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As informed by theory, experiential learning is a tool to be used in service to all student

learners. Although the focus here is on students in the university setting, experiential learning is

a general term that calls for active learning and can and should be extrapolated to any age group.

The pioneer of progressive, experiential learning, John Dewey, based his writing upon

elementary education and understood the concept of students as dynamic, complex individuals

upon arrival in the classroom. If this is true for school-aged children, it must be even more

important to the experience of undergraduates. Due to my commitment to social justice and view

of it as essential to professional practice, I am attracted to theory that supports differentiation in

delivery. There is no way to separate access from education, and it is impossible to divorce a

student from their predispositions. Bridging the gap between classroom and life learning is the

purpose of the experiential learning style as pedagogy.

My embrace of experiential learning as pedagogy means that in practice, I seek

opportunities for my scholars to build upon what they already know to be true. At the center of

that goal is Kolbs Theory of Learning, whereby concrete experiences are a natural step in the

learning process. Additionally, I seek occasions that will allow them to experience a certain level

of dissonance, or constructive disequilibrium while immersed in an emotionally safe learning

space. I see the utility in reflection and use it as an objective way to measure my own

professional effectiveness as well as my scholars learning and development. No matter the

context, I strive to set realistic, progressive expectations that are congruent with their

developmental needs. In the case of college-aged students, these expectations are housed within

the framework of high-impact practices.

I realize the importance of high-impact learning programs and have researched the gains

made by collegiate participants. Most notable is the improvement seen when implemented in

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underrepresented populations. Internships, service-learning, undergraduate research, study

abroad, capstones and seminars are just a few of the programs to which I have had exposure. In

practice, it is my aim to connect the aforementioned experiential learning methods to community

development, social justice, reciprocity, professional development and utility for my students.

In the creation of programs, I seek the input of students, faculty, staff, administration, and

community stakeholders. To allow the greatest gains in learning as well as program

sustainability, it is necessary to consider all involved. Faculty mentorship and peer-to-peer

involvement all take place as an institutional commitment to learning is fostered. In doing so,

divisions between the academic and non-academic are blurred as the community realizes that

everyone is an educator. Experiential learning is neither curricular nor co-curricular, but a

dynamic amalgamation of both. Among a plethora of other results, when designed properly,

high-impact learning strategies allow students to see the connections of their experience to

course learning outcomes, encourage citizenship and the embrace of diversity, and bolster

learning through the vicarious experiences of peers.

It would be quite simple to ignore the movement toward progressive education and leave

classroom learning to be initiated and controlled by teachers alone. To do so would not

necessarily inhibit the learning of all students, but it would indeed alienate a few and decrease

the margin for learning potential of them all. Experiential learning is not a fad, but is a best

practice that I seek to continually learn and develop through attendance to conferences, formal

and informal professional development and research to remain abreast of current trends. I am

committed to the achievement of measurable gains in my students, made possible by high-impact

learning practices and the involvement of the entire campus community.

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References

The Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates in the Research University.Reinventing

Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for Americas Research Universities. Carnegie

Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Princeton, NJ

Brownell, J.E. & Swaner, L.E. (2010). Five high-impact practices: Research on learning

outcomes, completion and quality. Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Dewey, J. (1938/1997).Experience and education. New York: Simon &Schuster.

Finley, A. (2011). Civic learning and democratic engagements: A review of the literature on

civic engagement in post-secondary education. Paper prepared for the University States

Department of Education, Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Honnet, E.P. & Poulsen, S.J. (1998) Principles of Good Practice for Combining Service and

Learning, The Johnson Foundation.

Kolb, D.A. (1984).Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and

development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Kuh, G.D. (2008).High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them,

and why they matter. Association of American Colleges and Universities.