Experiential Learning at UD

By Karen Velasquez, Director of Experiential Learning

The Office of Experiential Learning organized its first Experiential Learning “mini-conference” in the Ryan C. Harris Learning Teaching Center on April 30, 2019. The conference featured three session themes and 20 faculty/staff presenters from across the university. The themes included “EL in Sustainability, Engineering, and the Sciences,” “EL & Community Engagement, Diversity, and Social Justice,” and “EL for Practical Skills, Professional Development, and Personal Growth.” 

Professors, career advisors, students, and administrators came together during the conference to share information about their EL activities and programs, discuss highlights and successes with colleagues, and exchange helpful insights on effective EL teaching strategies. While listening to presentations and observing the visible buzz among presenters and guests, I came to a few realizations about our culture of teaching and learning at UD, specifically in relation to EL:

1. People really want opportunities to connect and exchange their ideas and knowledge about EL.  When I invited faculty and staff colleagues to participate in the conference, most volunteered to do so right away.  Though presenters were allotted 15 minutes each, many wished they had more time to talk about their EL programs and activities. I found that people are genuinely interested in talking about their teaching practices and want to learn from each other.  I believe this is something that makes our UD community really unique- even in the midst of the busy last weeks of class and final exams, people came out to share their knowledge and show support for one another.
2. EL is such a diverse field at UD: Over a dozen different disciplines and areas were represented among presenters at the conference, including Geology, Philosophy, Psychology, Engineering, Biology, the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community, the Center for Social Concern, Teacher Education, Anthropology Sociology & Social Work, Career Services, the School of Business Administration, English, Honors Program, Music Therapy, and more.   Experiential learning spans across the curriculum, and throughout UD’s numerous centers and institutes. This rich diversity was evident as we all came together to share and exchange ideas and knowledge about EL. Students at UD have the benefit of participating in EL in its numerous forms.
3. There are many UD faculty and staff who are committed to developing high-quality, high-impact EL. The conference demonstrated how passionate and excited UD educators are about learning and teaching. Their investment in creating impactful learning opportunities for our students is visible and palpable.  It is important that we continue finding ways to connect and collaborate around the education topics so we can continue to learn from each other. The Office of Experiential Learning has developed a contact list of EL Practitioners at UD, for those interested in connecting with colleagues who are already engaged in EL. To view the EL contact list, click here>>.

To see a full list of presenters and presentation abstracts/powerpoints, please visit the Office of Experiential Learning mini conference website here>>.

The Office of Experiential Learning is thankful to colleagues who participated in the event, and appreciates their commitment to creating engaging and impactful EL at the University of Dayton. We look forward to our next EL conference in 2020. A call for presentation proposals will open early Spring 2020- stay tuned for more details.