scholarly journals ExCEL: A Unique Approach to Providing Experiential Learning Opportunities

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelton Friedrich
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Academic Experience ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Unique Approach ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Collaboration Project

McMaster University’s proposed Engineering Centre for Experiential Learning (ExCEL) is a novel example of providing a deep student learning experience outside of the traditional academic experience, and one in which experiential learning opportunities are intended to drive the development of additional learning opportunities. The ExCEL Initiative has students engaged in goal setting and fundraising, and actively involved in the design, construction and management of an engineering student centre building that will support future experiential learning opportunities for students. This integrates a diverse range of engineering pedagogical topics including open ended design, multi-disciplinary collaboration, sustainability, work-integrated learning, industry-academic collaboration, project-based learning and professional development. This learning opportunity will be analyzed on how it was leveraged and integrated to address this host of pedagogical topics through a real world project. Detailing this unique example will allow the rich learning aspects of it to be implemented by other educators in other engineering education institutions.

scholarly journals The Value of Relevant, Project-Based Learning to Youth Development

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry Schwartz ◽  
Darcy Tessman ◽  
Daniel McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Community Projects ◽  
Relevant Community

Project Based Learning models present authentic learning opportunities with real-life situations, enabling students to set their own learning goals and forge their own relationships (Barab, et al., 2001). The autonomy inherent in this model allows youth to bring their skills and experiences to real situations and to be seen as valued community members. This article describes a project-based learning model involving “externs,” who developed and implemented sustainability projects in their communities. Externs worked with Cooperative Extension professionals on locally relevant community projects during the summer of 2011 in three Arizona counties. The project based learning experience had a positive impact on the lives of our three externs.

scholarly journals How Entrepreneurship Can Be Learned through Experiential Learning Formats, Especially through Training Firms

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-481
Author(s):  
Anne Heinze
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Informal Learning ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Present Contribution ◽  
Entrepreneurial Training ◽  
The Impact

A look at entrepreneurship education research shows that there are basically two types of entrepreneurship courses: First, courses for entrepreneurship and second, courses about entrepreneurship such as lectures, formal seminars, individual essays etc. Most of the latter courses can be characterized as teacher-centric where the student involvement is passive. From a more modern perspective and in order to train entrepreneurs trying, experimenting and learning about one's own experience is crucial. More innovative approaches, such as project-based learning, action-based learning and experiential learning, therefore, are gradually appearing on the scene In this context, within the last few years some universities have introduced training firms, mostly for students of economics and business. In Germany, due to a lack of legal possibilities training firms at public universities are still a rarity and therefore under-researched. Thus, the research question for the present contribution is how informal learning can be structured using training firms, and what effects this has on the preparation of learners for later professional practice and / or self-employment. Therefore, the methodology for this paper is first to review the literature related to entrepreneurial learning in order to better understand the informal learning experience in training firms. Second, the case of a communication design agency for students around HTW Berlin, a public university for applied sciences, is analyzed to gain insight into the impact that practice firms can have on entrepreneurship education in general, and in particular in non-business subjects. For this purpose, a case study has been developed based on interviews, which include both the perspective of the students and of the trainer. Overall, the results will show a best practice example of entrepreneurial training and learning in a university context, which can be useful for those involved in the development of course concepts for entrepreneurship education.

Value add

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-143
Author(s):  
Sean Reid ◽  
Jason Muenzen ◽  
Rasoul Rezvanian
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Business School ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Academic Institution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Enhance Student Learning

