FINAL REPORT OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON EXPERIENTIAL …€¦ · The Ad Hoc Committee on Experiential Learning was formed in September, ... March 2016 Page 2. e) ... In the words

Experiencing Success

At Mount Allison

University

FINAL REPORT OF THE AD HOC

COMMITTEE ON EXPERIENTIAL

LEARNING

MARCH 18, 2016

~EXECUTIVE SUMMARY~

The Ad Hoc Committee on Experiential Learning was formed in September, 2015 in the wake

of Provost Karen Grant’s Discussion Paper, Experiential Learning 2.0 at Mount Allison

University. The Committee was given a generous mandate to examine current Experiential

Learning activities at Mount Allison, develop a definition and principles to guide future

initiatives, and to make recommendations to broaden and deepen Mount Allison’s already

substantial commitment to Experiential Learning.

In fulfilment of its mandate, the Committee analyzed the responses to the Discussion Paper;

consulted faculty, staff, students, and Sackville community members; researched the literature;

and explored other universities’ approaches to Experiential Learning. One of the main

conclusions has been that our students value both curricular and co-curricular Experiential

Learning opportunities and, while there is certainly the appetite for growth in both, students and

faculty alike are opposed to making such opportunities mandatory or a requirement of

graduation. Instead, this report emphasizes the importance of a personalized approach to

Experiential Learning at Mount Allison—one that responds to our students’ individual passions

and curiosity and reflects our professors’ creativity and ingenuity.

One of the key principles outlined in this report is that, as we move forward with Experiential

Learning at Mount Allison, it must be sustainable. The Committee has made recommendations

to that end. Some can be implemented without any additional resources; others, however, will

require additional investments and dedicated fund-raising. One pivotal recommendation that will require such an investment is establishing and staffing an Experiential Learning Centre.This Centre is vital to developing the profile, means and resources to encourage sustainable

growth in consequential curricular and community-based Experiential Learning activities.

In short, the Committee enthusiastically recommends and anticipates that well-resourced,

multi-faceted Experiential Learning activities will be woven even more tightly into the fabric of

Mount Allison as a distinguishing characteristic of the University.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Establish Experiential Learning as a defining characteristic of Mount Allison.

2. Create and adequately staff and resource an Experiential Learning Centre that faculty,

students, and community members can access for information and resources. Such a

Centre will, sometimes in collaboration with other units,

a) Create an online, up-to-date inventory of curricular examples for adaptation and

adoption by others;

Experiencing Success at Mount Allison University: March 2016

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b) Provide structures and resources for documentation and assessment of Experiential

Learning;

c) Develop forms and structures to simplify the approval process for Experiential

Learning (EXPL) credits;

d) Contribute to the creation of University policy and regulations regarding

Experiential Learning;

e) Collaborate with community organizations to create an inventory of projects in

which students and faculty can collaborate;

f) Encourage opportunities and incentives for faculty and departments to examine

their curricula and identify areas where Experiential Learning would be a “good

fit”; and

g) Work closely with University Advancement to secure on-going endowed funding to

sustain a wide range of Experiential Learning opportunities and with other agencies,

such as the Province of New Brunswick, to procure external funds.

3. Keep Experiential Learning as an optional part of a Mount Allison degree.

4. Investigate ways to encourage Experiential Learning without increasing faculty

workload.

5. Develop a mechanism (an award or commendation, for example) to recognize the work

of faculty who are involved in Experiential Learning, especially when it has a community

outreach or Scholarship of Engagement component.

6. Establish clear guidelines in the University Calendar for earning Experiential Learning credits (designated as EXPL credits in the University Calendar).

a) Expand the use of single-credit courses, such as those already used for Music

ensembles, to allow for Experiential Learning credits; building upon this structure

will increase opportunities for students, faculty, and community partners;

b) Establish a minimum number of credits students must normally complete before

being eligible for approved, independent Experiential Learning (EXPL) credits; the

Committee suggests that students should normally have earned 15 credits at Mount

Allison before undertaking any independent/not embedded EL activities;

c) Consider limiting the number of approved Experiential Learning (EXPL) credits

students may allocate towards their degree—further discussion is warranted on this

issue;

d) Clarify whether Experiential Learning activities already compensated in some way,

by pay, grant, or previous credit, are eligible for additional EXPL credits ifsupplementary work is done. This is an important decision to maintain the quality

and integrity of EXPL credits within the Mount Allison degree; and


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e) Specify that all Experiential Learning credits must be approved in advance. No

EXPL credit will be awarded retroactively.

7. As far as possible, create a Calendar designation for the courses that contain a substantial

Experiential Learning component.

8. Explore ways to designate Experiential Learning activity on student transcripts.

9. Since there are three cross-cutting themes in the emerging Strategic Plan—Experiential

Learning, Indigenization, and Internationalization—seek ways for the various committees

and working groups addressing these issues to collaborate.


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~INTRODUCTION~

In the words of Lewis and Williams (1994): “In its simplest form, Experiential Learning means

learning from experience or learning by doing.” However, simply having an experience does not

mean that a student has learned from it. Experiential Learning is nuanced, and its lessons are

often fugitive and faltering. Sound structures are necessary to help students recognize, capture

and document their learning. At its best, Lewis and Williams continue, when carefully planned,

“Experiential education first immerses learners in an experience and then encourages reflection

about the experience to develop new skills, new attitudes, or new ways of thinking.”

In June, 2015, Mount Allison University Provost Dr. Karen Grant issued a Discussion Paper,

Experiential Learning 2.0, which outlined an ambitious vision for Experiential Learning (EL) at

Mount Allison. Building on the University’s already recognized strengths, the paper set goals for

the way forward in EL. In Fall 2015, in the process of formulating a new Strategic Plan for the

University, three cross-cutting themes were identified: Indigenization, Internationalization, and

Experiential Learning. At the same time, the Government of New Brunswick is establishing a

Task Force to explore increased Experiential Learning as an objective of postsecondary

education in the province.

In September, the Provost established an ad hoc Committee to explore Experiential Learning at

Mount Allison more fully. The Committee was given a broad mandate to develop a definition of

Experiential Learning that reflects the activities and unique initiatives at Mount Allison, and to

examine issues of credit for and assessment of EL and how the University might encourage even

greater engagement. (See Appendix A for the Committee’s composition and Terms of

Reference.)

All members of the campus community were invited to respond to the Provost’s paper, and in all

seven academic departments, seven individuals, and five administrative units provided detailed

responses. (See Appendix B for the list of respondents.) The Committee has read and analyzed

all of the responses in order to understand the campus community’s sense of the University’s

strengths, opportunities, and constraints with respect to EL. The Committee also held additional

consultations and conducted extensive research into other universities’ practices, as well as

consulting the literature. (See Appendices C & D for a complete list).

This report will describe the conceptual and theoretical framework for Experiential Learning;

define guiding principles to shape our approach to EL at Mount Allison University; outline the

many benefits of Experiential Learning; give an overview of the current EL landscape at Mount

Allison; suggest opportunities for future developments in EL; make recommendations for the

way forward. The Committee also prepared a glossary of terms related to Experiential Learning

(Appendix E).


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~THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING~

David Kolb is regarded by many as the principal theorist behind the “experiential” philosophy of

learning. Kolb’s Theory of Experiential Learning (1984) is based on the premise that we do not

learn simply by watching: learning is a participatory, active endeavour. Kolb’s theory has four

stages:

1. Concrete Experience:

Doing or discovering something that is a trigger to learning.

2. Reflective Observation:

Thinking back on the experience and asking oneself what was learned and how, what has

still to be learned.

3. Abstract Conceptualization:

Interpreting and contextualizing: How does the new learning fit with what I already know

and, perhaps, with theoretical frameworks?

4. Active Experimentation:

Asking: What can I do with this new learning? Where else can I apply it?

Building on Kolb’s theory, Kompf (1997) coined the term “critical learning” that is characterized

by the following steps subsequent to engaging in a learning experience:

1. Analysis of what occurred,

2. Interpretation of what occurred,

3. Application through re-analysis of what occurred,

4. Synthesis of alternative meanings into one’s own system, and

5. Reconstruction of the whole experience, which turns it into a different experience than it

was on initial occurrence.

