Experiential Learning Experience Research Articles

Factors Affecting Experiential Learning Experiences of University Students with Disabilities

Factors Affecting Experiential Learning Experiences of University Students with Disabilities

Examining an Evolving Biologically Inspired Design Professional Learning Environment through Conjecture Mapping and Design-Based Research.

Biologically inspired design (BID) in engineering is a convergent, systematic approach that uses analogies from biological organisms to develop solutions for human engineering and design problems. Based on outcomes from prior studies of integrating BID in higher education, incorporating BID into pre-college education is a logical evolution. For effective BID instruction of these convergent concepts in pre-college education, teachers need to be well-equipped with biological, engineering, and pedagogical knowledge, both in general and those unique to the convergent, still evolving discipline. In this paper, we investigate the Professional Learning (professional learning) environment designed to foster engineering teachers' understanding of BID integration in engineering and to determine to what extent the evolving professional learning environment fostered engineering teachers' conceptual knowledge of BID across the three-year project. This design study applies conjecture mapping with design-based research (DBR) to examine a professional learning environment that changed over three summers and its impact on teachers' conceptual understanding of BID integration in engineering. The analysis indicates that a combination of experiential and informal learning experiences along with engagement in a formal design challenge promoted teacher enthusiasm and a conceptual understanding of BID across the three years. Professional learning fostered teachers' understanding of BID integration in engineering and enabled them to integrate BID into their engineering teaching practice.

Breaking barriers: female and Hispanic undergraduate students experience gains in self-confidence and tolerance for obstacles during a sustainability-centered internship program in the USA

AbstractPrevious research has shown that female and Hispanic students who are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) face more educational barriers than their non-Hispanic, male peers. However, little research has been conducted on the effects of intersectional identities in the STEM space. In an effort to bridge the gap in underrepresented students' experience, the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies organizes a paid, interdisciplinary, team-based, experiential learning and internship program called the Green Teams that occurs during 10 weeks of the summer. The Green Teams Program strives to provide undergraduate students from all backgrounds–academically, economically, and demographically–an opportunity to develop their abilities in STEM fields and prepare them to enter the professional world. Based upon a survey given post-internship, self-reported learning gains for all students were analyzed to determine if the program had a significantly greater impact on students who are from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM in their STEM-related learning gains and their confidence in STEM disciplines. Through t-tests, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and a 2-way factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Hispanic and female participants were found to report significantly higher learning gains than their counterparts in multiple STEM areas from increased tolerance for obstacles to gains in self confidence. The results of the study suggest Hispanic and female students benefit from paid work experiences in STEM with diverse peers and intentional, supportive mentoring. This research on the Green Teams Program provides insight into how this approach positively impacts STEM education of individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups in STEM. The findings may help to further guide the development of the Green Teams Program and the adoption of paid, interdisciplinary, team-based, experiential learning and internship experiences in additional academic STEM settings.

Incorporating Technology Adoption in Medical Education: A Qualitative Study of Medical Students' Perspectives.

The integration of technology into medical education has witnessed significant growth in recent years, with tools such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and telemedicine gaining prominence. These tool in medical education, offering immersive, experiential learning experiences. We approached medical students currently enrolled in medical education programs and who are familiar with and actively use AI in medical education. Initially, we invited 21 random students to participate in the study; however, only 13 agreed to interviews. Some students cited their busy exam schedules as the reason for not participating. The participants were informed of the objective of the study before the commencement of the recorded interviews. Semi-structured interviews were used to guide the record interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using Atlas.ti, a qualitative data analysis software. Participants exhibited a diverse range of perceptions and levels of awareness regarding VR, AI, and telemedicine technologies. Learning with virtual reality was considered to be fun, memorable, inclusive, and engaging by participants. The use of virtual reality technology is seen as complementing current teaching and learning approaches, helping to build learners' confidence, as well as providing medical students with a safe environment for problem-solving and trial-and-error learning. The students reported that AI was seen as a potential game-changer in the healthcare sector. Participants hoped that telemedicine would provide healthcare services to remote and underserved populations. The study conducted focus group discussions with medical students and residents in Saudi Arabia to explore their views on integrating VR, AI, and telemedicine in medical education and practice. Their insights highlight the need for informed decision-making and strategic development to optimize the benefits and address challenges like initial investments, technical issues, ethics, and regulations. These considerations are crucial for fully realizing the potential benefits of technology in medical education globally.