Purpose This paper aims to provide students with a career edge, business students require more than concepts and calculations to be successful in their future career. They require professional skill sets, mentors, relationship guides and as much real industry experience as they can gather before graduation. This study sheds some light on how a small business school (SBS) in a nonprofit private academic institution (NPAI) located in an isolated rural area of the USA has been able to tap its strong alumni relationships to provide mentoring and experiential learning opportunities to students using its student-managed investment funds (SMIFs) as the vehicle. Although this study uses a small, geographically isolated institution, the authors believe that the approach taken by this particular school can be replicated by any academic institution that strives to enhance student learning experience by promoting mentorship and experiential learning. Design/methodology/approach This study starts with a brief introduction (Section 1) and a short review of literature (Section 2) to highlight the numerous benefits of alumni engagement and student mentorship. Section 2 shows institutional background on the NPAI, the SBS and the SMIF. The major part of the study starts with a discussion on the set of rules to guide in the construction of a student-alumni relationship framework that could be easily modified to the unique characteristics of the institution. Next, the role and responsibility of the investment advisory board (IAB) and its members’ engagement with students are discussed. In the last part of the study, SBS is used as a case study to show how alumni contribute to SBS and enhance students’ experiential learning by contributing as mentor, IAB member, advisors to the FMIF and career mentorship. This study concludes with a discussion on potential areas of conflict and friction for alumni involvement. Findings This study shows that SBS in a NPAI has been able to tap its strong alumni relationship to provide mentoring and experiential learning opportunities to students using its SMIF as the vehicle. The authors believe that the approach taken by this particular school can be replicated by any academic institution that strives to promote mentorship and experiential learning. Research limitations/implications This case study is focused on a SBS in a NPAI that has a strong alumni relationship and enough resources to successfully tap on its alumni. It would be interesting to learn how this approach can be used in resource-limited public institutions. Practical implications As the case study shows, any business school that values experiential learning can rely on its alumni to enhance student learning experience by properly using its alumni resources. Social implications The results of this study show that business schools’ outreach opportunities and student experiential learning experience can be enhanced and business schools’ academic qualification and ranking, which leads to improvement in student enrollment, can be improved. Overall, the major beneficiary would be the business schools’ immediate and larger community. Originality/value The authors are positive that multiple universities are properly taking advantage of using their alumni relationship.

scholarly journals Digital Media Meets Informal Learning: Opportunities for Generating New Participatory Roles

2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-161
Author(s):  
Kathryn Hayes ◽  
Angela Booker ◽  
Beth Rose Middleton ◽  
Jesikah Maria Ross
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Production Medium ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Community Media ◽  
Formal Curriculum ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Media Project

This paper explores the rich learning that happens between defined learning spaces, such as that between formal curriculum and informal projects. Here we apply the notion of "hybrid space," to understand how such in-between learning spaces can facilitate a shift in participatory roles for college students engaged in a community media project. This study also highlights the ways in which media as a production medium can further transform the learning experience.

Leadership for Instructional Improvement

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 484-513
Author(s):  
Joseph Claudet
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Instructional Improvement ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Project Based Learning

Effectively integrating creative experiential learning opportunities into classroom-based science instruction to enhance students’ applied learning continues to be a challenge for many middle school educators.  This article explores how educators in one urban middle school leveraged design research thinking in conjunction with collaborative data-teaming processes to develop a targeted professional learning intervention program to help seventh- and eighth-grade teachers learn how to integrate Makerspace hands-on experiential and project-based learning activities into their STEM instructional practices to better engage students in applied science learning in middle school classrooms.  A literature-informed discussion is included on how the middle school principal and the school’s instructional improvement team utilized focused professional development activities and intensive Professional Learning Community (PLC) conversations to positively transform teachers’ pedagogical mindsets and instructional practices in support of integrating Makerspace and related project-based experiential learning opportunities as valuable components of classroom-based science teaching and learning.  Finally, a number of design principles derived from the middle school case study highlighted in this article are offered that may be of practical use to school leaders interested in applying educational design research methods to enhance their own campus-based instructional improvement efforts.

Implementing project-based and experiential learning in the Aerospace Engineering program at Concordia University

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catharine Marsden ◽  
Susan Liscouet-Hanke ◽  
Andrea Cartile
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning By Doing ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Aerospace Engineering ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Learning From Experience ◽  
Engineering Program ◽  
Design Engineers ◽  
The University