These two intersecting and complementary theories emphasize that learning is neither linear nor

passive. As Peggy Maki (2004) explains, learning in any discipline or field is cyclical and

iterative. Learning is a complex and dynamic process, much more than the mere accumulation of


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course credits. She describes learning as a “process of constructing meaning, framing issues,

drawing on strategies and abilities honed over time, re-conceptualizing understanding,

repositioning oneself in relation to a problem or issue, and connecting thinking and knowing to

action."

Dee Fink (2003) offers a taxonomy of significant learning that reminds us that learning must be

more than the acquisition of content knowledge. Significant learning is purposeful and involves

making social, intellectual, and chronological connections. Fink proposes six overlapping,

integrative components, all of which connect closely with Experiential Learning:

Foundational knowledge: Every course or learning experience contains essential

content that students should understand and remember;

Application: Learners should be able to apply the content to do something at the end of

the course or experience;

Integration: Learners should be able to identify and make connections as a result of the

learning;

Human Dimensions: As a result of the learning experience and interactions, students

should also learn about themselves and others;

Caring: Students' interests, attitudes and values should change as a result of learning;

Learning How to Learn: What they learn now should help students to continue to learn

after the course is over or the experience ends.

Fink’s dimensions of significant learning

transcend mere content acquisition to

include the very attributes that Experiential

Learning encompasses: learning activities

that include and integrate human and

metacognitive dimensions.

Simply put, then, having an experience,

while beneficial and enlightening, is not in

and of itself sufficient for learning.

Experiential Learning occurs when the

experience is located within a purposeful

and continuous learning cycle that includes

reflection, analysis, and connection.

In many forms of Experiential Learning, students, following their passions or curiosity, establish

their own learning objectives, and the professor passes considerable responsibility for learning to

the student. The learning may not take place in the classroom, and there may be no academic

texts to study. All learning is a combination of what we do and how we think about or process it.

It depends on context as well as content; it is strengthened by inspection, connection, and


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reflection. (See Appendix F for sample questions to encourage reflection.) Baxter-Magolda (1999) describes this process as “self-authorship,” whereby students are transformed from passive receptors into active partners who articulate their values and beliefs about their place within the discipline and have the opportunity to demonstrate application of disciplinary

knowledge in meaningful contexts.

In conclusion, Experiential Learning is integrative; through EL, students combine ideas and

experiences, transferring this new learning to other, more complex situations. Experiential

Learning often occurs in unscripted situations where, as a result of careful reflection, students

rely upon and extend their own knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Experiential Learning allows

students to dismantle barriers between theory and practice, the classroom and the “outside”

world of work and community, and thus to reach a deeper understanding in many domains.

~DEFINING EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN THE MOUNT ALLISON CONTEXT~

Experiential Learning already occurs in many disciplines and settings at Mount Allison. It is

common in classroom activities, in laboratories and studios, in hands-on field trips that are

integrated with course outcomes; extra- or co-curricular activities; project- or case-based

learning; international learning exchanges; community-service learning; and internships. Our

students are in engaged in original research and present at institutional, regional, and

national conferences. In short, dynamic examples abound.

In seeking a definition of Experiential Learning that resonates with and reflects the Mount

Allison context, the Committee was guided in a desire both to honour and represent what is

already happening and also to create capacity for what might yet be devised or created. We

looked first at the Association of Experiential Education, which describes Experiential

Learning thus:

"An approach in which educators purposefully engage with learners in a concrete experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop capacity to contribute to their communities.” (www.aee.org/what-is-ee)

While maintaining the spirit of this definition, the Committee has adapted it to change the focus

from what the teacher does to what the student does:

Suggested Definition of Experiential Learning at Mount Allison University:

Experiential Learning as understood and practiced at Mount Allison University is a type of

authentic learning, characterized by mindful participation in an experience whereby

students apply and practice concepts in relevant contexts, settings, or communities, and,

through structured reflection, develop their skills, knowledge and values.


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http://www.aee.org/what-is-ee

~GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AT MOUNT ALLISON~

The Committee also offers the following Guiding Principles for Experiential Learning at Mount

Allison that emphasize accessibility, sustainability, and academic rigour.

Experiential Learning at Mount Allison will be consistent with the evolving mission, values and

Strategic Plan of the University. It will be:

Focused on personal experience and curiosity to build enhanced knowledge, skills, and

values;

Supportive of learners, recognizing that significant learning often results from initial

failure or setback;

Open to an array of options, on campus and in the community;

Distinguished by structures and frameworks that encourage participants to develop the

habit of reflection and continuous learning;

Accessible, well-publicized, and widely known;

Flexible to afford the greatest possible participation for those who wish to pursue it

regardless of discipline;

Optional, not a graduation requirement, but encouraged;

Sustainable in terms of personnel, resources, and curriculum;

Measurable, observable, or demonstrable in some way, through writing, performance,

portfolio, presentation, or other means of assessment;

Sufficiently varied in its offerings that students’ financial constraints will not be obstacles

to participation; and

Supported by administrative, financial, and pedagogical resources.

(Please see Appendices G and H for Principles of Experiential Learning from the Association of

Experiential Education and the National Society of Experiential Education respectively.)

~BENEFITS OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING~

By bridging theory and practice, Experiential Learning activities provide students with the

opportunity to apply what they have learned in the classroom in concrete, hands-on ways that

enhance their understanding and knowledge of themselves and their field of study. In addition

to benefiting students, the provision of Experiential Learning opportunities also benefits the

institution and employers. A list of select benefits associated with EL activities follows:

Student Benefits:

Acquire skills to assess their own learning and development;

Develop a recognition of their own learning styles and metacognitive processes;


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Learn how to learn—even from mistakes—in a safe, supportive environment;

Explore the relationship between theory and practice;

Connect and solidify classroom learning;

Increase their engagement and undertake self-directed learning opportunities;

Develop skills applicable to the workforce;

Gain experiences (curricular and co-curricular) that position them to meet academic,

work and societal expectations;

Develop contacts through work- and community-integrated experiences (internships,

practica, summer work experience);

Acquire values and habits that lead to enhanced citizenship and productive engagement in

society;

Identify future career and academic directions; and

Gain realistic knowledge and experience.

Institutional Benefits:

Attract, retain and continuously engage high quality students;

Align with institutional, local, and regional priorities;

Build and maintain positive relationships with community, business and other networks

and organizations;

Gain opportunities to evaluate, renew, and enrich curricula; and

Enhance reputation.

Community & Employer Benefits:

Engage in positive and mutually beneficial interactions with post-secondary institutions;

Attract and employ motivated and enthusiastic new workers or volunteers; and

Gain employees with current practical knowledge of the organization.

(Adapted from Queen’s University Experiential Learning Report, 2015).

In addition to the benefits noted above, EL can also be important for student recruitment,

especially for students who see university as a stepping stone towards acquiring employment or

personal development skills, values and habits of mind, which transcend and complement their

content knowledge. These skills and attributes are often broadly described in the following ways

(See, for example, the Conference Board of Canada, Employability Skills 2000+):


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Fundamental Skills Teamwork Skills Personal Management

Skills

Communication Working with others Responsibility

Numeracy Contributing productively on

projects and tasks

Adaptability

Critical Thinking &

Problem-Solving

Experiencing and dealing

appropriately with conflict

Positive Attitudes &

Behaviours

Information Management Embracing diversity Continuous Learning

Because of its emphasis on structured reflection to link theory and action, EL deepens students’

understanding and their ability to apply what they know, and as such Experiential Learning and

Liberal Education are a good fit, as Eyler (2009) says: “Experiential education can also lead to

more powerful academic learning and help students achieve intellectual goals commonly

associated with liberal education, including

A deeper understanding of subject matter than is possible through classroom study alone;

The capacity for critical thinking and application of knowledge in complex or ambiguous

situations; and The ability to engage in lifelong learning, including learning in the workplace.”

~THE MANY FACETS OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

AT MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY~

The following section provides highlights of some of Mount Allison’s current distinctions

and future opportunities for growth in Experiential Education.

Mount Allison has already enjoyed considerable success in curriculum-based Experiential

Learning—and there is room to grow and flourish.

