Discovering the Pedagogy of Experience

Abstract

The previous two chapters proposed a framework for analyzing the curriculum of experience, the stuff students learn when they engage in activities at work sites and service settings, and compared that content to the kinds of things they learn in college. In this chapter and the next, we will shift focus to the way that happens, to the pedagogy of experience, defined as the social organization of the processes and resources by which people learn—whether in a museum or an investment bank, in a classroom, or around a family dinner table. The structure of this exploration echoes that of the discussion of curriculum: Chapter 5 lays out and illustrates the elements of situated pedagogy, its general features, and the factors shaping it. It implies a judgment about the claim that “experience is the best teacher,” namely, “Well, it depends.” Chapter 6 shows how that natural process compares to what happens in college classrooms. Chapter 7, the last section of this part, analyzes and critiques some of the ways experiential educators in universities try to enhance, direct, and assess their interns’ learning.