Cooperating Across Classrooms: Cooperative–Experiential Learning Through Design and Implementation of Health Campaign Messages

Abstract

The objective of this article is twofold: (a) demonstrate the utility of cooperative–experiential learning within the health sciences curriculum and (b) diversify student classroom experiences through a health campaigns project that challenged students to creatively and strategically develop health messages. Cooperative–experiential learning is a hybrid pedagogy that exposes students to many of the complexities they can expect to face within their career, thus bridging the gap between the classroom and workplace. The health campaigns project used to appraise the value of cooperative–experiential learning in this article tasked upper-level undergraduate student groups from two unique college courses (Health Promotion and Visual Communication) to design, launch, and analyze health-relevant campaigns on the authors’ college campus. At two points throughout the semester, students independently completed reviews (cooperation reports) of their group dynamics and progress—these reports became the data set for our analysis of cooperative–experiential learning. Using a grounded theory approach (open, axial, and selective coding), the results that emerged from our analysis point to four significant themes of cooperative–experiential learning: development of communication skills, problem solving and critical thinking through cooperation, workplace preparedness, and student satisfaction. Student quotes are used to help extrapolate these four outcomes. Suggestions are offered for how to effectively incorporate cooperative–experiential learning into curriculum.