Experiential Learning for credit is already occurring at Mount Allison. Labs, recitals,

performances and exhibits are essential components of many disciplines. Noteworthy amongst

our science labs is the Experiential Physics Lab, which is a leader in problem-based learning. In

other science labs across the campus, students conduct research independently or as part of a

research group. In Music, Fine Arts and Drama, hands-on Experiential Learning is the dominant

pedagogical approach.

Some Mount Allison courses are completely experiential. For example, in Dr. Nauman

Farooqi’s course, Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation (COMM 3361), which he has

taught since 2003, the students create a business “from scratch”. They elect a CEO and


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chairperson and spend the entire term collaborating as group. Successful ventures started from

this class include “The Bean”, the first coffee shop to be housed in the University Library, and

“Broken Bridge” branded sweatpants.

Our innovative professors embed Experiential Learning opportunities in courses throughout the

curriculum, and many course syllabi offer choices and alternatives in the types of assignments

they complete both to respond to students’ interests and to match their preferred style of learning.

Many practical units, creative, experiential projects, assignments and assessments are embedded

within courses. Guest speakers, performers, and distinguished alumni are frequently invited to

enrich courses and interact with learners.

While foundational knowledge and basic skills are demonstrated and developed in structured

introductory and intermediate science labs, many advanced courses offer more sophisticated

experiential opportunities. Students are provided the opportunity to work independently from

original literature sources to explore topics of individual interest, practice advanced laboratory

techniques and obtain hands-on experience with modern scientific instrumentation.

The curricular EL activities presented below were selected from many possible examples offered

by Mount Allison professors. They represent a range of disciplines, reflect sound Experiential

Learning principles, and, integrating a strong focus on community, interdisciplinarity, and

Liberal education, fit with the University’s overall vision and values. Please refer to Appendix I

for more complete details of these courses.

Music Composition & Computer Science Collaboration

In the summer and autumn of 2015, Dr. Kevin Morse (Music) collaborated with Dr.

Laurie Ricker (Computer Science) to develop an activity that involved students from

second-year Composition and Data Structures courses. The students gave a performance

and completed a reflective analysis of their project.

Accounting and the University’s Owens Art Gallery

In Accounting Theory (COMM 4141) and Introduction to Auditing (COMM 3161),

Professor Brent White’s students develop and apply accounting and auditing principles

through analyzing works on display at the Owens Art Gallery. Teams then provide a brief

description of their process and findings to the class. In both of these examples, students

are required to write a short reflective paper to help incorporate their learning from the

mini “field trip.”

Geography and Environment: Place Matters

Students in Dr. Michael Fox’s course Place Matters (GENV 3801) learn about the

significance of “place”—local, regional, national, and global—by fully engaging in the

University and Sackville communities. Students also participate in a community-based

project. A key objective of the course is that students will develop skills and attitudes that


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are transferable and scalable. Assessment in this course includes learning reflections, an

integrative interview, and a portfolio.

Fostering Community Connections in Marketing and Consumer BehaviourDr. Rosemary Polegato (Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies) designs all of her

courses to give students real-world experience and to foster local engagement with arts

and culture. Reflective learning portfolios are a key element of Dr. Polegato’s pedagogy

and the students’ learning.

See One, Do One, Teach One: Collaborative “Tomb” Project: Religious Studies

Students in two Religious Studies courses (taught by Dr. Susie Andrews and Dr. Leslie

Shumka) begin by learning how to read and utilize material culture by studying large

tomb replicas. Then they make a tomb. The project culminates in a joint class, where

students bring and discuss the tombs they have made. They submit a reflection paper on

the project.

The small class size at Mount Allison facilitates professors’ ability to incorporate such

Experiential Learning for credit. Furthermore, the University’s Spring session courses,

being compressed into a shorter time span, allow for greater creativity and flexibility in

embedding longer, more sustained experiential opportunities.

Mount Allison has already enjoyed considerable success in consequential undergraduate

research opportunities.

Our curious and creative students seek out opportunities to conduct research and independent

studies projects both inside and outside the formal classroom setting.

Many students are actively involved in undergraduate research, enjoying opportunities usually

reserved for Master’s and Doctoral students. These opportunities are generally, though not

exclusively, reserved for students in their third year or higher. These opportunities may also be

self-limiting to the extent that funding and supervision may not always be available.

Undergraduate research in all disciplines can take many forms. While experiential and hands-on,

many first-year science labs, for example, are somewhat “scripted.” Yet across the University in all disciplines, through supervised research experiences such as these, students develop the

skills necessary for more advanced, independent research in which the outcomes are unknown,

setbacks are common, and true, original discoveries are made.

Just as some student research is conducted for credit as part of the degree (Honours or

Independent Study), some is conducted independently and supported by grants during the

summer months. Students in many disciplines have the opportunity to publish or present their

research in peer-reviewed venues. Our students’ passions also take them into local schools,

businesses, and community groups where they undertake purposeful community-based research.


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Mount Allison University, with its prevailing spirit of interdisciplinarity, is well-placed to

increase innovative Experiential Learning offerings.

Recent interdisciplinary initiatives have enriched the curriculum and co-curriculum at Mount

Allison, further increasing the opportunities for expanded Experiential Learning. For example, the monthly Interdisciplinary Conversations series, which attracts faculty, staff and students, has

highlighted how seemingly disparate approaches to a topic can connect and complement one

another. The long-running and popular Teaching Triangles program coordinated through the

University’s Purdy Crawford Teaching Centre teams groups of three professors who visit each

other’s classes and learn from those encounters. Triangles also form informal mentoring and

learning communities among professors. In the 2016-17 academic year, Experiential Learning

will be a dominant theme of the Triangles.

Mount Allison’s excellence in the Liberal Arts also allows for creative course development,

unique to this institution. For example, the emergence of an interdisciplinary team to establish an

exciting new Indigenous Studies course at Mount Allison is an example of fruitful collaboration

across departments and into the First Nations community. Fully one third of the classes in this

course will have an experiential component: a trip to Fort Folly, an opportunity to learn basket-

making, an exploration of the collection in the Owens Art Gallery, discussions with Elders, and

so on.

The University’s new Politics, Philosophy and Economics program is also an excellent model of

interdisciplinarity. Furthermore, this innovative program is home to the LR Wilson Internships

in Public Service and Public Policy. These Internships seek to provide students with first-hand

work experience in a public service and public policy setting. Similarly, the Mansbridge

Internship, open to students from any discipline, builds on and enriches academic and

experiential learning and creates opportunities for advancement in leadership through self-

discovery, personal and interpersonal growth. Interdisciplinary Internships of this kind are a

distinguishing characteristic of the University, and increasing their number would enhance the

opportunities available to students.

As a residential university, Mount Allison offers students many opportunities for Experiential

Learning by contributing to campus life and the local community.

The boundaries between the classroom, residence and town of Sackville are porous. Examples

abound of the benefits of Mount Allison’s amenities and location: students in courses as diverse

as Geography & Environment and Commerce have had classes in Sackville’s Waterfowl Park;

students in Music Methods classes have walked for a few minutes into the downtown core and

taught Sackville residents how to play brass instruments.

Our students, characterized by a spirit of engagement, inquiry and volunteerism, participate with

equal enthusiasm in campus activities—as diverse as student government, chapel assistantships,

residence mentors, health internships—and community-based initiatives, such as SMILE, Best

Buddies, and the development of after-school or summer camps for local children. These


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experiences are all learning experiences that help build our students' problem-solving,

communication, and citizenship skills. Furthermore, the University’s long-running Leadership

Mount Allison program has inspired students to initiate, create, and coordinate an array of

community-based, experiential projects.

Mount Allison has already enjoyed considerable success in consequential community-based

Experiential Learning.

“Community” has many meanings, and Mount Allison students engage with many communities

in many ways. Amongst the current extra- or co-curricular options for students are service or

volunteer activities that engage students and allow them to contribute locally, nationally, or

internationally. Experiential Learning affords the opportunity for the University to forge even

stronger links with the community on shared objectives. Students could conduct field-work,

analysis or research to help community groups achieve their goals; students, individually or in

teams, could collaborate with community groups on hands-on projects. Some of these projects

could be rooted in the course curriculum; others, complemented by the study of theory and

accompanied by reflection, analysis, and authentic assessment, are ripe for conversion into

Experiential Learning credits once the student has received prior approval from the Senate

Committee on Experiential Learning.

