EASEL (Education through ApplicationSupported Experiential Learning)

Abstract

The EASEL application is a learning tool which puts an emphasis on the student’s interaction with her/his learning environment and her/his reflection of that interaction. EASEL draws up on basic theories of constructivism and metacognition. Many learning tools provide an opportunity for students to reflect on her/his work a student may be asked to write a journal entry or take a postassignment survey based on an experiential learning event. However, this type of data is often collected long after the event resulting in the loss of important insights and opportunities for analysis. Utilizing the latest advances in mobile technology, EASEL will allow the student to reflection on her/his interactions in real time. The instructor will be able to assign default questions or design her/his own questions. Additionally, the instructor will be able to control when the reflection questions are administered: before, during, and/or after an event. A field study, for example, may require preexperience reflection and setup, experience data collection, and postexperience reflection. Depending on the instructor’s preference for the assignment, the reflection activity can be captured in text, audio, or video format. An instructor will be able to evaluate the reflective measures over time to understand the performance of the student as well as gauge the effectiveness of the assigned experiential learning techniques.