next century. This is the Deweyian challenge, to
convert theory into practice, to convert the "why"
into the "how;" for "if a theory makes no difference
in educational endeavors, it must be artificial"
(Dewey, 1916, p. 328). Applying Dewey's philosophy to undergraduate education is also a way to
honor Dewey, to extend his philosophy into new
domains, to "reconstruct his insights, to see, if need
be, farther than Dewey saw" (Randall, 1953, p. 13).
Dewey's writings implicitly support five characteristics of good undergraduate education: (a) good
undergraduate education integrates personal experience with academic learning, (b) good undergraduate education structures opportunities for reflection, (c) good undergraduate education is inquirybased, (d) good undergraduate education facilitates
face-to-face communication, and (e) good undergraduate education is connected to the community.
A brief summary of each follows.
Good undergraduate education integrates personal experience with academic learning.
According to Dewey, education is the continuous
reconstruction of experience. It is through personal
experience that theory takes on meaning and individual capacities are developed. "An ounce of
experience is better than a ton of theory simply
because it is only in experience that any theory has
vital and verifiable significance. An experience, a
very humble experience, is capable of generating
and carrying any amount of theory (or intellectual
content), but a theory apart from an experience
cannot be definitely grasped even as theory. It
tends to become a mere verbal formula, a set of
catchwords used to render thinking" (1916, p. 144).
For Dewey, knowledge that is segregated from
experience is not transferable to new experiences.
He warns that the split between real life experience
and classroom learning is a fundamental problem
in an increasingly complex society. Therefore, it is
essential to integrate personal experience with academic learning.
Dewey (1933) recognizes that experience alone
does not result in learning. Personal experience is
"educative" when it fosters growth and develops
critical thinking; "educative" experiences lead to
new perceptions and connections and the ability to
take informed actions. On the contrary, "miseducative" experiences stifle growth and result in
routine action. Dewey notes that routine action
may increase skill to do a particular thing, but is
inadequate for developing critical thinking to adapt
in new situations. Personal experiences must be
integrated into undergraduate education in such a
way that students learn from their experience.
The Moral Dimensions of John Dewey's Philosophy
Good undergraduate education structures
opportunities for reflection. Experience becomes
educative through reflection. Reflection is the
"active, persistent, and careful consideration of any
belief or supposed form of knowledge in the light
of the grounds that support it and the further conclusions to which it tends" (Dewey, 1933, p. 9).
Reflection begins in perplexity and consists of
"turning a subject over in the mind and giving it
serious and consecutive considerations" (p. 3). For
Dewey, reflection is progressive, in that it leads to
new action and informed behavior. Reflection is
different from other types of cognitive exercise
because it includes "a responsibility for future consequences which flow from the present action"
(1916, p. 146).
The challenge for educators is to construct a state
of doubt and perplexity that fosters reflective
thinking for undergraduates. "Thinking begins in
what may fairly enough be called a forked-road situation, a situation that is ambiguous, that presents
a dilemma, that proposes alternatives" (Dewey,
1933, p. 14). The call for reflection requires that
instructors create 'forked-road situations' for
undergraduates, and then provide students with a
variety of structured learning activities that foster
reflective thought (Hatcher & Bringle, in press).
"Without fostering reflective thought, learning cannot move beyond conditioning, beyond the classroom...and the connection between thought and
action is dissipated" (Saltmarsh, 1996, p. 18).
Good undergraduate education is inquiry-based.
Dewey's philosophy of education is influenced by
the scientific revolution of the late 19th and early
20th century. He regards scientific inquiry as a progressive form of knowledge. Through scientific
inquiry, knowledge can be applied and tested to
solve current social problems (Dewey, 1920).
Scientific theory lends credence to the value of
inquiry and awakens curiosity in learners, which is
an essential dimension of learning. Dewey identifies four characteristics of an educative inquirybased project: (a) it must generate interest, (b) it
must be worthwhile intrinsically to the student, (c)
it must present problems that awaken new curiosity and create a demand for information, and (d) it
must cover a considerable time span and be capable of fostering development over time (Giles &
Eyler, 1994).
Inquiry-based learning provides undergraduates
with the opportunity to apply theory to practice and
critically question theory through actual experiences as they interact intellectually and personally
with real problems. This type of learning assumes
that knowledge is not the static accumulation of
facts, but rather a means by which a student learns
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