Mount Allison University students learn by doing as a result of their own contributions to

undergraduate education.

Undergraduate students at Mount Allison already enjoy Experiential Learning opportunities

usually reserved for Master’s and Doctoral candidates elsewhere. Under the mentorship of

faculty and professional staff, our students work as teaching assistants, peer tutors in the

University’s Writing Resource Centre, academic mentors in residence, course interns, and

educational technology assistants—to name just a few. All of these positions allow students to

develop knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes that complement and enhance their academic

studies. The Purdy Crawford Teaching Centre and Commerce have well-established examples of

Internships, and other interns work in areas such as of student health and wellness and

philanthropy. Such Internships offer many opportunities for students to learn in a safe,

mentored environments.

Mount Allison University students engage in national and international experiences that

enrich themselves and the communities in which they work and learn.

Mount Allison offers students a wide range of opportunities to learn off-campus. Courses

include Geography field trips to Banff and Jasper and Modern Languages courses that travel to

Seville. The University’s extensive suite of international exchanges and study abroad programs,

numbering more than two dozen, allow our students the experience of learning in different

cultures, contexts, and languages.

Activities such as Habitat for Humanity and Global Brigades give participating Mount Allison

students the opportunity to learn from experiencing the hardships and aspirations of others.


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Working alongside members of the local communities, they develop the caring, skills and values,

which contribute to global citizenship. Again, with suitable structures and guidelines, these

consequential learning experiences could be converted into credits.

International experiences often involve a financial cost that potentially limits student

participation; however, using Skype, videoconferencing facilities, or other technology already

available at Mount Allison, teams of students could form learning partnerships with students or

community groups anywhere in the world.

Mount Allison has already established

degree-level learning outcomes and

literacies which emphasize Experiential

Learning and which can serve as a

touchstone for mapping and measuring

our success.

The Essential Outcomes and Literacies

developed as part of the Academic

Renewal Process provide useful criteria

both to establish goals for and to measure

the continued success of Experiential

Learning at the University.

In summary, Mount Allison University offers an intimate learning environment already involved

in and ideally suited to even greater opportunities for Experiential Learning, a place where

students can try something new yet not be afraid to fail—indeed, Mount Allison has always

encouraged the lessons that come from independent learning and trial and error, which are often

compelling teachers.

~DISCUSSION: POSSIBILITIES AND CONSTRAINTS~

As the previous section has shown, Mount Allison already benefits from a substantial and

successful commitment to Experiential Education. Were the University to increase its emphasis

on Experiential Learning even further in order to broaden and deepen the options for students,

faculty, and the wider community, it would first be essential to ensure that these efforts are

sustainable in terms of faculty and student engagement, administrative support, and resources.

The Provost’s Discussion Paper proposes benchmarks for the increased EL opportunities and

asks whether it should be mandatory or a degree requirement. The overwhelming response from

respondents and students was that, while EL should be actively encouraged, it should not be a

graduation requirement. Experiential Learning does not match all students’ learning styles and

making it a requirement could well be a disincentive. It is important to recognize that the spirit of


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inquiry, social commitment, and volunteerism that moves our students and faculty is genuine and

responsive. Therefore, EL must not be about compliance, but rather it should reflect and

encourage passion and curiosity—in other words, it should embrace a personalized approach.

That said, the responses to the Provost’s Discussion Paper also show that such a broad array of

opportunities already exists across and beyond the curriculum that almost all students will

have participated in some form of Experiential Learning upon graduation.

Similarly, many faculty have already embraced Experiential Learning and incorporate it into

their classes; however, EL should not be a compulsory aspect of pedagogy nor an additional

burden on faculty workload. As disciplinary experts who know their own courses and teaching

objectives best, faculty are the best judges of which Experiential Learning techniques to employ,

how, and when.

The University must support faculty through the dissemination of materials and resources to

guide and support their pedagogical choices, whatever they may be. Faculty want academic

control of the EL opportunities that are embedded in their courses and curricula; however,

management, coordination and creating an inventory of all credit and non-credit EL

opportunities is best done centrally.

An Experiential Learning Coordinator, perhaps reporting to the Director of the Purdy Crawford

Teaching Centre, and a dedicated website with an inventory of current information and resources are essential for faculty to learn about what colleagues are doing and to encourage collaboration when course content and instructional goals coincide. Beyond personnel, continued growth in

the Mount Allison Experiential Learning Fund will provide us with the resources to sustain EL

at the University. This Fund has already adopted a very progressive stance with respect to the

sustainability of Experiential Learning whereby a percentage of the gift will go towards the

maintenance of Experiential Learning operations. Close collaboration between University

Advancement and the proposed Coordinator of Experiential Learning will be essential.

Assessment of independent Experiential Learning, i.e., not embedded within a course already —

for example, as part of a community-based activity, also poses some complexity. Learning

portfolios or other reflective exercises are considered a robust and appropriate means of

documenting Experiential Learning; however, they take planning, instruction and someone

equipped to assess them. Faculty and students will require examples, instruction and professional development. The University’s Purdy Crawford Teaching Centre is well placed to provide many

resources and support in assessing Experiential Education, including learning contracts, portfolios, and other approaches to authentic assessment.

The small size of Mount Allison University and the surrounding community, while possibly a

constraint with respect to future growth in some aspects of EL, is nevertheless a distinguishing

factor as well. The sense of community that thrives in small classes encourages students to

share, inspire their peers, and so increase and extend the impact of their experiential activities.


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The University is well connected to the local community, and a sense of creativity and inquiry

already imbues the student experience. Mount Allison students have already contributed

knowledge, skills, and talents to several curricular and extra-curricular projects at local

elementary, middle, and high schools, for example, and further mutually beneficial

collaborations could be explored. The Committee believes that local community-based

Experiential Learning is an important area for potential growth that will enrich both our campus

and the town with which it is inextricably bound. Having a single office to keep track of these

opportunities would assist in matching courses and students with community needs.

Furthermore, given the groundwork already laid in EL, additional opportunities could be created.

For example, a structure is already in place in Music that could give all students the option of

converting an extra- or co-curricular learning experience into a single credit. Music department

activities such as Symphonic Band, Chorale, or Jazz Ensemble, which are open to all students,

provide an opportunity for participants to develop and showcase their talents and skills through

practice and performance. As such, they are excellent examples of Experiential Learning. These

activities provide an established model whereby students are assessed and can earn a single

credit for EL. Expanding this framework to allow students the option of earning a single credit

for EL activities of many types is an exciting and distinctive opportunity for Mount Allison.

Simplifying the approval process for independent Experiential Learning credits would certainly be both beneficial and encouraging. (See Appendix J for the current University

Calendar regulations regarding Experiential Learning.)

As the table on the following page demonstrates, the number of students who submit proposals to

the Experiential Learning Committee of Senate has been low: 18 proposals in five years, of

which 4 have been denied. The Senate Committee’s denial of proposals has been largely the

result of their lacking a clear academic plan that included the theoretical readings to which the

Experiential Learning was to be connected; a description of how the student would engage in the

learning experience to expand that theoretical knowledge; and a clear plan for the learning

assessment to analyze the learning experience and relate it to the theory.

Year No. of Applications Comments

2011 2

2012 8 7 approved (one of whom did not complete); 1 denied;

2013 6 3 denied

2014 & 2015 1 each year

The creation of forms and structures to ease the preparation of these proposals might encourage

more successful requests and greater participation as well as ease the approval process for the


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Senate Committee. Similarly, the single-credit opportunities mentioned above would be

approved more expeditiously at the departmental level.

Whereas Experiential Learning offers proven opportunities for students to broaden and deepen

their learning outside the classroom, there may also be concerns that “too much of a good thing”

will actually dilute the academic integrity of the Mount Allison degree, a concern articulated by

several respondents to the Provost’s Discussion Paper. Reasonable limits should be placed on

the number of credits a student can earn from EL.

While third-year standing is currently required for most designated independent EXPL credits, Experiential Learning has many benefits to engage first- and second-year students. Therefore, as

the University looks to possibilities, it may be reasonable to establish a pre-requisite that the

student have earned at least 15 credits at Mount Allison before embarking on independent Experiential Learning. Such a limit would permit students as early as Winter term of first year to participate in Experiential Learning.

