Experiential Learning Project Research Articles

“The patient as teacher” - thematic analysis of undergraduate medical students’ experiences with an experiential learning project in palliative care

BackgroundExperiential learning holds high potential for medical students’ education in palliative care. At RWTH Aachen University in Germany, medical students can participate in the course “The Patient as Teacher” offering a one-to-one exchange with a terminally ill patient over a period of several weeks complemented with four supervision sessions and writing of a reflective essay. The course had run from 2005 to 2020 before it was paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This study aimed to assess the course’s value as a palliative care teaching tool by investigating students’ motivation and experiences over the years 2005–2020.MethodsA stratified sample of 24 essays was taken from all submitted essays (n = 78), eight essays from the years 2005–2009, 2010–2014, and 2015–2020. Subsequently, a thematic analysis of the selected essays was conducted.ResultsThe students felt motivated by the opportunity to gain more experience in palliative care, to improve their communication skills and to decrease insecurities in interaction with terminally ill patients. They learned about the patient’s biography and medical history, and encountered physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of living with a life-limiting disease. Moreover, they experienced relationship building and communication with a terminally ill patient outside their role as future doctors. Ultimately, they considered their participation as a beneficial experience on both a personal and professional level.ConclusionsThe course “The Patient as Teacher” presents a valuable tool for experiential learning in palliative care, which has elicited an unceasingly positive response among the students who participated over the years. It has facilitated medical students in overcoming insecurities in dealing with terminally ill patients and supported them in further developing their professional identity.

Methodological Insights About Photovoice as a Pedagogical Tool From Implementation With Graduate Students as Co-Researcher-Participants

Experiential learning is important in preparing the next generation of public health professionals to address health inequities. Students who aspire to work in community health must learn to engage with communities and advocate for change that aligns with community priorities. Learning about Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and related methodologies can facilitate students’ understanding of community engagement and community organizing. Photovoice, a CBPR methodology, provides a unique opportunity to understand the lived experiences of participants while identifying community-led solutions to address public health challenges. Photovoice has been used as a pedagogical tool to engage students as participants in reflection, critical thinking, discussion, and experiential learning. However, the peer-reviewed literature often lacks detailed accounts of methodology, and barriers and facilitators to engaging participants in photovoice. We provide a detailed account of our methodology as we co-learned with 23 graduate students as co-researcher-participants in a photovoice experiential learning project as part of a CBPR course at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health. Students reflected on their experience with the methodology by completing a series of fieldnotes while participating in photovoice. Fieldnotes were analyzed using an iterative inductive coding process. We present five themes from student reflections that convey barriers and facilitators to engaging in photovoice, and share related recommendations for using photovoice as a pedagogical tool to prepare the next generation of public health professions.

Theory in action for graduate nurse educator students: An experiential learning project

BackgroundHigh turnover rates of new nurse educators are amplifying nursing shortages by reducing the ability of nursing programs to educate new nurses. When nurses enter their new role as nurse educators, there is a major transition from experienced bedside nurse to novice educator. This transition can be difficult and frequently leads to frustration, and in many cases nurse educators leaving the field. AimThe aim of this project is to improve the readiness, and preparedness of new nurse educators prior to entering the field. ProjectGraduate nursing students in the Master of Science in Nursing Education (MSNE) Option at Lamar University were competitively selected and hired as graduate assistants (GA) with a focus on easing the transition of becoming nurse educators by creating nursing professional development (NPD) opportunities for current nursing faculty. The project utilized Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory and mentorship to prepare future nurse educators for their future role. ApplicationsThrough the application of Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory, graduate assistants (GAs) developed curriculum to be deployed in continuing education courses. This provided graduate assistants the ability to maneuver the nuances of course development using Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory as a template for curriculum development by examining their work with peers and analyzing the cycle of concrete experiences (CE), reflective observation (RO), abstract conceptualization (AC), and active experimentation (AE). ConclusionMaster's programs help instill knowledge necessary to equip future educators with the tools needed to give nursing education students a solid foundation. By utilizing Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory with this project, future nurse educators could apply a deeper understanding of newfound knowledge into practice. Increasing demands in nursing requires innovations in the preparation of nurse educators. By incorporating projects such as this, with a strong grasp on concrete experiences (CE), reflective observation (RO), abstract conceptualization (AC), and active experimentation (AE), novice educators can be primed for their new role of developing future nurses.

