...education completed during the spring of 2003. "Principles of good practice "were incorporated into a service-learning project aimed at teaching elementary students about personal health. Classroom teachers and university faculty rated content and methods of instruction and provided feedback to candidates.

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Experiential education was developed more than a century ago to guide instructors interested in helping students capture the meaning of their learning experiences to apply in their chosen profession. John Dewey's Theory of Experience emphasized that, "events are present and operative anyway; what concerns us is their meaning" (1963). Dewey judged the quality of an educational experience by its intellectual and moral benefits to the student and long-term benefits to the community. The instructor is responsible for creating the situation, conditions for further growth of curiosity, desire and purpose.

Lewin (1952) proposed that personal development occurs through successful realization of goals through a process of trial and error, or experimentation. This can be contrasted to a classroom in which the authoritarian teacher determines what is important and necessary to achieve. Experiential education was quite different from "traditional education" of the 19th Century due to an added emphasis on subjective, as well as objective knowledge, process of creating knowledge through action, and social rewards (National Society for Experiential Education [NSEE], 1997).

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES AND SERVICE-LEARNING

Today, service-learning experiences are more frequently required for secondary and college students (Brown, 1998). The National Service-Learning Cooperative stated "service-learning is a teaching and learning method that connects meaningful community service experience with academic learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility" (Mintz & Liu, 1994).

Service-learning is compatible with general and discipline-specific educational standards. The National Education Goals for the year 2000 emphasized preparing students for responsible citizenship including involving America's students in community service activities (Kleiner & Chapman, 1999; Brown, 1998).

According to the National Household Education Survey of 1999, 80% of public high schools offered service-learning opportunities during that same year. Two-thirds of American schools arranged service work for students in grades 6-12, matching opportunities with volunteers. Twenty-one percent of schools required a specific number of service hours to be completed before graduation. Approximately one-half of secondary students participated in service-learning in 1999 (Kleiner & Chapman, 1999).

In the university setting, physical therapy, nursing, and medical students are also engaging in service-learning projects (e.g., Comely et al., 2001; Levy & Lehna, 2002; Young, Bates, Wolff, & Maurana, 2002). In addition, undergraduate students are also participating in service-learning opportunities in the areas of teaching, social sciences and health education (e.g., Swick & Rowls, 2000; Cashel, Goodman, & Swanson, 2003; Butcher & Hall, 1998). One program, from the University of Utah, provided candidates, from the Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Health Education, Recreation and Leisure, and Food and Nutrition, a service learning opportunity with at risk urban elementary students. The candidates assisted the elementary school with the implementation of an organized recess program. Using positive role models and organized activities, the program focused on enhancing the youths' self-esteem. The program was evaluated by interviews with the elementary students; it was considered a successful and positive learning experience for all who were involved (Butcher & Hall, 1998).

Eyler and Giles (1999) surveyed over 1,500 students selected from 20 institutions of higher education to determine cognitive outcomes of service-learning projects. Students reported enhanced understanding of course material, new awareness of complexity of personal and social issues, and practical ability to apply course content. Higher quality service-learning experiences appeared to be related to development of critical thinking skills (Dennis, 2003).

The Role Delineation Project of the National Commission of Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) specified responsibilities and competencies for entry-level health educators. Experiential education enables candidates to implement the NCHEC's areas of responsibility and competencies in a "real world" setting. Service-learning facilitates the candidates' comprehension...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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