One form of Experiential Learning that is not prevalent at Mount Allison is cooperative

education, or co-op, whereby a student participates in paid employment as part of a specially

designed, employment-oriented curriculum. Cooperative education requires considerable

preparation, oversight and administrative structures; however, building on the expertise and

successes of the Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies, there are likely opportunities for further

strategic exploration in this area.

Finally, some Experiential Learning opportunities identified in this report are already rewarded

through pay or credit. The question of whether credit can be granted for an already-compensated

activity is worthy of future deliberation. On the one hand, students cannot submit the same

assignment in two separate courses; however, with the addition of supplementary work, might a

paid experience be worthy of credit? Or must such activities be excluded from earning any

additional credit?

~RECOMMENDATIONS~

While all Experiential Learning has value, certain activities may have greater potential to be

sustainable, distinctive, and more closely aligned with the University’s other priorities.

Therefore, while it is important that we recognize and showcase the successes and efforts of

those who are already involved in Experiential Learning, we must also be strategic in “phasing-

in” new initiatives and activities, asking ourselves such questions as: What is possible? Where do

they best fit? Where is there potential to inspire greater participation? In asking these questions,

the Committee’s goal is not to reduce or limit what is already available, but rather to develop

strategies, processes, and resources to encourage growth in sustainable activities.


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The following recommendations reflect the unanimous enthusiasm of this Committee for

Experiential Learning. Experiential Learning is already woven tightly into the fabric of Mount

Allison, and the University cannot lose the momentum it has already established; therefore, these

recommendations are intended as approaches that create an institutional climate that supports

and prizes Experiential Learning and its practitioners and that build upon the strengths Mount

Allison already possesses in this area.

1. Establish Experiential Learning as a defining characteristic of Mount Allison.

The University is already distinguished by an ethos of engaged inquiry that traverses the

curriculum and transcends the boundaries of campus. It is essential, if we are to grow and

excel as a recognized centre for excellence in this area, that Experiential Learning

become a fund-raising priority to secure endowed funding and thus ensure the

sustainability essential for confident long-term planning.

2. Create and adequately staff and resource an Experiential Learning Centre that

faculty, students, and community members can access for information and

resources. Such a centre will, sometimes in collaboration with other units,

a) Create an online, up-to-date inventory of curricular examples for adaptation and

adoption by others;

b) Provide structures and resources for documentation and assessment of


c) Develop forms and structures to simplify the approval process for Experiential

Learning credits;

d) Contribute to the creation of University policy and regulations regarding


e) Collaborate with community organizations to create an inventory of projects in

which students and faculty could collaborate;

f) Encourage opportunities and incentives for faculty and departments to examine

their curricula and identify areas where Experiential Learning would be a “good

fit”; and

g) Work closely with University Advancement to secure on-going endowed funding

to sustain Experiential Learning and with other agencies, such as the Province of

New Brunswick, to procure external funds.

3. Keep and promote Experiential Learning as an optional part of a Mount Allison

degree.

A personalized model of Experiential Learning that prizes curiosity, passion, and

individual engagement is at once more distinctive and more congruent with the mission,

vision and values of Mount Allison University than one which imposes a particular

pedagogy on students and faculty. Similarly, students will continue to engage, for many

reasons, in non-credit Experiential Learning opportunities, which should continue to be

encouraged. That said, as this report has demonstrated, there are already so many


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opportunities for students to engage in experiential learning that is likely most Mount

Allison students have already participated in at least one such activity upon graduating.

While there should be no compulsion to seek credit, then, the information and

processes must be easy to follow for those who wish to do so.

4. Investigate ways to encourage Experiential Learning without increasing faculty

workload.

The responses to the Provost’s Discussion Paper demonstrated clearly that, while faculty

want to have control over curricular EL, they cannot undertake the administration of EL

or allow its coordination to outstrip its pedagogical value or detract from their other

responsibilities.

5. Develop a mechanism (an award or commendation, for example) to recognize the

work of faculty who are involved in Experiential Learning, especially when it has a

community outreach or Scholarship of Engagement component.

Planning Experiential Learning activities can involve consequential effort on the part of

the professor, especially if the learning activity is community-based and involves

outreach with partners and organizations outside the University. The mutual benefits of

these kinds of experiences, to the students and to the community partners, are important

contributors to the University’s reputation.

6. Establish clear guidelines in the University Calendar for earning independent Experiential Learning credits (designated as EXPL credits).

a) Expand the use of single-credit courses, such as those already used for Music

ensembles, to allow for Experiential Learning credits; building upon this structure

will increase opportunities for students, faculty, and community partners;

b) Establish a minimum number of credits students must normally complete before

being eligible for approved, independent Experiential Learning (EXPL) credits; the

Committee suggests that students should normally have earned 15 credits at Mount

Allison University before any independent/not embedded EL activities;

c) Consider limiting the number of independent Experiential Learning (EXPL) credits students may allocate towards their degree—further discussion is warranted on this issue;

d) Clarify whether Experiential Learning activities already compensated in some way,

by pay, grant, or previous credit, are eligible for additional EXPL credits of

supplementary work is done. This is an important decision to maintain the quality

and integrity of EXPL credits within the Mount Allison degree; and

e) Specify that all independent Experiential Learning credits must be approved in

advance. No EXPL credit will be awarded retroactively.


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7. As far as possible, create a Calendar designation for the courses that contain a

substantial Experiential Learning component.

This was one of the recommendations in the Provost’s Discussion Paper; however,

implementing it across all courses may be complicated as the instructional strategies

used in a particular course may change from year to year, instructor to instructor.

Further discussion is recommended on how—or whether—to designate individual

courses or programs as “Experiential” and what percentage of experiential content

would make them so.

8. Explore ways to designate Experiential Learning activity on student transcripts. The Committee was not convinced of the value of co-curricular transcripts—which often provide lists of experiences rather than document learning from those experiences.

There is, however, merit in the University’s investigating alternative means of tracking

EL.

9. Since there are three cross-cutting themes in the emerging Strategic Plan—

Experiential Learning, Indigenization, and Internationalization—seek ways for the

various committees and working groups addressing these issues to collaborate.

An exploration of shared objectives and common principles will strengthen the likelihood

of successful outcomes for all three groups.


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Provost's Ad Hoc Committee on Experiential Learning

Terms of Reference

1. The Committee shall carry out the necessary research and consultation in order todetermine the nature and extent of experiential learning opportunities that already existat Mount Allison. This research shall, to the extent possible, involve gatheringinformation on both curricular (in-class) and co-curricular (outside of class) experientiallearning opportunities. As well, the Committee shall endeavor to determine the efficacyand impacts of these experiential learning opportunities so that best practices inexperiential education can be identified.

2. The Committee shall develop a comprehensive strategy on experiential learning atMount Allison University.

a. This strategy shall include a common definition of experiential learning andassociated categories of experience (e.g., research experience, internship,service learning, etc.).

b. This strategy shall include recommendations on matters such as:i. Course credit;ii. Assessment;iii. Calendar designation of courses;iv. Whether or not experiential learning shall be included as a graduation

requirement for Mount Allison students, irrespective of degree program;and

v. Any other matters identified by the Ad Hoc Committee.

