The interrelationship between knowledge and experience is the foundation of constructivist teaching and learning. However, all experiences are not of equal value and by simply involving students in some form of experiential learning does not mean they are constructing relevant and meaningful understandings. My research focuses on how three elements of knowledge can be interrelated into meaningful learning experiences. In this model, a learning experience is comprised of concepts that are deemed important for student understanding, factual examples that provide valid and equitable representations of the concepts, and the development of generalizations that involve students in interpreting and understanding new knowledge. Students construct conceptual understandings through a process of exploring, analyzing, and evaluating factual examples. These understandings are then synthesized into generalizations that can be used to interpret related conditions and events. Ultimately, learning experiences develop into a frame of reference comprised of knowledge, beliefs, and values that determine who we are and how we behave.
