Transferring classroom experiences to practical career needs

Abstract

AbstractHigher education today is no longer what it once was. Once upon a time, students only had the option to attend classes in person. The first shift from this format happened when students began taking classes through correspondence, where materials were physically mailed out. Later, as technology increased, a new format led to students being able to take courses in remote locations through video conferences, being able to interact with a professor and students at other locations. This approach was known as Interactive Television courses or ITV. We then had one of our biggest shifts where Higher Education embraced online learning and online courses and fully online institutions were created. Synchronous and asynchronous classes were offered in an online format and have even expanded into blended, Hyflex, and flipped classes. In addition to these changes on how classes are taught, the way that students learn also evolved. There have always been identifiable three ways that students learned: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic approaches. Oftentimes, faculty leaned on teaching based on the style of a combination of visual and kinesthetic learners. However, over time, it has been shown through research that students learn best by doing. In this chapter, we will share how Athens State University has embraced Experiential Learning.