3. The Committee shall report to the Provost by March 15, 2016.

Membership

Eileen Herteis, Director of the Purdy Crawford Teaching Centre (chair) Leslie Shumka, Coordinator, Leadership Mount Allison Michael Cantwell, Executive Director, Campaign and University Advancement Sandy MacIver, Director, Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies Robert Lapp, Department of English Literatures Glen Briand, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Nauman Farooqi, Department of Commerce Susie Andrews, Department of Religion Maria Thistle, Career Services Coordinator Mary Emma MacNeil, MASU (Arts) Youji Cheng, student member of the Senate Committee on Experiential Learning (Science) Lauren Beck, faculty member of the Senate Committee on Experiential Learning

APPENDIX AExperiencing Success at Mount Allison University: March 2016

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APPENDIX B:

LIST OF RESPONDENTS TO THE DISCUSSION PAPER EXPERIENTIAL

LEARNING 2.0 AT MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY

Academic Departments

Canadian Studies

Classics

English

Psychology

Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies

Religious Studies

Sociology

Individuals

Doreen Richard, Indigenous Affairs Coordinator

Doug Campbell, Biology

Elizabeth Wells, Music

Glen Nichols, Drama

Hannah Lane, History

Mario Levesque, Politics and International Relations

Rosemary Polegato, Commerce

Administrative Units

Leadership Mount Allison

Marketing and Communications

Owens Art Gallery

Purdy Crawford Teaching Centre

Research Office


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APPENDIX C:

ADDITIONAL CONSULTATIONS & UNIVERSITY WEBSITES VISITED

Kevin Morse, Professor, Marjorie Young Bell Conservatory of Music

Brent White, Professor, Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies

Chris Parker, University Registrar

Hans VanderLeest, Dean of Arts and Chair, Experiential Learning Committee of Senate

Kim Meade, Vice President International and Student Affairs

Michael Fox, Professor, Geography and Environment

Students in Professor Fox’s "Place Matters" class

Representatives of Sackville Schools 2020 (Andrew Wilson and Agnes Koller)

Stephen Runge, Department Head, Marjorie Young Bell Conservatory of Music

Students, through an online survey conducted by MASU

University Websites Consulted

York University

http://ee_guide.info.yorku.ca/

Queen’s University

http://www.queensu.ca/provost/committees/experiential-learning-working-group

Royal Roads University

http://www.royalroads.ca/about/hire-student

Maquarie University: Professional and Community Engagement (PACE)

http://staff.mq.edu.au/teaching/professional_and_community_engagement/stepping_into_pace/

Brock University

http://www.brocku.ca/webcal/2011/undergrad/expe.html

University of Guelph: Community Engaged Scholarship Institute

http://www.cesinstitute.ca/

University of Saskatchewan

http://www.usask.ca/learning_charter/our-learning-vision/index.php

University of Winnipeg

http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/eln/experiential-learning-fund.html

Bishop’s University

http://www.ubishops.ca/academic-programs/bu-liberal-education-model/experiential-learning/

Saint Francis Xavier University

http://sites.stfx.ca/service_learning/


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http://ee_guide.info.yorku.ca/


http://www.royalroads.ca/about/hire-student

http://staff.mq.edu.au/teaching/professional_and_community_engagement/stepping_into_pace/

http://www.brocku.ca/webcal/2011/undergrad/expe.html

http://www.cesinstitute.ca/

http://www.usask.ca/learning_charter/our-learning-vision/index.php

http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/eln/experiential-learning-fund.html

http://www.ubishops.ca/academic-programs/bu-liberal-education-model/experiential-learning/

http://sites.stfx.ca/service_learning/

APPENDIX D:

RESOURCES & WORKS CITED

Association of American Colleges and Universities. (2015). Value Rubrics. AACU: Washington

DC. https://www.aacu.org/value-rubrics

Association for Experiential Education. What Is Experiential Education?


Association of Registrars in Universities and Colleges Canada (ARUCC) National Transcript

Guide. http://www.arucc.ca/uploads/PDF/transe.pdf

Baxter-Magolda, M. B. (1999). Creating Contexts For Learning And Self-Authorship. Nashville,

TN: Vanderbilt University Press.

Bulk, F. et al (2013). Moving Toward A Future State In Experiential Learning At The University

Of Saskatchewan: Concept Paper. University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon.

Eyler, J. (2009). The Power of Experiential Learning. Liberal Education. 95 (4). Association of

American Colleges and Universities: Washington, DC.

Fink, L. D. (2003). Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach To

Designing College Courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Grant, Karen (June, 2015). Experiential Learning 2.0 at Mount Allison University: A Discussion

Paper. http://mta.ca/uploadedFiles/Experiential%20Learning%202%200%20at%20Mount%20Allison%20%28J une%2025%202015%29.pdf

Herteis, E. & Simmons, N. (2010). The Portfolio Process. Society for Teaching and Learning in

Higher Education.

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and

Development (Vol. 1). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Kompf, M. (1997). Developmental Issues And Adult Learning. Course syllabus. Department of

Graduate and Undergraduate Education, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario.

Lewis, L.H. & Williams, C.J. (1994). In Jackson, L. & Caffarella, R.S. (Eds.). Experiential

Learning: A New Approach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Maki, P. L. (2015). Assessment That Works: A National Call, A Twenty-First Century Response.

Association of American Colleges and Universities. Washington, DC.


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https://www.aacu.org/value-rubrics


http://www.arucc.ca/uploads/PDF/transe.pdf

http://mta.ca/uploadedFiles/Experiential%20Learning%202%200%20at%20Mount%20Allison%20%28June%2025%202015%29.pdf

http://mta.ca/uploadedFiles/Experiential%20Learning%202%200%20at%20Mount%20Allison%20%28June%2025%202015%29.pdf

Maki, P.L. (2004). Assessing For Learning: Building Sustainable Commitment Across The

Institution. Sterling, Virginia: American Association for Higher Education.

Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (2012). Strengthening Ontario’s Centres of

Creativity, Innovation, and Knowledge. Queen’s Printer.

Moon, J.A. (2004). A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice.

New York: Routledge Falmer.

Queen’s University (2015). Experiential Learning Working Group: Final Report.


Schwartz, M. (no date). Best Practices in Experiential Learning. Learning & Teaching Office;

Ryerson University.

http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/lt/resources/handouts/ExperientialLearningReport.pdf

Yates, T., J. Wilson, and K. Purton. (2014) Surveying Assessment in Experiential Learning:

A Single Campus Study. Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.6 (3).


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http://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/lt/resources/handouts/ExperientialLearningReport.pdf

APPENDIX E:

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Authentic Learning refers to a wide variety of educational and instructional techniques focused

on connecting what students learn in the classroom to real-world issues, problems, and

applications. Experiential Learning is a form of Authentic Learning.

Integrative Learning refers to an understanding and perspective that students build across the

curriculum and co-curriculum, from making simple connections among ideas and experiences to

synthesizing and transferring their learning to new, complex situations and contexts within and

beyond the classroom.

Co-Curriculum refers to a parallel component of the academic curriculum that is in addition

to formal classroom learning: for example, student government, community service, residence

hall activities, student societies, etc.

Community-Based Experiential Learning and Community Service Learning are forms of

Experiential Education where "students engage in activities that address community needs

together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote intentional learning

goals" (www.nsee.org). Students go into the community to participate in concrete, consequential

experiences. As a result, they apply their developing knowledge, skills and civic values, and also

deepen their understanding by reflecting on their learning.

Co-op Programs provide students with the opportunity to integrate their classroom learning

with related work experience, in which they alternate periods of paid, full-time, supervised work

experiences with their academic terms. (See Canadian Association for Cooperative Education

http://www.cafce.ca/en/coop-defined).

Internships are a form of Experiential Learning generally associated with academic programs

that include a practice, service or professionally oriented applications. Internships provide

students with the opportunity to augment and bridge the theories and concepts learned in their

courses with skills acquired through related hands-on work experience. Internships are usually

paid supervised work experiences in which learning is assessed through reflection on the

internship experience and writing a report.

Learning Portfolio: A collection of self-selected evidence of students’ learning and

personal growth enriched by analytical and reflective narrative that explains and

contextualizes the relevance of each piece of evidence.

Learning Contract is a collaboratively negotiated agreement. It provides structure and

guidelines for learning, especially—but not always—in experiential settings. It helps to identify

and define what the student needs and wants to learn, the learning activities/tasks/strategies will

be used to meet the student’s learning objectives, and how the student’s learning and

accomplishments will be documented and evaluated

Reflection is the meta-cognitive act of examining a learning experience in order to explore its


Page 27

significance and consequences. Structured reflection is any planned activity or exercise that

requires students to refer back and critically examine the concrete experience in light of existing

theory and/or what is being covered in the course. For example, following a concrete experience,

students may have to: explain why certain events occurred, or justify the necessity of certain

procedures, or consider the experience from multiple perspectives, or challenge their own

assumptions or beliefs. The specific reflection activity or exercise will depend upon the intended

learning outcome(s) for the students.