Analysis of Students' Critical Thinking Disposition in Science Learning

The study aimed to analyze the specific dispositions that contribute to effective critical thinking among prospective science students. Utilizing a descriptive survey method, the study involved 52 participants from different universities, aiming to gather comprehensive data on their critical thinking dispositions. The research instrument, a structured questionnaire comprising 36 items derived from Ennis's critical thinking indicators, was validated and tested for reliability, ensuring its efficacy in measuring the intended constructs. The findings revealed that the overall critical thinking disposition of the students was predominantly below the critical threshold, with significant variability across different indicators. For instance, indicators such as seeking and offering clear statements and reasons scored relatively high, while others like taking into account the total situation scored lower. This disparity highlights the need for targeted interventions to enhance specific critical thinking dispositions. The study recommends integrating contextual and inquiry-based learning approaches, which have been shown to effectively foster critical thinking by engaging students in real-world problem-solving scenarios. Moreover, incorporating collaborative and experiential learning experiences can further nurture critical thinking skills, promoting deeper understanding and innovation. The research emphasizes the importance of developing specific disposition like open-mindedness to improve the critical thinking capabilities of prospective science teachers, ultimately enhancing their academic performance and preparedness to tackle complex scientific issues.

A Case Study for Experiential Teaching and Learning

This study investigates experiential learning’s role and efficacy at a doctoral-level leadership studies program concentrating on a compulsory externship. Key to this work is the collegiate climate and collaboration of the graduate students and many participating organizations. This study employs hybrid community-based participatory research (incorporating graduate student, organizational stakeholder, and instructor perspectives) to increase knowledge and understanding of doctoral-level experiential learning and integrate that knowledge to benefit pedagogy, leadership development, and organizational-university partnerships. Results indicate that experiential learning builds robust collaboration between institutional and organizational settings. Moreover, the experiential learning experience provides a distinctive approach for graduate students, enabling them to make better work-context decisions and advance science by asking better, more salient research questions. Experiential learning also enriches the course context, encouraging students to marry their technical and academic expertise to make practical, positive changes.

Transforming Halal Training Through Gamification and Immersive Technology to Empower Talents

With a 4-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.5%, the Halal economy is estimated to reach US$2.8 trillion by 2025. To obtain and retain Halal certification, businesses must guarantee that their workers are knowledgeable and skilled. Implementing Halal-toyyiban in businesses can be complex, especially when the manufacturing entities are owned and managed by non-Muslims. Therefore, developing a Halal training programme is crucial. The main challenge is ensuring that trainees can retain and recall what they have learned, ultimately changing their work culture and mindset. To address this challenge, corporate Halal training programmes must include built-in learning retention elements, such as gamification through games. Gamification can enhance employee engagement and safety awareness, reduce training costs, and lower learning curves. Moreover, recent technological advancements in Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), and gamification enhance user experience and performance in various domains. AR and MR are viable options as they can include aspects of the current environment in real-time and present a combination of the virtual world and reality. This study explores the viability of AR and MR gamified Halal training to empower Halal workers for businesses’ sustainability and expansion. The study reviews and analyses published literature from bibliographic and other acknowledged sources. Consequently, the authors discovered that while AR and gamification have been used extensively, combining both to enhance experiential learning and immersive experience is in its infancy. The findings suggest that leveraging these options can lead to future-oriented Halal training that improves experiential and immersive learning and is accessible anytime and anywhere.

