An Investigation into the Essence of Short-Term Experiential Learning Field Trips to an Operational Prison

Short-term field trips enable learners to bridge the pedagogical gap between academic knowledge (theory) and the practicalities of their discipline in a real-world setting. In Ireland, there has been a dearth of empirical research into the essence of short-term field trips as a teaching and learning strategy for criminal justice students. The purpose of this article is to bridge that pedagogical gap through thematic analysis of qualitative data of student learning experiences in the context of a short-term field trip to an operational prison. Research findings based on semi-structured interviews with students who participated in the active learning experience show evidence of the essence of experiential learning activities which could not be achieved to the same level in academic seminars alone. In essence, students contextualise their academic (theory) knowledge, which is a catalyst for gaining a deep and flexible understanding. In consequence of the sensitive nature of the operational prison, and compliance with security protocols, some limitations were also reported by participants, notably the short-term duration of the field trip and the use of conventional methods of documenting active learning experiences was not possible. Keywords: higher education, participatory action research, experiential learning, short-term field trip, operational prison, reflection in action, reflection on action, thematic analysis of qualitative data