Exploring Learning within Informal Environments

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Informal learning environments--museums, zoos, after-school clubs, Citizen Science programs--provide a wealth of educational opportunities for people of all ages to pursue and cultivate a wide range of interests. Within these settings, learners often are free to choose the topics in which to immerse themselves and the extent to which they participate in given activities. This course will explore: 1) what learning looks like within different informal environments; 2) a variety of educational approaches commonly found in such environments; and 3) the role(s) that informal learning can play within a broader educational landscape. The class will take at least one field trip to a local informal learning space to observe and investigate learning within these environments firsthand.