Experiential Learning

I have been fortunate to work and publish with the lead author of this weeks 2017 paper, with an intriguing title of, “Convicts, cadavers, coral reefs, coffee shops and couture: How customizing experiential learning increased learner comfort and engagement." Through years of offering field experiences, the author found that although many students were interested, they varied greatly on their comfort in these spaces outside of the formal classroom. As she shared her experiences with colleagues, she found that there were other faculty who experienced similar responses from their students from many different disciplines. Through these conversations, five faculty decided to create a consistent data collection instrument and explore methods for engaging students.

There is extensive literature on Experiential Learning (EL), which has been seen to offer a high impact educational opportunity that benefits students from diverse backgrounds, and creating an inclusive learning environment. Barriers to the generalization of EL can include a lack of institutional support, risk avoidance, time, and faculty instructional ability. As well EL require additional efforts from students, which can include a non-traditional perspective of cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains.

We experienced success in optimizing three important EL components, which include preparation, customization and on-site triage. Through a quasi-experimental qualitative study of 102 students, we found that students were generally positive about their EL, however; most positive of the instructor helping them feel more comfortable during the EL, averaging a response of 3.8 on a 4.0 scale. Students were very positive in their belief that they learned more from the EL than in a traditional class with an average score of 3.75. We also found positive changes in students’ attitudes, perceptions and beliefs in the time prior to the event compared to the time during and after. Ultimately, student data was found to be statistically significant, indicating they were more likely to exhibit higher comfort levels after the event than prior.

Grabowsky, G., Hargis, J., Davidson, J., Suh, J., Wright, C., & Paynter, A. (2017). Convicts, cadavers, coral reefs, coffee shops and couture: How customizing experiential learning increased learner comfort and engagement. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 14(3).