Experiential learning can be defined as“learning from experience or learning by doing”. Theeffectiveness of the experiential learning techniquedepends on both the design and the implementation of the experience. The learning experience must be carefully designed so that students do not learn by rote but rather are obliged to self-teach, discover, and use engineering judgement to arrive at conclusions. Student interest and their perception of the project as being authentic and representative of the “real-world” is important for engagement. In this paper, the authors discuss the development and implementation of experiential and project-based learning in the new undergraduate aerospace engineering program at Concordia University.The paper describes a unique series of experientiallearning experiences that have been implemented in thefirst, third, and final years of the program. Two of theauthors are former aerospace industry design engineers,and a unique feature of the program is a blend of fieldbased experience and classroom-based learning made possible by collaborations with industrial partners and organizations external to the university

Thinking Things Through

2010 ◽  
pp. 154-167
Author(s):  
John P. Cuthell
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Project Based Learning ◽  
Collaborative Project ◽  
Project Learning ◽  
Curriculum Project

One of the most powerful ways of changing our thinking about how we teach and learn is to experience for ourselves the power of collaborative project-based experiential learning. Few teachers have had the opportunity to learn in this way, and this creates barriers for those who want to change their pedagogy. The Oracle Education Foundation’s Project Learning Institute provides teachers with the experience of collaborative project-based learning, using ThinkQuest® to create their own curriculum project. By collaborating with their peers, tutors and mentors, teachers are able to model the projects, environment and experiences they want for their classes through a blended learning experience. This chapter describes the model of continuing professional development and its impact on schools, pedagogies and professional philosophies.

scholarly journals ‘Finally an academic approach that prepares you for the real world’: simulations for human rights skills development in higher education

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-93
Author(s):  
Fiona McGaughey ◽  
Lisa Hartley ◽  
Susan Banki ◽  
Paul Duffill ◽  
Matthew Stubbs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Online Classes ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Qualitative Survey ◽  
Postgraduate Level ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Simulation Exercises ◽  
Do So

Effectively addressing violations of human rights requires dealing with complex, multi-spatial problems involving actors at local, national and international levels. It also calls for a diverse range of inter-disciplinary skills. How can tertiary educators prepare students for such work? This study evaluates the coordinated implementation of human rights simulations at seven Australian universities. Based on quantitative and qualitative survey data from 252 students, we find they report that human rights simulation exercises develop their skills. In particular, students report that they feel better able to analyse and productively respond to human rights violations, and that they have a greater awareness of the inter-disciplinary skills required to do so. Overall, this study finds that simulations are a valid, scalable, classroom-based work integrated learning experience that can be adapted for students at undergraduate and postgraduate level, across a range of disciplines and in both face-to-face and online classes.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Experiential Learning and Career Outcomes for Alumni of International Development Studies Programs in Canada

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 23-42
Author(s):  
Rebecca Tiessen ◽  
Kate Grantham ◽  
John Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
International Development ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Development Studies ◽  
Career Outcomes ◽  
Current Program ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
International Development Studies ◽  
The Relationship

In this paper, we explore the relationship between experiential learning and career outcomes for international development studies (IDS) graduates from the perspective of program alumni, by presenting the results of a national survey completed by 1,901 IDS alumni across Canada. Employing study data, we answer the following research questions: (1) What do IDS alumni consider important experiential learning opportunities? and (2) What is the perceived relationship between experiential learning and career outcomes? We argue that documenting IDS graduate perspectives on the relationship between experiential learning and career paths can inform current program opportunities and highlight the relationship between work-integrated learning and career success in this field.

scholarly journals The Relationship Between Experiential Learning and Career Outcomes for Alumni of International Development Studies Programs in Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 23-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Tiessen ◽  
Kate Grantham ◽  
John Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
International Development ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Development Studies ◽  
Career Outcomes ◽  
Current Program ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
International Development Studies ◽  
The Relationship

In this paper, we explore the relationship between experiential learning and career outcomes for international development studies (IDS) graduates from the perspective of program alumni, by presenting the results of a national survey completed by 1,901 IDS alumni across Canada. Employing study data, we answer the following research questions: (1) What do IDS alumni consider important experiential learning opportunities? and (2) What is the perceived relationship between experiential learning and career outcomes? We argue that documenting IDS graduate perspectives on the relationship between experiential learning and career paths can inform current program opportunities and highlight the relationship between work-integrated learning and career success in this field.

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