Teaching Interprofessional Collaboration through Experiential Learning with Behavioural Psychology, Business, and Engineering Students

Research has indicated that interprofessional collaboration improves client outcomes, enhances work life, optimizes costs, and allows professionals to tackle complex situations with increased knowledge and creativity. However, the inherent barriers and challenges of developing effective interprofessional teams have been documented in the literature. This research explores whether teaching interprofessional collaboration improves students’ perceptions of their own interprofessional collaborative competencies. This research provides two experiential learning projects to teach interprofessional collaboration among behavioural psychology, engineering, and business students. In Study 1, interprofessional teams were presented with complex cases, and teams created a functional assessment and developed a function-based treatment using technology developed by the engineering students. During Study 2, community stakeholders provided interprofessional teams with community-based challenges. Students worked collaboratively to analyze why the challenge existed and created innovative solutions based on behavioural economics. Significant increases in the Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Scale scores were found in both studies. Sentiment analysis results suggested that most students felt that the interprofessional collaboration project benefitted them in terms of communication, collaboration, and synergy. Findings support the effectiveness of IEP in increasing student perceptions of their interprofessional collaborative competency.

Rethinking Assessment: Community-Engaged Experiential Learning and Complex Environments in Business from a Student Perspective

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the academic landscape profoundly, prompting a shift toward new learning environments and evolving pedagogy, including a notable increase in experiential community-engaged learning (CEL) projects within business curricula. Despite these innovations, traditional assessment practices often neglect the development of critical skills, focusing instead on outdated knowledge certification. This study examines the integration of student voice in assessment practices, particularly within CEL projects. It aims to explore student perceptions of the opportunities provided by CEL, offering insights into specific elements that should be assessed to measure student success, accomplishment, and growth. Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through end-of-term reflections, focus groups, and interviews with 52 undergraduate business students engaged in CEL projects. Thematic analysis revealed three key themes that can impact the design, selection, implementation, and interpretation of assessment methods: Adaptation, Balancing Teamwork with Individual Accountability, and Creativity and Innovative Problem-Solving. Students emphasized the importance of flexibility and proactive problem-solving in dynamic project environments. They also valued effective collaboration and personal accountability, preferring individual assessments within team projects. Creativity and innovative solutions were highlighted as essential competencies, suggesting the need for assessment tools that recognize these skills. The research indicates that incorporating student voice in the assessment process enhances engagement and relevance, aligning evaluations with students' actual experiences while fostering essential life skills. The study recommends the development of assessment rubrics that measure these competencies along with longitudinal studies to examine the impact of revised assessment processes on student experience and satisfaction over time.

Inquiry-Guided Experiential Learning in FASB Codification Research: An Investment Portfolio Simulation Project

We designed and implemented an inquiry-guided experiential learning project in which students researched and interpreted accounting standards from FASB Accounting Standards Codification to support their applications and assessment of the accounting treatment in a hands-on quasi-real-world simulation for investment activities. Specifically, in the project’s first phase, students explored, researched, identified, and interpreted the related accounting standards from the Codification for a fictional client’s investment activities. Students then ran an investment portfolio simulation in the second phase, in which they (1) created organic investment activities, (2) made authentic applications of accounting standards, (3) analyzed and evaluated the impact on self-prepared financial reports, and (4) modified subsequent investment decisions. Most students were well motivated to explore and self-study the accounting concepts and procedures. They considered the project relevant, interesting, and effective. Their performance in project knowledge tests improved student learning along factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognition knowledge dimensions. They were willing to put time and effort into the project and would recommend it for future use.

THE VARIETY OF PROBLEMS IN JAPANESE STUDENTS’ HYPOTHETICAL PREMISE CONSTRUCTIONS

Among the foundations of critical thinking in EFL is the ability of language learners to be able to express their views in terms of predictions and outcomes. It is all the more important in science universities such as the institution where the author teaches. Nine Japanese first-year university students in Japan, participated in a study involving an extended experiential learning project, using physical objects and observable phenomena. While students’ general use of premise and conclusion markers markedly improved, problems in their construction of hypothetical premises persisted. I will discuss the types of problems and offer explanations for why these problems continue to occur, and I will suggest ways in which instruction on hypothetical premise construction may be improved.

Evaluating Outcomes of a Co-Produced Theatre-Based Experiential Learning Project in Psychiatry.

