Place-Based Learning across the Disciplines: A Living Laboratory Approach to Pedagogy

Abstract

Faculty participants in a fellowship designed to engage students at an urban commuter college of technology in their general education curriculum evaluated and redesigned their courses to include place-based learning (PBL) using the Living Laboratory model of pedagogy. Focused on faculty perception of the relationship between PBL and its influence on general education, the study illustrates how faculty from across disciplines apply PBL techniques to revitalize general education learning outcomes. Findings include the influence of the fellowship on the design of PBL activities and perceived levels of student engagement, especially when compared to more traditional classroom instruction. Through a reflective interview process and a survey, participants in a fellowship shared the results of their revitalized pedagogical practices designed to include place-based learning (PBL) as a means to engage students in the general education learning outcomes of their courses. The study draws attention to a new pedagogical model we call the Living Lab. In addition to PBL, the Living Lab employed other proven student engagement practices to encourage active learning among students and supported the inclusion of place throughout the college's curriculum. Wurdinger and Carlson emphasize the shift "from far to near" in PBL; we found that making use of local conditions yielded complex and engaging learning opportunities, deeper than we might expect at an urban commuter college (2009, p. 83). Gruenewald acknowledges the lack of a theoretical tradition of PBL springing from a single discipline (2003a) and embraces a multidisciplinary approach, asserting that "places teach us about how the world works and how our lives fit into the spaces we occupy" (2003b, p. 621). The fellowship allowed for many interpretations of PBL to meet the needs of instructors in technical and professional disciplines as well as those in arts and sciences. After involvement in the seminar, survey and interview participants reported that inclusion of PBL changed their teaching practices. History and Background The pedagogical model of the Living Lab was developed at an urban commuter college of technology in Brooklyn, NY, employing 404 full-time and over 1000 part-time faculty with an enrollment that exceeds 17,000 students. The college offers 51 associate and baccalaureate degrees preparing students to enter the workforce with career skills to apply to their chosen profession. The college's mission includes a commitment to provide "broad access to high quality technological and professional