Provide the following when focusing on environmentally responsible behavior:
- Feedback on progress toward preferred environmental change.
Dwyer, W. O., F. C. Lemming, et al. (1993) Finding 3
Best Education Practice: Individual 
See below for: research findings about outreach with an individual.
For the Individual, the learning experience:
- Provides opportunities for extended effort and practice.
- Promotes active engagement and real world problem solving.
- Enables the learner to link new knowledge to their existing knowledge in meaningful ways.
- Presents a new behavior or skill by • Demonstrating its similarity to a current behavior or skill. • Relating the new behavior to current social practices. • Demonstrating ease of adoption in terms of time, effort and money.
- Builds thinking and reasoning skills – analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and problem solving – that learners can use to construct and apply their knowledge.
- Provides a nurturing context for learning, with attention to • Cultural or group background and influences • The physical environment • The use of tools or practices appropriate to learner skills and abilities.
- Relates to personal interests and provides for personal choice and control. (the learning experience is “learner centered”)
- Has a clear purpose with tightly focused outcomes and objectives
- Allows a learner to interact and collaborate with others on instructional tasks.
- Can be adapted to individual differences in learning strategies and approaches.
- Encourages the learner to set meaningful learning goals and to take personal responsibility for their own learning.
- Relates to the individual’s level of physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development.
- Builds on positive emotions, curiosity, enjoyment, and interest.
- Assesses the learner in order to set appropriately high and challengings standards.
Findings Navigation: Browse by Audience; Browse by Theme; Browse by Best Education Practice; Browse by multiple topics
Bacic, I. L. Z., Rossiter, D. G., & Bregt, A. K. (2006) Finding 1
Visual, spatial information is effective in stimulating group discussion when presented as part of a participatory approach.
Bacic, I. L. Z., Rossiter, D. G., & Bregt, A. K. (2006) Finding 2
The choice of type of visual, spatial information to use in an education program depends on the audience. Some prefer pollution modeling, others prefer satellite images and maps or simply the discussion generated by showing models and maps. Continue reading →
Bacic, I. L. Z., Rossiter, D. G., & Bregt, A. K. (2006) Finding 3
A participatory workshop using pollution modeling, satellite images, maps, and discussion, enables farmers to identify pollution prevention efforts that are considered to be within their own control. Farmers may not be willing to adopt measures that lead to lost income, even when they consider the measure to be effective. Continue reading →
Dickerson, D. L., Penick, J. E., Dawkins, K. R., & Van Sickle, M. (2007) Finding 1
To increase understanding of complex concepts related to groundwater:
- Add a groundwater emphasis to science standards, such as in the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996);
- Provide increased attention to students’ spatial reasoning abilities;
- Provide formal instruction for science teachers concerning groundwater; and
- Design appropriate assessments.
Dickerson, D. L., Penick, J. E., Dawkins, K. R., & Van Sickle, M. (2007) Finding 2
To facilitate students’ ability to conceptualize the groundwater environment, use the following instructional tools: rock specimens, three-dimensional physical models, and fieldwork. Continue reading →
Dickerson, D. L., Penick, J. E., Dawkins, K. R., & Van Sickle, M. (2007) Finding 3
To facilitate students’ ability to conceptualize the groundwater environment, measure understandings of the concepts using: drawings, concept maps, and open-ended questions. Continue reading →
Dickerson, D. L., Penick, J. E., Dawkins, K. R., & Van Sickle, M. (2007) Finding 4
To facilitate students’ ability to conceptualize the groundwater environment, engage teachers in learning how to develop appropriate assessment materials. For example, model use of preassessment to assess students’ groundwater understandings using various types of multiplechoice items, open-ended questions, and drawing prompts. Ask teachers to analyze what types of information each item provides and construct an appropriateinstructional plan based on the responses. Continue reading →
Dickerson, D. L., Penick, J. E., Dawkins, K. R., & Van Sickle, M. (2007) Finding 5
To facilitate students’ ability to conceptualize the groundwater environment, teach instructors the fundamentals of assessing for conceptual understanding of science concepts. For example, the teacher can identify what language the students are using to describe groundwater and consequently what possible alternative conceptions may need to be explicitly addressed. Continue reading →
Voege, H., & Crocker, S. (1998) Finding 3
Acknowledge landowner interest and concern for the quality of their land. Continue reading →
