Whole Learning with Agricultural Innovation: A Teaching Case on Adding an Anaerobic Digester to an Iowa Farm

Abstract

In 2009 David Perkins, an influential educator and author from Harvard School of Education, posited a new approach to learning. He proposed that to accomplish deep and meaningful learning experiences, teachers should design Whole Learning experiences. In his book, he describes seven principles that facilitate this experience. Although it has been almost fifteen years since the book’s publication, promoting Whole Learning experiences in the classroom is still challenging. The aim of this article is to link several of the principles to make learning whole with a real-life teaching case, an agronomic innovation on a farm in Iowa, USA. We first present the broad, societal context for a real-world case in agricultural innovation, then detail and interpret the case according to the Whole Learning framework. We hope this case will provide a means to lower barriers that separate the classrooms from the outside world and support teachers toward improved student learning.