How literary tourism changes the tourists’ “baggage”: a conceptual framework for the educational function of literary tourism

ABSTRACT This conceptual study aims to provide a framework for the educational function of literary tourism, a niche within cultural, heritage and media-related tourism, by focusing on the relationship between tourism and education. The conceptual framework, established through previous research on literary museums, literary festivals, and literary routes, demonstrates that literary tourism offers tourists experiential and transformative learning experiences. Literary tourism offerings not only influence tourists’ literary knowledge and practical skill levels but also provide awareness that can potentially transform their personal lives and alter perspectives. The gains individuals acquire through literary tourism highlight the necessity of emphasizing the educational function of literary tourism. This underscores the significance for literary sites, literary destinations, tour operators, educational institutions, and similar stakeholders to invest in promoting this educational function. The conceptual framework outlined in this study regarding the educational function of literary tourism can serve as a valuable reference point for literary tourism initiatives and research.

Immersive virtual reality in experiential learning for architecture design education: an action research

PurposeChallenges of conducting site visit activities, a vital component of architecture learning during the recent pandemic have proved our unreadiness in facing the digital future. The lack of understanding of learning technology has affected the education experience. Thus, there is a need to investigate immersive learning technology such as immersive virtual reality (IVR) to replace students’ concrete experience in the current learning setting. This study aims to answer: (1) What is the influence of IVR in experiential learning (EL) in enhancing the personal spatial experience? (2) Does IVR in EL influence students' approach to learning during the architecture design process?Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted as an action research design approach. Action research was employed in the first-year architecture design studio by the lecturer as a practitioner-researcher. The personal spatial experience survey was performed in the earlier phase to identify the students’ prior spatial experience. Architectural Spatial Experience Simulation (ASES) a learning tool was implemented and assessed with Architecture Design Learning Assessment (ADLA) rubric, which was developed to evaluate EL and student’s approach to learning during the architecture design learning process.FindingsThe outcomes revealed that ASES as a learning tool in EL could improve the participants’ spatial experience, particularly those with minimal prior personal spatial experience. ASES was recognized to enhance the participants’ EL experience and encourage changes in student’s approach to learning from surface to deep learning.Originality/valueThis research benefits the architecture design learning process by offering a learning tool and a framework to resolve challenges in performing site visit activities and digital learning. It also contributes by expanding the EL theory and students’ approach to learning knowledge in the architecture education field.

Framework for an interprofessional experience addressing health and disability for health professional students

Background and purposeA Health and Disabilities Interprofessional Education (IPE) course was implemented to join three healthcare disciplines together to collaboratively plan, implement, and reflect on professional roles and responsibilities. The goal and purpose of this course was to create an advancement of interprofessional education and practice within health science professions early in their students' programs utilizing innovative teaching methods working directly with individuals with disabilities. Educational activity and setting72 students were assigned to interprofessional teams of 10–11 people. Through asynchronous and synchronous learning activities, student teams worked together to plan and conduct community-based client interviews. FindingsQuantitative and qualitative evaluation methods were used to explore the impact of interprofessional experiential learning experiences. Qualitative data showed a greater awareness and understanding of the different roles and responsibilities in interprofessional teams as well as a greater appreciation for the value of interacting with persons with disabilities (PWD) during their training. Quantitative data showed a significant change in students' understanding of their roles and responsibilities as a member of an interprofessional team, their confidence with working with PWD in a future healthcare capacity, as well as their understanding of how the social determinants of health may influence the healthcare experience of a PWD. SummaryInterprofessional education and experiential learning opportunities are good ways to facilitate “real” patient care experiences and team roles and responsibilities. This enables healthcare students to practice communication, build relationships, and understand the lived experience of their patients.

Self-formation across borders: transnational students’ identity reconstruction while transitioning from international schools to higher education

ABSTRACT Almost six million students study at international schools, constituting a rapidly expanding faction within the demographic of globally mobile students. Research has centered around the educational endeavors of these students within the sphere of secondary education. However, there has been a dearth of investigation concerning their pivotal period of transition to higher education institutions (HEIs). To address this research gap, this longitudinal qualitative research utilized a self-formation framework by delving into the interplay of factors characterizing the transition to HEIs and the dynamics of identity and agency among 19 transnational students from 10 different international schools in three countries. Findings unveil that the formative experiences of transnational students preceding their collegiate pursuits profoundly shaped their college transitions in sync with their transnational sense of belonging. Moreover, they viewed HEIs as instrumental in fostering a multifaceted comprehension of diversity, providing experiential learning experiences, and promoting the cultivation of students’ self-formation.