The benefits of theatre and arts-based initiatives for enhancing the health and wellbeing of adults, regardless of mental health status, are well-documented. Theatre methodologies offer a platform for co-produced experiential learning, promoting perspective-taking and effective communication among staff and service users. This project aimed to bring together service users and mental health professionals through workshops conducted by an experiential theatre company, focusing on themes such as relationship dynamics, co-production, empowerment and perspective-taking. Notably, the sessions were conducted online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study sought to explore the experiences, learning outcomes and work-related wellbeing benefits of participating in this innovative project. Methods involved inviting East London Foundation Trust members to eight weekly online workshops, culminating in a co-created filmed performance. Interviews conducted 9 months to a year later with participants and facilitators were thematically analysed. Results revealed four key themes: (1) personal and collective growth through storytelling and embodied acting experiences; (2) the importance of workshop structure for experiential learning; (3) challenging traditional role definitions through diminished hierarchy; and (4) sustained impacts on time management at work and in personal lives. In conclusion, participants valued their involvement, indicating that theatre-based co-produced learning enhances communication and interpersonal skills in mental healthcare settings. These findings suggest the potential for integrating such approaches into healthcare education and training programs.

Development of Soft Skills for a Successful Career and Advance Education

In today's environment of rapid change, soft skills are becoming increasingly important. This essay examines how students develop soft skills, with a particular emphasis on teamwork, communication, problem-solving, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. These abilities are essential for pupils to succeed in both the classroom and in real-world situations. We begin by underlining the significance of soft skills in the context of contemporary education. These abilities help pupils overcome obstacles because they complement academic knowledge. We go over the numerous aspects that affect the development of soft skills, such as the role of schools, instructional strategies, family engagement, and socioeconomic backgrounds. To develop these abilities, cooperation between communities, families, and schools is crucial. The advantages of including soft skill development in the educational system are also emphasized in the article. Better interpersonal relationships, improved self-esteem, and a stronger desire for lifelong learning are all characteristics of students who excel in soft skills. Additionally, these abilities improve employability in a demanding employment market. We suggest a thorough framework for assessing and enhancing students' soft skills, placing special emphasis on formative assessment procedures that deliver rapid feedback. To aid in the development of skills, we also suggest adding role-playing, experiential learning, and group projects. In order to provide educators with the resources necessary for the development of soft skills, teacher training programmers are crucial. The digital divide must be closed, and equal access to resources for pupils from different backgrounds must be made a priority. In conclusion, it is critical to have a comprehensive approach to education that prioritizes both academic success and soft skills. To encourage the development of soft skills in school pupils and better prepare them for the complex problems of the 21st century, we support continuing research, policy creation, and collaboration among educational stakeholders.

Furthering Anti-Racist Practice: Reconciliation in Action (RéconciliACTION) (Discussion Paper)

Nursing scholarship and practice has been historically complicit in the (re)production of racial inequities by not acknowledging and countering their part in the legacy of colonization . This paper will discuss the implementation of an experiential transformative learning project, RéconciliACTION, grounded in critical social justice theory. Four elements – testimonial authority, experiential learning, reciprocity, and relationality - can be implemented in nursing education that value lived experience to create change toward address anti-Indigenous racism in educational settings and health institutions. Lessons from the RéconciliACTION Project reinforce the need to increase nursing educators' knowledge of such methods and practices. Essential to this process is the recognition of lived experience as knowledge via Testimonial Authority. The process of transformation begins with the integration of anti-racist practices and Indigenous content. This project seeks to create leaders and allies in the journey towards reconciliation, reducing anti-racist attitudes and practices in educational and medical facilities

Networking With Industry Partners, Experiential Learning, and Teamwork: Engaging and Preparing Students Across Modalities

This case study assesses a course re-designed to scaffold a semester-long networking opportunity and experiential learning project. The course occurred online twice using Microsoft Teams in the spring and fall of 2021 and later in person once in the spring of 2023. I present quantitative student course evaluation data from all three semesters and compare them to the department, school, and university. I also address open comments from students, pedagogy, media coverage, and our fashion industry partner's perspective. Findings suggest that the course design was successful across modalities. Students rated the course highly compared to others on campus, even while online, and ratings improved over time. Student comments praised the course for offering valuable career preparation. Our industry partner also derived professional and personal value by interacting with and mentoring students. The case study concludes by encouraging educators to implement experiential learning in any modality, offering guidance, and addressing obstacles.

