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Teaching Experiential Education in Graduate Level Courses: Approaches and Best Practices

Heather CarpenterAssistant Professor

School of Public, Nonprofit and Health Administration

• When you hear the words Experiential Education – what comes to mind?

Definition• Experiential education: “a philosophy and methodology in

which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills and clarify values” (Association for Experiential Education, 2010, par. 2).

Examples of experiential education teaching approaches

• Experiential learning• Fieldwork or field project• Service-learning• Internships• Practicum• Capstone

Problem Statement

• Research to date:

• General Nonprofit Management Education

• Experiential education used in a single university or on a single approach

• No comprehensive picture of experiential education approaches

04/12/2023

Field of Nonprofit Management Education

• Master of Public Administration (Nonprofit Specialization)

• Master of Nonprofit Administration• Master of Social Work (Nonprofit Specialization)• Master of Business Administration (Nonprofit

Specialization)

Research Questions1. What types of experiential education approaches are offered within

nonprofit-focused master’s degree programs across the United States?2. How is experiential education defined, built, and administered by each

nonprofit-focused master’s degree program? 3. What is the program and university setting for experiential education? 4. What types of program and institutional support are provided for

experiential education? 5. What are the similarities and differences between experiential education

approach descriptions, program setting and support descriptions, as well as institutional setting and support descriptions across Universities?

Literature Review• History and philosophy of experiential education

• Approach descriptions in Public Affairs education, Social Work education, and Business education

• Nonprofit management education

• Setting and support for experiential education

MethodologyA two-phase mixed method exploratory design:

• Phase 1: Qualitative interviews– 12 faculty members at select universities

• Phase 2: Development, administration, and analysis of survey– Sent to 178 programs

• Document analysis (website and syllabi review) part of both phases

Phase 2: Survey Sample Characteristics• 86 respondents (48% response rate)• Majority of survey respondents were faculty, program

directors, and administratorsMaster’s Degree Program Type Percentage of All Respondents

Master’s of Nonprofit Administration or Similar 23% (16)

Master’s of Public Administration or Similar 45% (31)

Master’s of Business Administration or Similar 4% (3)

Master’s of Social Work or Similar 10% (7)

Other 18% (12)

R1: Types of Experiential Education Approaches

• Capstone, Internship, Experiential learning, Service-learning, Practicum, Simulation, Fieldwork, Other

• The majority of approaches as described by survey respondents were similar to the literature

• Service-learning approach

Types of ApproachesType of Approach Number of Times

Listed in Course Syllabi (405)

Capstone 6

Internship 3

Experiential learning 125

Service-learning 9

Practicum 2

Simulation 6

Fieldwork 0

Other 27

Interaction Framework for Experiential Learning Approach

Interaction Level Interaction Description

Level 1 Study a nonprofit (or something else) but have no interaction with the nonprofit being studied.

Level 2 Study a nonprofit and interact with the nonprofit in some manner (e.g. interview the staff or executives within a nonprofit).

Level 3 Study a nonprofit, interact with the nonprofit in some manner (e.g. interview the staff or executives within a nonprofit), and present findings to the nonprofit.

Level 4 Study a nonprofit; interact with the nonprofit in some manner (e.g. interview the staff or executives within a nonprofit), present findings to the nonprofit, and work collaboratively with the nonprofit to create the project.

R2: How experiential education is defined, built, and administered

• Definition of Experiential Education• “Experiential education is a philosophy and methodology in which educators

purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, and clarify values” (Association for Experiential Education, 2003).

• Definition of experiential education similar to the definition provided (83%)

• Building of Experiential Education• Course level data• Year experiential education established within the program

R2: How experiential education is defined, built, and administered

• Administration of Experiential Education• Dedicated Staff Member

• Internship Coordinator

• Overlaps with R3 & R4

R3: Program and University Setting• Setting Factors

• Housed within a variety of department and school settings

• Attitudes Towards Experiential Education• Experiential education exceedingly useful (72%)

• Experiential education a formal part of the program (68%)

• Extent of Experiential Education• Experiential education included within (Majority of Courses, Some Courses, One

Course) (97%)

R4: Program and University Support

• Administrative Support• University mission has a strong or moderate influence on experiential

education offered within the program (72%)

• University administration is very supportive of the experiential education that occurs within the master’s degree program (45%)

• Evaluation mechanisms: course evaluations, informal feedback from community organizations, formal evaluations from community organizations, formal faculty meetings, and informal faculty discussions.

R4: Program and University Support

• Institutionalization of Experiential Education– Types of Support

• Monetary• Instructional• Technical• Administrative

• Thirty programs did not provide any type of support to course instructors

• Of the 48 respondents who indicated that there was a service-learning center on campus, 35% utilize the service-learning center.

Limitations & Significance of the Study

• Limitations• Schools with 2 or more nonprofit-focused programs• Different language to explain experiential education• Sample representation• Program level data versus individual level data

• Significance• First study of its kind• Potential importance for program directors at nonprofit-focused master’s

degree programs

Recommendations and Directions for Future Research

• Recommendations • Turn experiential learning approaches into service-learning approaches• Study student learning outcomes at different levels of interactions between students

and nonprofits• Formalize support for experiential education

• Impact of Various Approaches on the Community• Internships impact on the community• Fieldwork impact on the community• Experiential learning impact on the community

Best Practices

• Letter to Organization• Student Guidebook• Thoughtful reflection exercises• Be clear about end product• Working Group within Department