Exploring How an Experiential Learning Program Shapes Management Students’ Knowledge and Awareness About Water Conservation

Chan’s book explores the challenges in assessing experiential learning, deepens our understanding, and inspires readers to think critically about the purpose of assessment in experiential learning. Experiential learning has been studied and proven to be effective for student learning, particularly for the development of holistic competencies (i.e. 21st century skills, soft skills, transferable skills) considered essential for individuals to succeed in the increasingly global and technology-infused 21st century society. Universities around the world are now actively organising experiential learning activities or programmes for students to gain enriching and diversified learning experiences, however the assessment of these programmes tends to be limited, unclear, and contested. Assessment plays a central role in education policies and students’ approach to learning. But do educators know how to assess less traditional learning such as service learning, entrepreneurship, cross-discipline or cross-cultural projects, internships and student exchanges? While the current assessment landscape is replete with assessments that measure knowledge of core content areas such as mathematics, law, languages, science and social studies, there is a lack of assessments and research that focus on holistic competencies. How do we assess students’ ability to think critically, problem solve, adapt, self-manage and collaborate? Central to the discussion in this book, is the reason students are assessed and how they should be assessed to bring out their best learning outcomes. Offering a collection of best assessment practice employed by teachers around the world, this volume brings together both theoretical and empirical research that underpins assessment; and perceptions of different stakeholders – understanding of assessment in experiential learning from students, teachers, and policymakers. The idea of assessment literacy also plays an important role in experiential learning, for example, reflection is often used in assessing students in experiential learning but how reflection literate are educators, are they aware of the ethical dilemmas that arise in assessing students? These questions are discussed in detail. The volume also introduces a quality assurance programme to recognise student development within experiential learning programmes. The book will be particularly informative to academic developers, teachers, students and community partners who struggle with the development and assessment for experiential learning, those who plan to apply for funding in experiential learning, and policymakers and senior managements seeking evidence and advice on fine-tuning curricular, assessment designs and quality assurance.   The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

Lack of university funding and support of experiential learning programs reduces opportunities for meaningful employment for culturally diverse students. Economic conditions foster a university's ability to fund experiential programs, and lack of funding places experiential learning programs (ELPs) at risk of being cut, impacting student experience and employment opportunities. This study evaluates university employment outcomes for minorities, culturally diverse, and students related to experiential learning program offerings. Data collected in Cycle 1 is from employers in private and nonprofit organizations to assess company qualifications sought when hiring college students and recent graduates for internship and full-time job opportunities. Data collected in Cycle 2 from the business schools AACSB committee members provided consensus in a unified approach for action steps by the stakeholders to create new and improve existing experiential learning programs to benefit all students toward positive employment outcomes. The study's findings indicate that experiential learning programs are highly advantageous in preparing students for the job market and increasing their chances of employability. The study analyzed data from Cycle 1, Cycle 2, and other relevant resources to provide a comprehensive understanding of the benefits of such programs. Through experiential learning, students can gain practical skills and hands-on experience that are highly valued by employers. This, in turn, can significantly enhance their career prospects. The study highlights that effective programs can be developed by taking measures to cater to the needs of diverse student populations and enable them to achieve their career objectives. Overall, the study suggests that experiential learning programs are a valuable tool for students looking to enhance their employability and achieve their career goals. By providing students with practical experience and hands-on training, these programs can help them to stand out in a competitive job market and secure rewarding careers in their chosen fields.--Author's abstract