Introducing Systematic Patent Analysis as an Innovative Pedagogy Tool/Experiential Learning Project in HE Institutes and Universities to Boost Awareness of Patent-based IPR

Purpose: Research on Patent Analysis as an Innovative Pedagogy Tool/Experiential Learning Project in HE Institutes and Universities to Boost Awareness of Patent-based IPR" is being done to determine whether or not using patent analysis as a novel pedagogical strategy in higher education institutions is effective. Through hands-on interaction with actual patent data, this study seeks to determine how incorporating patent analysis into the academic curriculum can improve experiential learning and promote a deeper understanding of intellectual property rights (IPR). This study aims to contribute valuable insights that can guide educational practices, equip students with the necessary skills for the knowledge-based economy, and ultimately encourage innovation and entrepreneurship within the classroom by examining the effect of this novel pedagogy on students' awareness and comprehension of patent-related IPR. Method: An exploratory research method is used. The relevant information for exploring our idea of systematic patent analysis as an innovative pedagogy tool and experiential learning project in higher education institutions and universities are collected from scholarly articles using the Google search engine, Google Scholar search engine, and AI-based GPTs. Result and Discussion: The procedure for systematic patent analysis as an innovative pedagogy tool in the classroom and as a method of experiential learning for the students to create awareness, to convert their ideas into product or process-based patents during their studies in higher education institutions. The advantages, benefits, constraints, and disadvantages of adopting systematic patent analysis are analysed. The future implications and impact of systematic patent analysis as a pedagogical tool or experiential learning method are discussed. Originality/Value: Implementing a structured approach to patent analysis within higher education institutions facilitates the enhancement of meaningful contributions to the creation of innovative products or processes, thereby advancing the generation of new intellectual property rights (IPR) both for the institution and the nation. Type of the Research: Exploratory Research.

COURSE PROJECTS AS VALUE CO-CREATION TOOLS: DEVELOPING UNIVERSITY COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES

ABSTRACT As industry demands students with a greater technical skillset, experiential learning projects are more critical than ever in developing required technical expertise. Employing a value co-creation model at a midwestern university, the authors implemented a project to develop students’ digital marketing skills, secure certifications in digital marketing, and simultaneously benefit the university community by developing e-mail communications for graduate programs. Through a course-based project, the authors examine the influence of iterative project submissions and frequent feedback as a tool to enhance both student and university employee learning. Results show value co-creative projects with a university client offers benefits to both students and the broader university community. For students, multiple practice iterations with feedback from university stakeholders increased student confidence, knowledge, and competence. For university participants, reviewing iterative project submissions was beneficial in developing marketing skills and stimulating innovative solutions beyond the scope of the student projects. Challenges related to the study design and limitations are also discussed.

Mundane matters: entangling moments of student wellbeing across cultures, time, space, and virtual worlds

ABSTRACT In this article, we draw on phenomenon from an experiential learning project that invited university students in Australia and Hong Kong to share their conceptions of wellbeing. Inspired by feminist and new materialist perspectives, our analysis highlights a string of mundane moments of ecological entanglements, nutritionally-nourishing forces and spacetimemattering generated when students shared digital stories about their daily wellbeing practices. Through the ‘Day in the Life’ methodology, students in Australia and Hong Kong compiled video vignettes of key moments in their daily lives that they felt supported their wellbeing. Drawing on the notion of ‘mundane data’, we suggest that students’ mundane moments offer in-depth explorations of the student experience, improvisation, habits, and accomplishments across cultures, time, space, and virtual worlds for (re)turning to the basics when conceptualising wellbeing. Our analysis, therefore, notes the importance of attending to matters of mundanity to study and cultivate wellbeing for students across cultures, including how university campuses (both physical and digital) may incorporate these mundane moments via curriculum, pedagogy, and program design.

Designing a collaborative faculty‐student mentoring model in a large, complex science curriculum development team project

AbstractScientific research endeavors are increasingly collaborative in nature. As researchers work together in groups of increasing size to develop project goals and implement plans, traditional 1‐1 single faculty‐student mentor models are less relevant as students need input and guidance from the multiple faculty members contributing to the collaborative project. Instead, faculty‐student mentorship models would benefit from being re‐envisioned to facilitate faculty mentors advising multiple student team members and students seeking feedback from multiple faculty team members, while also facilitating complimentary student peer mentorship opportunities. In this article, we present a case study of how student mentorship support was initially designed and managed in a large, complex, and multidisciplinary collaborative science curriculum development effort: the Earth Science Experiential and Indigenous Learning (EaSEIL) project.

