Laboratory schools follow the John Dewey education system, prioritizing experiential learning over traditional lectures. There are five types of laboratory schools: outdoor, service, co-op, and active. Homework is thoughtful and encourages philosophical discussion. Supporters and opponents exist, but laboratory schools emphasize literature and the arts.
A laboratory school is a type of experiential school that is based on the John Dewey education system. Lab schools are different from conventional schools, as they focus primarily on the interaction between the teacher, student, and environment rather than traditional lectures. While Dewey didn’t coin the term “experiential school,” it’s why laboratory schools exist today.
Dewey believed that education should be ranked by experience. Following this philosophy, if a student does not acquire a wealth of knowledge from an educational experience, then such education is relatively useless. Active schools running the Dewey educational philosophy include Outward Bound and Foxfire. There are various types of laboratory schools, but they all follow the above educational model.
The five major types of laboratory schools are as follows: outdoor, service, co-op, and active. Outdoor education refers to a type of schooling that involves learning from a natural environment. Service learning combines community service with structured learning activities. Cooperative learning allows students to interact and learn from each other. Active learning requires students to learn from themselves and environmental students must learn from the environment.
The idea behind all these different educational models is to present students with a fully interactive learning environment. Dewey didn’t believe in tutoring immobile students. Therefore, all laboratory schools are concerned only with producing well-rounded students who are capable of learning from the world around them.
Within a laboratory school setting, homework is much more thoughtful than it is in a traditional educational setting. Students are often asked to answer philosophical questions. The various answers to these questions are then discussed during class hours. In essence, there are no right or wrong answers to experiential tasks. The idea is to allow students to talk openly with other students allowing for reflection, contemplation and deep thought. It is also common for students in an experiential school to write journal entries as a form of homework.
There are both strong supporters and strong opponents of the laboratory school idea. Some believe that this form of schooling is much more effective than traditional schooling and that traditional schooling provides students with a better understanding of reality. Laboratory schools are generally directly linked to formal university programs, although this is not always the case.
Experiential schools place a high emphasis on literature and the arts, while mainstream schools tend to focus primarily on math and science. Students who are new to experiential programs may find the transition from a traditional school to a laboratory school difficult initially, although most students adapt easily after a few weeks.
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