American students.