ChatGPT in practice: Increasing event planning efficiency through artificial intelligence

The purpose of this practice paper is to show faculty how and where to use ChatGPT to support planning an event in an event management class. This project is based on the high impact pedagogical practice of experiential learning. The use of ChatGPT, or similar chatbot style, artificial intelligence can be applied to many experiential learning projects in sport management. The application of this paper focuses specifically on using ChatGPT to plan and execute an event within a 16-week event management class. The use of ChatGPT has many benefits for faculty and students alike, especially for text-based tasks. This paper focuses primarily on using ChatGPT to alleviate heavy time-consuming tasks during the event planning process for faculty so that experiential learning implementation can be done more efficiently.

Teach, Learn, Do, Repeat: Service Learning Curriculum that Drives Public Health Education while Improving Community Health Outcomes.

The integration of service learning into public health curriculum allows students to apply and ultimately better understand often abstract but important theoretical concepts. We provide lessons learned and practical advice on how to plan and implement an experiential learning project over a two-semester period for upper level undergraduate public health students. Through application of program planning pedagogy, students obtained real-world experience while simultaneously improving mental health for college students. We also discuss how experiential curriculum also provides faculty the opportunity to engage with community stakeholders and organizations to build sustainable partnerships that positively impact students and the community at large.

LEARNING BY DOING: THE BENEFITS OF ADOPTING AN ONLINE NEGOTIATION SUPPORT SYSTEM INTO AN ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES COURSE

The paper reports on the benefits of imbedding an online negotiation support system (NSS) into the experiential learning framework of an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course. Proponents of experiential learning projects in the second/foreign language classroom emphasize the benefits of learning by doing. To test the claim, the performances of students in two advanced level EAP courses at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, were compared. One course was developed with the principles of content-based (CBI) instruction, with input primarily from academic texts; the other course also used content-based instruction but was enhanced by an experiential learning project for which the online negotiation system was adopted. Participation in the project provided a novel learning experience for second language learners at Carleton, with counterparts from universities in three additional countries (Austria, Poland, and Taiwan) also participating. A statistical analysis of student grades showed that the students in the EAP course enhanced by the experiential learning project obtained significantly higher grades on the final assignment in comparison to the students in the “traditional” CBI course.The paper also demonstrates that this teaching and training system enhances learning by promoting learner autonomy, critical thinking, and academic language development. Relevant aspects of the experiential learning project led to enhanced learning outcomes, supporting the claim that learning by doing benefits language acquisition. The paper proposes a new experiential learning model, applicable to ESP/EAP instruction, i.e., the sustained-content experiential learning model which can be applied to any project that emphasizes learning through direct experience. The model depicts the importance of sequencing academic content tasks that build on each other allowing learners to accumulate knowledge and language and prepare them to engage in a meaningful, authentic communication. It also illustrates the importance of using reflection as an effective learning tool that helps develop critical thinking and analysis, skills necessary for academic success.

ChatGPT has Aced the Test of Understanding in College Economics: Now What?

The Test of Understanding in College Economics (TUCE) is a standardized test of economics knowledge performed in the United States which primarily targets principles-level understanding. We asked ChatGPT to complete the TUCE. ChatGPT ranked in the 91st percentile for Microeconomics and the 99th percentile for Macroeconomics when compared to students who take the TUCE exam at the end of their principles course. The results show that ChatGPT is capable of providing answers that exceed the mean responses of students across all institutions. The emergence of artificial intelligence presents a significant challenge to traditional assessment methods in higher education. An important implication of this finding is that educators will likely need to redesign their curriculum in at least one of the following three ways: reintroduce proctored, in-person assessments; augment learning with chatbots; and/or increase the prevalence of experiential learning projects that artificial intelligence struggles to replicate well.

Teaching effective Instagram marketing strategies using an experiential learning project for cotton fibres and textiles

ABSTRACT Social media and social media education has permeated fashion merchandising programmes. At the same time, social media influencers have become an essential marketing and advertising strategy for fashion brands to reach consumers. Traditional educational models, such as classroom lectures and textbooks help expose students to theoretical learning outcomes, but they can lack real-world applications, problem-solving, and self-reflection. Therefore, this paper introduces an experiential learning project that provides students real-world applications regarding social media influencer marketing as ‘lived experiences’. Specifically, the project provided students with an opportunity to become an Instagram influencer by creating unique and engaging content for cotton fibres and textiles. An experiential learning model was used as the framework for this project and assisted in the creation of a student competition. Through the project’s four-stage process, students demonstrated positive learning outcomes, skills, and knowledge relevant to social media, social media influencers, and fashion marketing.