This study aimed at verifying the effect of experiential learning program on entrepreneurial mindset. This study was based on a quasi-experimental design. The subjects were 113 undergraduate students, in which without randomization, fifty-eight and fifty-five students were grouped to a treatment group and a control group, respectively. The subjects in the treatment group received the experiential learning intervention during six weeks. Meanwhile, the subjects in the control group received the problem-based instructional method. All subjects completed the entrepreneurial mindset scale at two measurement times (i.e., pre-test and post-test). Based on Shapiro-Wilk test, data were found not to be normally distributed. Hence, data were then analyzed using the non-parametric tests. Based on data analysis, the undergraduate students who involved in the experiential learning program had a higher entrepreneurial mindset than those who did not involve in the program. In addition, the undergraduate students who involved in the experiential learning program had an increased entrepreneurial mindset. This study provided a theoretical implication, in which it extended the literature of the Implicit Theory of Intelligence (ITI) and the Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) by providing the synthesis of both theories in the higher education context. This study also had a practical implication for the lecturers who have an interest in entrepreneurship education. According to our findings, the entrepreneurial mindset could be enhanced by the experiential learning program (i.e., the experiential learning intervention).
 
 Received: 9 September 2023 / Accepted: 24 February 2024 / Published: 5 March 2024

Recent advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AI) are poised to transform education, but doubts persist about their effectiveness in enhancing the learning experience. Previous studies were more “technology-driven” rather than “learner-driven” and largely neglected how different configurations (specific combinations of variables) affect generative AI-assisted learning experience. Based on the means-end chain theory, the research identifies functional and psychological factors that influence programming learning experiences with generative AI tools, including tool ease of use, interactivity, quality of the result, knowledge level, and self-efficacy. Through an analysis of the survey results of 221 university students and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the findings reveal two types of generative AI-assisted programming learning enhancement patterns: (1) the dual-driven pattern, which combines functional and psychological consequences; (2) the psychological consequence-dominated pattern. In addition, although the five factors cannot alone constitute the necessary conditions for a learning experience, tool ease of use, interactivity, and knowledge level play an indispensable role in improving the generative AI-assisted learning experience. The findings offer valuable insights for programming educators, deepening their understanding of how generative AI tools influence students’ programming learning experiences and informing the development of more effective strategies for integrating them into computer science education.

Increasing Employability of Indian Engineering Graduates through Experiential Learning Programs and Competitive Programming: Case Study

Reflection is integral to the experiential learning process (Kolb, 1984). Experiential learning supports reflection and transfer of learning, providing foundational skills that contribute to lifelong learning (AAC&U, 2009). Preflection, experience, reflection, and transfer (PERT) operationalize the experiential learning process in teaching (Retallick, 2010). 4-H popularized Do, Reflect, Apply as a reflection cycle for delivering the Experiential Learning Model to learners (Diem, 2001). Together, PERT and the 4-H Experiential Learning Model align to implement Experiential Learning Theory in formal education. Science with Practice (SWP) exemplifies these principles as an experiential learning program and academic course at Iowa State University (Retallick et al., 2009). PERT was used in SWP curriculum design with Do, Reflect, Apply prompts providing structure for student reflection. Students in SWP generate a learning agreement detailing a description of the planned experience and their expectations (preflection). They construct a portfolio including journal entries in the form of biweekly reflections (formative reflection), and a final reflection (summative reflection). The purpose of this study was to examine reflective practice in SWP by determining the breadth and depth of reflection and describing the use of Do, Reflect, Apply to structure reflection in portfolios. Findings document development of reflective practice with an emphasis on the importance of examining types of reflection and the intentional guidance of reflection. In reflective writing, learners effectively analyze and assess their experience, increase their awareness, transfer their learning, and are transformed by their experience. Executing Do, Reflect, Apply as a structure for facilitating reflective practice is an effective strategy for completing the PERT experiential learning process and developing lifelong learning skills.