Sources: Association of American Colleges and Universities; York University; Canadian

Association for Co-operative Education


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APPENDIX F:

SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR STRUCTURED REFLECTION

Reflection transforms experience into learning.

Addressing these questions, or ones like them, supports students in a process of self-authorship

(Baxter-Magolda, 1999), helping them articulate their values and beliefs as well as

demonstrating application of disciplinary knowledge.

1. What have I learned?

2. How have I learned?

3. Is the learning valuable? In what ways? To whom?

4. When have I learned? Under what circumstances and conditions?

5. Do I know what kind of learner I am?

6. How can I find out?

7. How does this (course, program, experience) fit into the larger framework of my

learning?

8. What else would I like to learn and how will I go about learning it?

9. What surprised me?

10. What do I still wonder about?

11. What are my next learning steps?

12. How do I feel about the learning process?

And at the meta-reflection level:

13. What are the patterns in my learning?

14. Where do I show week to week progress in my learning?

15. What contradictions are there in my learning?

16. What are my thoughts and feelings about what I am getting out of the reflection

and learning process after reading over/considering my previous reflections for a

period of months?


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APPENDIX G:

PRINCIPLES OF EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION (ASSOCIATION OF

EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION)

The principles1 of experiential education practice are:

Experiential learning occurs when carefully chosen experiences are supported by

reflection, critical analysis and synthesis.

Experiences are structured to require the learner to take initiative, make decisions and be

accountable for results.

Throughout the experiential learning process, the learner2 is actively engaged in posing

questions, investigating, experimenting, being curious, solving problems, assuming

responsibility, being creative, and constructing meaning.

Learners are engaged intellectually, emotionally, socially, soulfully and/or physically.

This involvement produces a perception that the learning task is authentic.

The results of the learning are personal and form the basis for future experience and

learning.

Relationships are developed and nurtured: learner to self, learner to others and learner to

the world at large.

The educator3 and learner may experience success, failure, adventure, risk-taking and

uncertainty, because the outcomes of experience cannot totally be predicted.

Opportunities are nurtured for learners and educators to explore and examine their own

values.

The educator's primary roles include setting suitable experiences, posing problems,

setting boundaries, supporting learners, insuring physical and emotional safety, and

facilitating the learning process.

The educator recognizes and encourages spontaneous opportunities for learning.

Educators strive to be aware of their biases, judgments and pre-conceptions, and how

these influence the learner.

The design of the learning experience includes the possibility to learn from natural

consequences, mistakes and successes.

1) The priority or order in which each professional places these principles may vary.

2) There is no single term that encompasses all the roles of the participant within experiential education. Therefore, the term

"learner" is meant to include student, client, trainee, participant, etc.

3) There is no single term that encompasses all the roles of the professional within experiential education. Therefore, the term

"educator" is meant to include therapist, facilitator, teacher, trainer, practitioner, counselor, etc.--Gass, M.A., Gillis, H.L., Russell, K.C. (2012). Adventure therapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. New York, NY: Routledge.

Available from: http://www.aee.org/what-is-ee


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APPENDIX H:

EIGHT PRINCIPLES OF GOOD PRACTICE FOR ALL

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES

(NATIONAL SOCIETY FOR EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION)

Regardless of the experiential learning activity, both the experience and the learning are

fundamental. In the learning process and in the relationship between the learner and any

facilitator(s) of learning, there is a mutual responsibility. All parties are empowered to achieve

the principles which follow. Yet, at the same time, the facilitator(s) of learning are expected to

take the lead in ensuring both the quality of the learning experience and of the work produced,

and in supporting the learner to use the principles, which underlie the pedagogy of experiential

education.

1. Intention: All parties must be clear from the outset why experience is the chosen

approach to the learning that is to take place and to the knowledge that will be

demonstrated, applied or result from it. Intention represents the purposefulness that

enables experience to become knowledge and, as such, is deeper than the goals,

objectives, and activities that define the experience.

2. Preparedness and Planning: Participants must ensure that they enter the experience with

sufficient foundation to support a successful experience. They must also focus from the

earliest stages of the experience/program on the identified intentions, adhering to them

as goals, objectives and activities are defined. The resulting plan should include those

intentions and be referred to on a regular basis by all parties. At the same time, it should

be flexible enough to allow for adaptations as the experience unfolds.

3. Authenticity: The experience must have a real world context and/or be useful and

meaningful in reference to an applied setting or situation. This means that is should be

designed in concert with those who will be affected by or use it, or in response to a real

situation.

4. Reflection: Reflection is the element that transforms simple experience to a learning

experience. For knowledge to be discovered and internalized the learner must test

assumptions and hypotheses about the outcomes of decisions and actions taken, then

weigh the outcomes against past learning and future implications. This reflective process

is integral to all phases of experiential learning, from identifying intention and choosing

the experience, to considering preconceptions and observing how they change as the

experience unfolds. Reflection is also an essential tool for adjusting the experience and

measuring outcomes.

5. Orientation and Training: For the full value of the experience to be accessible to both the

learner and the learning facilitator(s), and to any involved organizational partners, it is

essential that they be prepared with important background information about each other

and about the context and environment in which the experience will operate. Once that

baseline of knowledge is addressed, ongoing structured development opportunities

should also be included to expand the learner’s appreciation of the context and skill

requirements of her/his work.


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6. Monitoring and Continuous Improvement: Any learning activity will be dynamic and

changing, and the parties involved all bear responsibility for ensuring that the

experience, as it is in process, continues to provide the richest learning possible, while

affirming the learner. It is important that there be a feedback loop related to learning

intentions and quality objectives and that the structure of the experience be sufficiently

flexible to permit change in response to what that feedback suggests. While reflection

provides input for new hypotheses and knowledge based in documented experience,

other strategies for observing progress against intentions and objectives should also be in

place. Monitoring and continuous improvement represent the formative evaluation tools.

7. Assessment and Evaluation: Outcomes and processes should be systematically

documented with regard to initial intentions and quality outcomes. Assessment is a

means to develop and refine the specific learning goals and quality objectives identified

during the planning stages of the experience, while evaluation provides comprehensive

data about the experiential process as a whole and whether it has met the intentions

which suggested it.

8. Acknowledgment: Recognition of learning and impact occur throughout the experience

by way of the reflective and monitoring processes and through reporting, documentation

and sharing of accomplishments. All parties to the experience should be included in the

recognition of progress and accomplishment. Culminating documentation and

celebration of learning and impact help provide closure and sustainability to the

experience.

Source: National Society for Experiential Education. Presented at the 1998 Annual Meeting,

Norfolk, VA (Updated December 2013).

http://www.nsee.org/8-principles


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http://www.nsee.org/8-principles

APPENDIX I:

SAMPLE COURSE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Music Composition & Computer Science Collaboration

In the summer and autumn of 2015, Dr. Kevin Morse (Music) collaborated with Dr. Laurie

Ricker (Computer Science) to develop an activity that involved students from second-year

Composition and Data Structures courses. Students worked in teams to create short electronic

compositions, with the music students contributing compositional design and short, recorded

musical phrases, and the computer science students writing the code to organize and manipulate

the musical material. These projects were showcased at a public concert in November 2015.

Students learned not only discipline-specific skills but also how to work effectively as a team, to

set goals and manage deadlines, and to negotiate group decisions across disciplines.

Accounting and the University’s Owens Art Gallery

In Accounting Theory (COMM 4141), Professor Brent White’s students work in teams to

develop a series of rules for organizing a selection of 'everyday' art objects selected by Lucy

MacDonald at the Owens Art Gallery. This exercise helps students understand an important

principle from accounting: that there is, according to Professor White, a small 'p' political

side to setting standards in accounting.

In Introduction to Auditing (COMM 3161), in an experiential lesson called "Seeing the Big

Picture", students work in teams to develop an analysis of what they see in a painting they have

selected from a number of paintings on display at the Owens Art Gallery. Teams then provide a

brief description of their process and findings to the class.

The purpose of this exercise is to help illustrate that auditing is not just performing one

procedure after another. Rather, auditors must think broadly and make conclusions based on the

'big picture' they have developed while carrying out their work. Another benefit from this

exercise is that the Owens staff provide students with an overview of information mapping tools

that they then use to document their work. Students employ this valuable technique – also used

by auditors for preparing reports and which students can use in their own studies – as they

develop their analysis of a work of art. A third benefit is that it teaches students the importance

of calling in expert help (in this case Art Gallery staff), a principle that works in both auditing

and analysis of art.

