Using Online Narratives to Explore Participant Experiences in a Residential Environmental Education Program
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Field-based, residential environmental education programs are immersive, science-rich learning experiences that aim to achieve educational, personal growth, and behavioral outcomes. Evaluations of such programs typically use pre- and post-programmatic surveys or interviews and, in some cases, participant observation. Understanding how participants respond to, and make meaning of, their experiences in the moment is an understudied facet that could enhance program outcomes; thus, this study explored participant narratives of their experience through online journaling, or “blogging.” We piloted the blogging activity during students’ participation in a four-to-five-day program and conducted retrospective evaluation upon students’ return to the classroom. Our findings suggest that connection to place, personal growth, and identity were critical aspects of the participant experience; these aspects may be conditioned by participants’ previous nature experiences, as well as access to nature. We reflect on the utility of blogging in characterizing, exploring, and better understanding intermediary and ultimate programmatic outcomes.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date created | 2015 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | Ardoin, Nicole M. |
|---|---|
| Author | DiGiano, Maria |
| Author | O'Connor, Kathleen |
| Author | Holthuis, Nicole |
Subjects
| Subject | Environmental education |
|---|---|
| Subject | blogging |
| Subject | national park |
| Subject | field science |
| Subject | evaluation |
| Subject | nature |
| Genre | Article |
Bibliographic information
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction
- User agrees that, where applicable, content will not be used to identify or to otherwise infringe the privacy or confidentiality rights of individuals. Content distributed via the Stanford Digital Repository may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor.
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial No Derivatives 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC-ND).
Preferred citation
- Preferred Citation
- Ardoin, N.M. et al. 2015. Using online narratives to explore participant experiences in a residential environmental education program. Children’s Geographies, 14(3), 263-281.
Collection
Graduate School of Education Open Archive
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- Contact
- nmardoin@stanford.edu
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