This article focuses on the unique needs and concerns of nursing educators and nursing students in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. During social distancing, interacting with other human beings has been restricted. This would undermine the experiential learning of nursing students. Hence, it is important to develop and evaluate an experiential learning program (ELP) for nursing education. A pre-test and post-test design were used. The study was conducted in a university in Central Taiwan. A total of 103 nursing students participated in the study from February to June 2019. The study intervention was the experiential learning program (ELP), including bodily experiences and nursing activities with babies, pregnant women, and the elderly. After the intervention, the students completed the self-reflection and insight scale (SRIS) and Taiwan Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (TCTDI) as outcome measures. An independent t-test showed that there was a significant difference between pre-test and post-test in both SRIS and TCTDI (p < 0.01). The Pearson product–moment correlation analysis showed that SRIS and TCTDI were significantly positively correlated (p < 0.01). ELP has a significant impact on the self-reflection and critical thinking of first-year nursing students, which can be used as a reference for the education of nursing students. During these turbulent times, it is especially vital for faculties to provide experiential learning instead of the traditional teaching concept.

Evaluation of an intervention to support the development of clinical problem solving skills during a hospital-based experiential learning program for South African pharmacy students

Background The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) recommends that colleges help prepare students for their careers through the utilization of core competencies. These competencies involve experiential learning approaches, fostering civic and community engagement, and communication skills. Purpose The purpose of this project is to examine the components of experiential learning activities that help prepare students for the workforce and which activities students find most engaging. Method This research utilizes a transverse study approach to determine student perceptions of career readiness, activities that help with workforce development, and students’ perceived impact of experiential learning programs. Students across multiple disciplines partaking in a myriad of experiential learning activities were surveyed. Findings The study's findings offer actionable insights for higher education administrators and educators, providing guidance on how to enhance experiential learning programs and improve their effectiveness in preparing students for successful careers. Implications The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how experiential learning programs function and their effects on student perceptions of high-impact practices, which is crucial for shaping future educational policies.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an experiential learning program based on Kolb’s theory in increasing dementia supporters’ motivation and activity involvement within the community.MethodIn this interventional study, the sample was divided into two groups. The intervention group underwent dementia supporter training and participated in an experiential learning program, which was conducted two weeks after the initial training session. The control group underwent only the dementia supporter training.ResultsKolb’s experiential learning model consists of four stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, conceptualization, and active experimentation. A total of 37 and 44 individuals constituted the intervention and control groups, respectively. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed that there was a significant increase in motivation among the intervention group participants, when compared to the control group participants. Moreover, the activity rate was higher among the intervention group participants.DiscussionThe experiential learning program was effective in increasing motivation levels and activity involvement among the dementia supporters.ConclusionsThe experiential learning program for dementia supporters can be used to improve other volunteer and professional programs. Moreover, Kolb’s theory can be used to support individuals with dementia within the community.

As part of course HEL 401- Community Nutrition and Welfare, the Experiential Learning Program (ELP) under department of Human Development and Family Studies provided a dynamic platform to students for bridging academic knowledge with practical experience, specifically emphasizing Early Childhood Education and Community Development and Welfare. Our ELP team name “Aroham” symbolizes upliftment, progress, and holistic developmental values, with main focused on areas like Early Childhood Education (3–6year child) and Community Development. In this holistic programme the ELP team integrated activities like Day Care Programs, Developmental Activities, Extra-Curricular Activities (painting, craft-making, storytelling, and rhymes), Festival Celebrations, Assessment Activities, Counselling-cum-Brainstorming Sessions, Personality Development, and competitions at different schools. These activities nurtured cognitive, motor, and language skills, while promoting social interaction, emotional expression, and build confidence among children. A comprehensive assessment conducted across key developmental domains like physical, cognitive, language, and motor and evaluates holistic child growth. Beyond the ELP programme students engaged with the Community Development initiatives such as sustainable toy-making under UNICEF project under FSN, elderly health and nutrition programs, and Healthcare camps for women and elderly. The article was presented as part of the Aroham initiative, showcasing student’s active participation and insights gained through hands-on engagement. The article explored how experiential learning enhanced understanding, creativity, and real-world problem-solving.

