This Handbook relates to the EXPEDUCOM that is a project risen from the needs to meet the requirements of the modern world via developing and implementing innovative educational practices related to experience-based pedagogical approach addressed to children aged 3-12.
The project outcomes target at strengthening the professional profile of in-service educators as well as students - future teachers by developing pedagogical guidelines on experiential education, open educational tools-real life cases, offering training for improvement of professional and communicative skills, improving curricula of pre- school, primary and teacher training institutions.
This handbook constitutes an approach for investigating the theoretical and practical training strategies from the perspective of experiential education. The purpose of this paper aims to provide theoretical and practical tools useful in early education specialists and primary education by developing practical strategies component, to support the development of educational activities and research to adapt permanently instructive approach to the specific demands of contemporary society. Due to changes at multiple curricular authors develop paradigms for training future teachers and introduce the need for activity planning, implementation and evaluation of training through experiential learning activities, thereby contributing directly to improving interactive teaching strategies.
Given the above, this handbook is organized as follows:
Part A. General framework on experiential learning
What is experiential learning? (Concept; Characteristics of experiential based learning; The principals of experiential orientation; Experiential based learning stages; Teacher roles; Children roles; Integration of experiential learning in teaching); Overview of conceptual foundations on the experiential based learning (Instructional models for the experiential learning theory; Dewey’s foundations for the experiential based learning; Implications of Vygotsky’s ideas on learning process; Bruner’s conceptual contribution to the experiential based learning; The Jean Piaget’s perspective; Kolb's experiential learning theory); Citizenship and 21st century education (An overview of 21st century skills education; What kind of citizens are needed in the Netherlands in the 21st century?); Different approaches of experiential education (Reggio Emilia Approach; High Scope Approach and the perspective of the Modern School Movement) Part B. International research report on experiential learning approaches
Part C. Examples of experiential based learning developed in different countries structured as case studies on experiential education in kindergarten and case studies on experiential education in primary school.
This handbook aims to provide the necessary and adequate information regarding experiential learning and teaching and is directed to parents, students and educators of preschool and primary school children. More specifically, the outcomes of the project directly address teachers working in kindergartens and primary schools; students of pre-school and primary education; teacher trainers, researchers at universities providing pre-school and/or primary education; parents or anybody interested in education of children aged 3-12.
