Experiential Learning Spaces for Industrial Engineering Education

Abstract

This Research to Practice Full Paper presents an expanded conceptualization of Learning Spaces (LS) for Industrial Engineering education, by integrating Experiential Learning (EL) into relevant learning activities, in order to develop specific learning outcomes. This idea refers to Experiential Learning Spaces (ELS) that recreate intended practical activities in specific real-world contexts that contribute to students recognizing relevance in their studies. From a systemic perspective, LS might be approached in terms of the participation students, academics and other educational stakeholders actively sustain in learning experiences. This view goes beyond physical facilities, venues or virtual environments to shift attention to the domains of social interaction that support people's collective activities in a situation. This work also presents a framework to conceptualize learning experiences for active problem-solving and decision-making to support the educational practice of Industrial Engineering in ELS. An instance is presented in relation to the Social Lab for Sustainable Logistics (SLSL), in which multiple perspectives of stakeholders and situational complexity are considered to study Logistics and Supply Chain Management (LSCM) operations under sustainability constrains. This work main contribution resides in conceptualizing LS in terms of the incorporation of experiential learning into purposeful social domains of interaction as experiential learning systems.