Compiled & written by Edie Bradley; designed by Miller Huertgen
Students were able to learn with practice inside the classroom as well, as observed in the photo taken in 1859. Animal science was studied by students in a poultry diagnostic lab. This lab was overseen by professor Louis Leibovitz who acted as both a professor and a memento.
The combination of hands-on learning and traditional classroom education has remained throughout the years. Students are being educated in animal science in the fall and spring of 1986. Providing students with both traditional and real-world education has only been beneficial to students. After acquiring this type of education students already have experience with their field of interest, which is practical knowledge that can be used.
Rabbi Joseph Krauskopf founded Delaware Valley University, formerly known as the National Farm School, in 1896. The university was created with Krauskopf’s philosophy of learning “science with practice.” This idea has stayed with the school since its start, yet it has evolved. DelVal is one of the only universities which requires every student to get real-world experience through the Experience 360 Program.
The E360 program is no longer just based on science. Students can get valuable experience in every major. Delaware Valley university now has “over 25-degree programs, from sciences and business to humanities and liberal arts,” Students can create their own practical experiences. E360 can be satisfied with career exploration, student teaching, internships, or even studying abroad. The foundation of learning through practice governs the program and continues to prove to be fruitful to students in obtaining practical knowledge they can use after graduation.
Learning with practice began in 1896. It allowed students to get hands-on experience when learning. Students were able to get immersed in their education through a wide variety of science-related activities. Two students are moving baskets of apples in the fall of 1939.
Learning through practice gave another layer of understanding that wasn’t found in the traditional classroom. Here students are learning how to team plow, a type of tilling in which the fresh soil nutrients are brought to the surface while burying the previous crop remains so that they may break down. The photo was taken in the spring or summer of 1925 when plowing was primarily done with animals.
Students were able to fully understand a topic by doing, and that creates a strong foundation for them. This photo was taken near Elson Hall in 1952. A student is learning with a Percheron, a breed of horse known for its tall muscular form and athletic ability. This breed was often used in agriculture for plowing. Students can pursue an Equine Science (B.S.) at DelVal and “develop expert skills in handling, managing and breeding horses, with a focus on a career in the equine breeding industry or entry to veterinary school.”
Learning through practice was found both in and outside of the classroom. Valuable knowledge was gained through the collimation of both labs and applied experience. Students were able to learn first hand about topics of interest which prepared them for life after graduation.
Hands-on experience can be done across a multitude of different science or agriculture practices. Students can be seen harvesting apples from the orchard at Delaware Valley College in 1960. Students were able to see an activity from the start to finish; harvesting apples to sorting and processing them. A student is learning how to sort apples in this photo taken in the fall of 1939, under the guidance of an experienced mentor.
As stated on the website, Delaware Valley University is “doing more than focusing on post-graduation accomplishments; we are focused on the outcomes that occur all four years within our students – confidence, life skills, study abroad, internships, leadership development, and civic engagement. We are helping our students to become well-rounded, global citizens – the experiences that produce the E360 program degrees of an individual.”