Experiential Education in the College Context: What it is, How it Works, and Why it Matters 1st Edition

It's in the title: If you are looking for a resource that quickly lays out some big ideas related to experiential education AND a way to put those big ideas to work within an academic setting, begin here. The "ecosystem of experiential education" that Roberts presents is clear, yet flexible. The progression of the book through definitions, models and methodologies, and on through assessment is helpful and well-connected to seminal work in the area (such as backward design), while also giving a nod to current ideas and approaches. I particularly appreciated the focus on good facilitation within the teaching/learning process, as well as the attention paid to how to think about the assessment of experiential education. As for the critique of online learning at the end of the book…though Roberts’ main point was well-taken, perhaps a bit too much is lumped together—MOOCs, eportfolios, software, mobile devices—for a critique that is as nuanced as the rest of the book. That aside—couldn’t help wishing that this book had been on hand when I was first learning how to teach at the college level. A great place to start for a wide variety of academics and postsecondary instructors, especially those who are invested in community-engaged teaching practices.

Roberts' book as been incredibly helpful as a faculty member and administrator working to increase experiential learning at my institution. We've adopted Roberts' "experiential educational ecosystem" as our primary model for what we're trying to accomplish at our university. It's a great mix of robust theoretical grounding and helpful practical advice. The work addresses key issues such as facilitation of experiential educational opportunities, proper framing, and assessment. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in implementing experiential education -- in any way -- at the classroom level and up.

This book is incredibly useful and well written--for faculty and administrators looking to learn more about the variety of ways experiential education can be used in higher ed. A first--it will be the go to in the field.