Early career workers granted creative autonomy: agency shifts intern debate towards industry expectations

ABSTRACT This research contributes to debates on intern labour, particularly preparing young workers for careers in the culture industries and exploitative experiences that may hinder their success. The purpose of this study is to enrich our understanding of the skillsets required by young practitioners and how creative autonomy can be a fruitful conceptual tool to shift the internship debate from meaningful or (self-)exploitative, paid and unpaid, professional experiences. Through semi-structured in-depth interviews with current students and recent college graduates, the analysis shows participants earn creative autonomy by understanding the implicit and explicit expectations of the role and responsibilities of culture industry positions. Interviewees who understand these institutional practices and their role within corporate governance structures shed the status of interns and provide value by contributing meaningful work at the internship site. However, young workers who lack awareness of these industry dynamics of working conditions are typically neglected by site supervisors and assigned exploitative tasks. The findings describe how these individuals would benefit from structured internship programmes with site supervisors who help develop their skillset and learn industry norms through shadowing and observation to pursue more ideal career paths or professionally rewarding experiential learning experiences.

A Phenomenological Analysis of Social Studies Students' Lived Experiences Teachers: Building Concepts of Democratic Citizenship and Education

The purpose of the study was to explore how social studies teachers conceptualised democracy, developed ideas about democratic citizenship and implemented their perspectives and experiences into teaching. The study used a phenomenological approach to qualitative research design. Total 528 students and 50 teachers were selected using a purposive sampling method with data analysed by Moustakas’s transcendental approach. The participants conceptualised democracy as a political system, civic participation and influence of government decision-making. They developed ideas about democratic citizenship from multiple sources, such as family members, networking, citizenship projects, professional development training, political engagement, travel, and involvement in community services. Teachers implemented their perspectives by utilising experiential learning, incorporating student’s ideas into teaching methods and employing technology. Other findings that emerged included the educator’s inadequate preparation of instructional strategies and student’s apathetic responses to learning about the democratic process. This study reveals the need for educators, teachers, and policymakers to collaborate to develop instructional practices, incorporate experiential learning experiences and improve social studies curricula to promote student engagement.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE LAB PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION AS AN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN-BUILD STUDIO: TEACHING AND LEARNING EXPERIENCE

This working paper explores experiential learning and teaching experiences that aim to create socially responsible architects and buildings who prioritize sustainability and innovation and offer some questions for further research. The ideas presented in this work are the evaluation of a cross-cultural Design-Build studio established in 2022 by design units from universities in Ecuador, Chile, and Germany to reflect on various aspects of architectural design, civil engineering, management, and other aspects of sustainable construction that are often overlooked in traditional teaching programs. The Design-Build methodology, explores such potential linkages: 1-Interactive and dynamic learning environment allow to establish the design of an architectural project through a cooperative process, 2-The application through scientific inquiry and critical thinking of local construction techniques in international projects update the methods to comply with current building codes, and 3-Active involvement of the team planning in the construction of the building, allow to test and establish sustainable constructions methods that are suitable for informal self-build and can be reproduced by the local population. Over one hundred participants contributed to the completion of the building. A questionnaire was conducted to evaluate the academic experience. Most respondents reported an increase in their academic and practical knowledge in construction, as well as in architectural skills, self-confidence and personal skills.

Students as game designers and developers: developing cooperative strategy board games to teach team leadership skills

