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Experiential Learning at UD

What Does "High-Impact" EL Mean at UD?

By Karen Velasquez, Director of Experiential Learning

Experiential learning (EL) at the University of Dayton takes on many forms (education abroad, faculty mentored research, co-ops, on-campus employment, internships, leadership positions, faith immersions, or community-engaged learning, to name a few). Many UD students benefit from these EL programs every year, and they apply the knowledge and skills developed through EL to enhance the common good at UD and beyond. Over the past few years I have spoken with dozens of faculty, staff, and students, to better understand the characteristics of “high-impact” and quality EL.

Questions I’ve asked students include: “what does EL mean to you?” “can you describe the value, and impact of EL for you?” “what are some of the most memorable EL experiences you’ve had?” “how are you connecting your EL experiences to other personal, academic, and professional goals and experience?”

I’ve also asked faculty and staff who practice EL in their courses and programs to reflect on most successful elements of their EL activities, as well as some of the challenges they’ve learned from over the years. Questions I’ve asked EL practitioners include “What does EL mean to you and why do you incorporate it in your course?” “How do students respond to EL and what is their feedback?” “How do you incorporate EL effectively into your course/program?” “What has been ineffective in your experience doing EL?”

Interestingly, I have found that it really comes down to the attention we give to students and the intentionality with which we design our EL programs. Effective EL programs are always student-centered and ask the question: how can this experience I am creating/leading/facilitating best enhance student learning? With that question in mind, there are some key components that I’ve identified that make up and contribute to “high-impact,” quality EL. So, what are they?

These practices can be summarized by these four main characteristics, which I’ve labeled: Preparation, Immersion, Reflection, and Assessment (PIRA).

  • Preparation: Help students understand what you would like them to achieve through the experience. What does successful participation in the experience mean? How will you know?
  • Immersion: Guide and empower students to embark on a self-guided learning journey where they can experiment and test out ideas in new and diverse settings, on or off campus.
  • Reflection: Prompt students to make meaning of the experience and deepen their learning through guided reflection activities such as group discussions, journaling, and presentations. Reflect on Connections and Integrations: Ask students to connect what they learned from the experience to other contexts: the course/program, their major, or personal, academic, professional, vocational goals. How do experiences build upon each other? Reflect on Applications: How can they use their experiential knowledge to make a unique impact in the world?
  • Assessment: EL Assessment means understanding how and what students have learned as a result of participating in experiential learning, with the goal of using that information to deepen student learning and improve the experience for students.

To summarize, “high-impact,” quality EL programs are intentionally designed with learning outcomes in mind, which are communicated to students at the outset. Successful EL programs help students understand the goals of the experience and provide them with adequate preparation prior to immersing in the experience.  EL activities that allow students multiple opportunities to problem-solve and engage in self-guided learning are most effective in helping them build important skills and confidence.

EL activities that incorporate opportunities for purposeful reflection, show the greatest gains in terms of student learning. And EL practitioners who take the time to assess student learning and give feedback to students/make improvements to their programs as a result of their assessments, demonstrate a high level of reflection their teaching practices. As a result, they are highly invested and interested in developing the best possible learning experiences for students- and they often succeed in doing so.

To view the full step-by-step guide for EL practitioners, click here>>. 

A review of current EL scholarship also reveals similar characteristics of good EL programs across disciplines.  To view what EL practitioners are doing in other schools across the country, see the articles listed in my EL bibliography collection here>>.  Organizations like the National Society for Experiential Education have also developed recommendations for shaping impactful EL programs. You can view their recommendations by visiting their 8 steps for EL. If you are interested in discussing your EL ideas with me, please contact me at kvelasquez1@udayton.edu.

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