In both of these examples, students are required to write a short reflective paper to help

incorporate their learning from the field trip.

Fostering Community Connections in Marketing and Consumer BehaviourDr. Rosemary Polegato (Ron Joyce Centre for Business Studies) designs all of her courses to

give students real-world experience and to foster local engagement with arts and culture. For the

annual NB Culture Days events, students in Arts & Culture Marketing do almost all the required


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marketing, budgeting, and media work. The events feature Mount Allison artists, musicians, and

actors sharing their talent and creativity at ten downtown Sackville business venues. The students

also had to demonstrate an awareness and respect for the performing artists and their work, as

well as for the larger Sackville community. Students submit reflective portfolios.

Religious Studies “Tombs” Project: See One, Do One, Teach One

This Experiential Learning project involves students in two Religious Studies classes: Death in

Asian Religions (RELG 1621) taught by Dr. Susie Andrews and Christianity in the Roman

Empire (RELG 3611) taught by Dr. Leslie Shumka.

1. This project involves students, first, learning how to read and utilize material culture as

students of religion and death by studying large replicas of a tomb and a necropolis with

the course instructors together. This is the "see one" component of the project. Readings

on archeology and religion complement the in class work.

2. Next, students work in small groups to create their own replicas of a particular tomb (the

tomb of Shang period Fu Hao ca. 1100 BCE, for example) or necropolis to answer a

series of questions about the significance of these materials for understanding death in

religion of the periods under study. Readings (and one short assignment) precede this

second, "Do One" stage.

3. Finally, the two classes join together as a partner class in the Mount Allison University

gym on a scheduled evening. Students in each class bring the tombs or burial grounds

they have created. Comparing the structure and content of the tombs under study,

students teach each other about the material they have studied. They then work together

to see how tombs can be a source for understanding points of continuity and difference in

religious practice and belief. Drs. Shumka and Andrews facilitate this learning by

creating a worksheet with questions that involve higher order thinking about the material

at hand. They have the help of six TAs. This is the "teach one" stage of the project.

4. The students then submit their tombs, worksheet, and learning reflections to their

respective instructors for evaluation the following week.

GENV 3801: Place Matters (Excerpt from Course Outline: Prof. Michael Fox)

Course Description: This course addresses the importance of 'place' in the development of

human interactions with the environment. It examines the principles of place geography,

including ecological and bioregional perspectives on the Sackville and Tantramar region; place-‐

conscious learning and sustainability; place-‐making and local geographies; and the local

community as a place for experiential learning.


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Why Place Matters: The study of geography is about "place", whether seen as a town or city, a

region, or a nation-‐ state. An understanding of place involves questions about the physical and

environmental, cultural, economic and political processes that have acted together to shape the

nature of these complex place structures. Geographers are also concerned to see how places are

bound together. These questions can be investigated at a variety of scales: local, regional,

national, and global, and they can be assessed from both contemporary and historical

perspectives. When humans invest meaning in a portion of space and then become attached to it

in some way (naming is one such way) it becomes a place. Investing meaning in a geographic

location makes place matter!

Course Meeting Schedule: Regular class meetings will be held in Avard-‐Dixon #120 on

Tuesdays and Thursday, from 1:00 – 2:20 p.m., yet it should be noted that there is a significant

period of time devoted to the community as our classroom, where you will need to be actively

engaged in community-‐based activities outside of these regular class meetings. Times and places

will be discussed and established during class times and there will be flexibility on the timing of

these arrangements for community-‐based work.

Course Details: This seminar/community-‐based course will address place-‐conscious teaching

and learning pedagogies in understanding community development and the geographic concern

with spatial relationships and sustainability concepts at the local scale. It will explore the various

ways in which learning about place and within place shapes the human perspective and resultant

behaviours in creating resilient and sustainable communities. In response to recent research and

literature that focuses on the importance of understanding at the local level, students in this class

will develop a deeper knowledge of the Sackville context as part of their undergraduate education

and the role that community can play in the educational process and sustainable practices. These

experiences and skills will be transferable to other scales and regions, as you move beyond the

course and Sackville as your current place.

Course topics will allow for an interdisciplinary perspective on place and place-‐conscious

learning and systems of thinking, including:

Education and place: place, placelessness and place-‐making in a post-‐secondary-‐

community context and related literature on sustainable community development

Experiential learning in a place-‐based context such as Sackville using community

planning and university-‐community relations as a central focus on creating sustainable

communities

Re-‐placing unsustainable education and understanding the community role in

education for sustainable development

Ecological and bioregional perspectives on Sackville and the Tantramar region

Education, the community and place-‐based learning from a geographic

perspective

Questioning what we do here in this place: place-‐conscious pedagogy and the

student experience in Sackville


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APPENDIX J:

ACADEMIC CREDIT FOR INDEPENDENT EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

(UNIVERSITY CALENDAR 11.11.3)

Academic credit may be awarded for certain forms of independent experiential learning subject

to the criteria listed below and with the approval of the appropriate committee. Normally, three

credits per experience (to a maximum of 6 credits) may be assigned to an independent

experiential learning course (EXPL 3/4000/01) as recommended by the course supervisor and

approved by the Experiential Learning Committee. A letter grade will be assessed for the credit.

A maximum of 6 credits may be included in a student's degree from this mechanism. Normally,

students must have third year standing at the time of course approval and may not gain additional

academic credit under this regulation where credit has been assigned as part of an existing Mount

Allison course. Credit obtained from the independent experiential learning cannot be used to

fulfill distribution requirements.

To be eligible for academic credit, the independent experiential learning must satisfy the

following criteria:

a. the experience is provided through an organization or institution which supports open

inquiry and intellectual freedom,

b. two months prior to the experience, the student must consult with an appropriate faculty

supervisor and forward a study plan (see below, section c) to the Experiential Learning

Committee for approval. The Chair of the Experiential Learning Committee will confirm

the decision with the Registrar, including the course to which credit will be assigned,

c. the study plan submitted to the faculty supervisor and the Experiential Learning

Committee must contain:

i. a brief description of the intended experiential learning, including beginning and

ending dates;

ii. an overview of the sponsoring organization and supporting documentation on the

particular program, including a letter of acceptance noting the student's

involvement, where appropriate;

iii. a description of any academic components required before or during the program

(such as public seminars, pre-departure sessions, academic or cultural

preparation); and

iv. a plan for the academic evaluation of the experience that demonstrates its

contribution to the student's scholarly development. The study plan must include

an analytical assignment which forms the basis for the assigning of academic

credit. All elements of the study plan are to be completed before credit will be

assigned,

d. the requirements of the University’s policy on liability for student travel must be met,

e. following the experience, the student shall request that a letter from the director/co-

ordinator of the experience or program be submitted to the faculty supervisor confirming

that the student completed the experiential learning program successfully.

EXPL 3/4000 (6.00)

INDEPENDENT EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING


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Prereq: Normally third-year standing at the time of approval under regulation 11.11.3

This is a university-wide course that provides credit for academic analysis of independent

experiential learning. Normally a student may earn three credits (and up to six credits) per

experience (to a maximum of six credits in a student's degree program) based on an independent

experiential learning program evaluated under regulation 11.11.3.

EXPL 3/4001 (3.00)

INDEPENDENT EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING Prereq: Normally third-year standing at the time of approval under regulation 11.11.3

This is a university-wide course that provides credit for academic analysis of independent

experiential learning. Normally a student may earn three credits (and up to six credits) per

experience (to a maximum of six credits in a student's degree program) based on an independent

experiential learning program evaluated under regulation 11.11.3.

http://www.mta.ca/academic_calendar/_11.html#_11.11.3 (Accessed February 2, 2016)


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http://www.mta.ca/academic_calendar/_11.html#_11.11.3

Documents

FINAL REPORT OF THE AD HOC COMMITTEE ON EXPERIENTIAL …€¦ · The Ad Hoc Committee on Experiential Learning was formed in September, ... March 2016 Page 2. e) ... In the words