Purpose The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight how gamification is transforming recruitment, retention and training to resolve employee engagement challenges in the ever-changing workplace. In collaborating with game industry experts and designers, the authors taught students team leadership skills by demonstrating how to design and play their own original cooperative strategy games. In doing so, students learn what gamification is and how it can be used to train our multigenerational workforce; how designing board games teaches team leadership skills (e.g. communication, conflict management, power, decision-making); and how to develop cooperative strategy game elements (player characters, roles and actions) that motivate engaging gameplay with successful learning outcomes. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors discuss the practical implications of a three-phase semester-long experiential learning experience, where game design demonstrates to students how employees can work collaboratively together in teams. Students’ developed storylines (i.e. strategic objectives) including motivation challenges, social media communication breakdowns, sabotage, global sustainability and other real-world challenges. In Phase 1, students learn about how companies are using gamification in training high-performing teams. In Phase 2, students play a cooperative strategy game Forbidden Island with their student teams. In Phase 3, students design (and play) their original cooperative strategy game, instructions booklet and build a facilitation guide. Findings Approximately, 400 students developed 48 original cooperative strategy games that can be used to teach team leadership skills. These student teams designed cooperative strategy board games – in which the entire team either wins or loses based on their control of valued resources and player actions as key decision-making points. The data and feedback indicate that the learning experience helped them practically consider team interdependence in making effective decisions, and in creating creative self-efficacy, resilience and self-confidence in their own leadership voice. In this manuscript, the authors focus on providing an overview and implementation plan for our semester-long experiential learning exercise. Originality/value This experiential exercise was implemented from 2019 to 2023 in different learning modalities (face-to-face, hybrid, 100% synchronous online learning) and during challenging times (prepandemic, pandemic and postpandemic learning environments). These varying experiences provided them with a challenge to persevere and learn about their own interpersonal skills and resilience in a creative engaging way with limited resources. Students developed 26 original games during 100% synchronous remote learning due to COVID. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other business school is working with gaming industry experts and game designers to teach team leadership to this degree during pre- and postpandemic environments.

The Packaging Mockup Project: An experiential Learning Experience of Using Photoshop in a Branding Class

ABSTRACT The Packaging Mockup Project directs students to 1) learn the basic tools in the Adobe Photoshop application, 2) research and create a new brand concept for different product categories, and 3) design an original packaging mockup of their own brand concept. This project is designed to allow students to apply what they learn about branding as well as to gain basic proficiency in Photoshop, a software that has become an increasingly common desired attribute in graduate candidates for marketing jobs. This experiential project gives students practical experience in creating branded packaging mockup with the Photoshop application while teaching them the role of brand elements for specific product types and how to create a brand concept for a specific target market.

First, Seek to Understand: Deconstructing the Concept of Poverty for Nursing Education

Poverty, an important social determinant of health, is a multifaceted issue that impacts the health of individuals, families, and communities. People who live in impoverished communities have limited access to many necessary resources. This deficit often results in increased risk for mental illness, chronic disease, higher mortality, and lower life expectancy and greater need for healthcare services. There is a call for nurse educators to provide multiple opportunities throughout curricula for students at all levels to develop competencies to assess and intervene in outcomes impacted by social determinants of health. Doing so requires a perspective of empathy, grounded in cultural humility, to advance health equity and advocate for persons facing challenges, such as those who experience poverty. This article provides an overview of poverty in the context of the social determinants and discusses strategically designed experiential learning experiences, such as simulations and community-academic partnerships. An exemplar of an interprofessional community-academic partnership is provided to illustrate an ongoing successful effort that has fostered a deeper understanding of the lived experience of poverty for students of nursing and other professions.

Student Perceptions of Community-Engaged Scholarship Courses: Developing a Sociolinguistic Corpus on the U.S.–Mexico Border

Community-based sociolinguistic corpora are collections of informal interviews with community members who comprise an important dataset in sociolinguistics. Although some scholars have involved students in developing sociolinguistic corpora, few studies have examined students’ perspectives on these projects. Furthermore, very few studies examine the perceptions of underrepresented college students who are themselves members of the surrounding community. The present study analyzes the perceptions of students involved in community-engaged scholarship (CES) courses at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on the U.S.–Mexico border. In these CES courses, predominantly Mexican American students contribute to the documentation of language in South Texas through the Corpus Bilingüe del Valle (Christoffersen & Bessett, 2019). A qualitative analysis of 38 student responses reveals six significant themes: a greater knowledge of transcription, increased connection with one’s own community, enhanced understanding from experiential learning and research experience, development of professional skills, a heightened appreciation of local language varieties, and pride in participating in a large-scale research project. These responses demonstrate the benefits of CES and serve to encourage sociolinguists to incorporate community-based corpora development in linguistics and language classes. More broadly, the results highlight the importance and impact of CES experiences for underrepresented college students, especially those incorporating course-based undergraduate research experiences.