The aim of this research is to determine the effectiveness, understanding and practical experience of the literacy skills of IAI Al-Khairat Pamekasan Sharia Banking students through the Experiential Learning program. This type of research is quantitative research with the sample size being the entire population, namely 45 people. The instruments used in this research were questionnaires and interviews. The data analysis technique used was IBM SPSS Statistics 26 software. Based on the results of the data analysis that has been carried out, it shows that the Experiential Learning program has a positive influence on student literacy as shown by the t test results of 0.000 which is smaller than ? = 0.05. Experiential Learning has an effect of 76.5% as shown by the results of the Determination Test. Experiential Learning provides a learning approach that emphasizes direct experience as a means of gaining understanding and skills.

A conjoint analysis of the acute and critical care experiential learning preferences of Baccalaureate student nurses.

South Africa is facing a water crisis and local municipalities are finding it difficult to mitigate the gap between supply and demand. Although the government’s policy to allocate a basic supply of 9kl of free water per month to indigent communities is commendable, the rapid exhaustion of the free supply by low-income communities necessitating a tariff applied for additional water consumption, is concerning. Whilst this consumption-based tariff is used to encourage conservation, municipalities nevertheless face a revenue loss due to a non-payment culture. This study argues that behavioural change is more beneficial than punitive economic measures and seeks to develop a strategic intervention to assist the eThekwini municipality to promote water conservation behaviour in one low-income community, called Waterloo. The Theory of reasoned action (TRA) is used to identify the beliefs, attitudes and subjective social norms towards water conservation and the Nudge Theory is used to incentivise water users towards behavioural change. A mixed method exploratory sequential design method is adopted. The qualitative phase of the study consists of semi-structured interviews with eight key informants from government and the public sector; and four focus group discussions with 22 residents of the Waterloo community, to determine the factors that influence their water-use behaviour. Participation in this study was voluntary with confidentiality maintained. The data was recorded and transcribed to ensure credibility. The results were interpreted and analysed against existing literature using thematic content analysis. The quantitative phase of the study investigates the power of the TRA. Results from a survey comprising 304 residents indicate that low-income householders generally have very positive attitudes towards water conservation and saving practices, nonetheless these positive attitudes are not consistently translated into actual behaviour. In synthesising the results, three recurring key issues are identified, namely (1) access to knowledge; (2) community engagement as part of the solution; and (3) allocation of incentives. The key finding of study indicated that awareness of the current water situation itself may not motivate good water use behaviour. While participants had knowledge of water conservation practices, there was, however, a high amount of water consumption and high unaccounted water losses in the area. Therefore, nudging the community may be an ideal approach towards behavioural change. The thesis concludes by proposing a community-based behavioural framework, as a guideline for eThekwini to consider when designing conservation measures for low-income communities

Veterinary profession has a pivotal role in food security and nutrition. Good employers have high expectations from the graduates to meet the demand. Veterinary curriculum should give awareness of entrepreneurship as a key change agent in economic process with maximum emphasis on employability. Indian Council of Agricultural Research introduced Experiential Learning Programme in the under graduate curricula to facilitate professional development by learning through experience. As part of this, Feed Mill Technology (FMT) unit was established at Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal in the year 2009 -10. The impact of the programme was studied. Expost facto research design was adopted, 300 graduates who had undergone experiential learning programme in FMT constituted the sample for the study. Majority (88.67%) of the graduates opined that undergraduate courses had balanced theory and practical syllabus, duration of FMT programme was sufficient (80.67%); theoretical knowledge (55.67%) and practical knowledge (76.67%) gained through FMT programme was adequate, programme was well planned (66.24%), systematic (73.51%), equal opportunity was given (71.80%) and flexible (85.67%). Most (95%) of the graduates recommend FMT programme since it help the students to gain experience in feed formulation and feed mill operation. Three-fourth (77%) of the graduates had utilized the dividend share of FMT programme for educational purpose. Family business, preference to start business and workmanship had significant positive relation with entrepreneurial level. Thus it could be concluded that experiential programme for the under graduate students would help them to prepare and develop the qualities such as leadership, teamwork, problem solving, decision making and competency for meeting need and expectations of the employers/industry.