VIRTUAL: Applying Education
Abstract
People, especially children and adolescents are dependent on electronic devices. Genuine contact with nature is lost. Research shows a great distance of young people from natural phenomena. The so-called “new ignorance”, the absence of direct physical and sensory contact, is spreading. This paper aims to shed light on the role of gardens in education. We look at educational gardens from the point of view of pedagogy and define the importance of experiential learning. Children get acquainted with all the senses with new knowledge in the gardens. They are developing emotional competencies and personality traits of individuals, and gardens, as spaces of education, are becoming increasingly important. Educational gardens are a great help in overcoming young people’s distance from nature’s processes. In addition to theoretical views, we present practical experiences. We give the information web platform eGarden: a network of educational and residential gardens, the result of the project On the creative path to knowledge. We present the sensory garden Nekrep, an ornamental living garden next to the villa from l. 1904, spread over 6000 m2. The villa and the garden are living units with an educational purpose. These are meetings of different generations and the implementation of science days with school groups. By including educational gardens in learning processes, it is possible to influence the motivation of young people and cut off the path of “new ignorance”.
Researcher and senior lecturer in the field of water.