Empowering Youth to Combat Malicious Deepfakes and Disinformation: An Experiential and Reflective Learning Experience Informed by Personal Construct Theory

The potential to weaponize deepfakes is growing at an alarming rate. The study aimed to explore how education can help youth develop resilience to malicious deepfakes and the ability to counter disinformation, regardless of context. Sixteen youth between the ages of 18 and 24 participated in a 9-h, cutting-edge, experiential, and reflective learning experience on deepfakes and disinformation informed by personal construct theory (PCT). Participants experienced the creation of deepfakes and assessed their ability to counter disinformation. They delved into their own construct systems and reflected on the genesis of their vulnerabilities. They moved from being unfamiliar with the deepfake phenomenon to becoming empowered digital citizens, motivated to develop their skills in assessing the validity of online information and resisting manipulation regardless of its source. The study provides recommendations for more targeted education about deepfakes and disinformation for youth. Educators, curriculum developers, and policymakers can use these findings to ensure that a well-equipped generation of digital citizens protects society from the growing disinformation plague. With this proof of concept, the next step is to bring this approach to a larger number of youth and contribute to the fight against malicious deepfakes, while developing strategies to integrate PCT-informed learning experiences into education.

Up-skilling learners through story-telling: Introducing the Learning Wave

The nature of work is changing as technology, economic, education, health, environmental, and geopolitical trends impact the skills required of the workforce. Generative AI, for example, is significantly impacting the labour-market as new jobs are created and existing jobs are re-shaped or no longer available (Li, 2022). In response to these trends, businesses are re-imagining their workforce strategies and investing in learning and developing their talent (Future of Jobs Report, 2023). Responding to the needs of industry and the skills gap, Western Sydney University (WSU) is pioneering a digital pedagogical model called The Learning Wave. Inspired by Karl Maton’s Semantic Wave, The Learning Wave is a practical tool for designing digital educational experiences where learners are guided through real-world problems to construct knowledge, build industry relevant skills and reflect on their learning (Maton, 2019). Through the explicitly designed educational experience, learners use their knowledge and skills to solve real-world problems facing industry. The Learning Wave is used to create educational experiences through activities focused on mastery (competence), meaning (competence and relatedness), community (relatedness) and autonomy (Ryan & Deci, 2000). To develop these experiences, The Learning Wave contains four smaller waves of engagement and motivation, knowledge, activity, and narrative: The Engagement and Motivation wave uses reward and feedback loops aligned with key educational moments. Inspired by the Octalysis Framework for Gamification and Behavioural Design (Chou, 2021), real-world relevant learning activities are designed to be intrinsically motivating and create positive learning experiences. The Engagement and Motivation wave aligns rewards and game mechanics to the self-regulated-learning phases of forethought, performance and self-reflection (Zimmerman, 2002). The Knowledge Wave focusses on the design, construction, and delivery of the knowledge-based content using Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction (Gagné et al., 1992)) and uses missions for learners to solve as they apply their knowledge and skills in the Activity The Activity wave extends from the Engagement and Motivation wave, and the Knowledge Wave and focuses on experiential learning experiences that people learn from (Floor, 2023). A goal of the Activity Wave is to create a positive impact on the learning experience and provide learners with memorable experiences they enjoy. The Narrative wave uses storytelling and narrative driven approaches to present an engaging story comprising elements of tension, interesting characters situated in real-world settings to provide relevance and relatability to the course, and topics that evoke emotional responses. Narrative approaches to learning tell more than just the story – stories use different parts of the brain (Renken, 2020) and can be effective in solidifying abstract concepts and assist learners in shaping their ideas and views about what they are learning. (Yang et al., 2022). These sub-waves are designed in alignment with the learning outcomes of the course to provide learners with agency to manage their motivation, cognition, emotion and behaviour – fundamental to self-regulated learning (Zimmerman, 2002) as they develop their skills in their industry-relevant field. As a novel pedagogical model, The Learning Wave is designed for learners to amplify impact and stay relevant in their field.