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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.
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