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Required Sessions 

Fundamentals of Experiential Education

Participants in this workshop will explore the theoretical and philosophical roots of experiential education and the principles of good practice that underscore all types of experiential learning.  Participants will have an opportunity to actively explore the implications and applications of this information, and to identify the resources available for continued professional development and specific use in their programs.

  1. Apply learning theory to experiential pedagogy
  2. Contextualize experiential education theory and priorities through present day
  3. Examine the role of an experiential educator as it contributes to learning
  4. Identify the necessary pedagogical components needed to obtain desired outcomes

Principles of Ethical & Best Practices

Workshop participants will examine two SEE foundation documents, the Guiding Principles of Ethical Practice and Principles of Best Practice in Experiential Education. The goal is to develop a deep understanding of these principles through both a theoretical examination of the contents and a hands-on experiential component where participants will be given an opportunity to generate ideas specific to their own programs.

  1. Understand the Guiding Principles of Ethical Practice and Principles of Best Practice in Experiential Education
  2. Apply the Principles of Ethical Practice and Principles of Best Practice in Experiential Education to experiential program design, student learning, and professional practice
  3. Identify opportunities for incorporating the Principles of Ethical Practice and Principles of Best Practice in Experiential Education at my institution

Reflection

While experiences make up the first “E” in experiential education, it is through intentionally structured reflection that lasting learning occurs and transfers to new situations. This workshop will explore methods for guiding students to be more reflective both in and after their experiences using reflective theories and practice designed for experiential education. 

  1. Identify the characteristics of, develop, and apply an effective reflective process for student learning
  2. Identify key reflection methods and questions suitable for various experiential activities
  3. Situate a reflective process in the context of experiential pedagogy 
  4. Review foundational and contemporary theories on the reflective process

Assessment

During this workshop, which is designed for beginning and intermediate-level assessment practitioners in experiential education, participants will develop an outcomes assessment plan to use at their own institution.  

  1. Explore experiential education assessment terminology, expectations of process, and outcomes.
  2. Align assessment with learning outcomes.
  3. Recognize the process of valid and reliable assessment. 
  4. Discover some methods of assessment and evaluation.

Elective Sessions

Community-based Learning

Community-based learning is broadly defined as learning that occurs in partnership between a learner, learning leader, and a community organization that results in reciprocal benefits. In this workshop, participants will get to engage with multiple approaches to integrating experiential learning principles into community-based learning practices. Participants will work through strategies to embed community-based work in courses and programs as well as apply community-based learning experiences to their own contexts.

  1. Explore the characteristics of community-based learning
  2. Define assumptions and expectations of service-learning in an educational setting
  3. Apply the principles of effective experiential practice to service-learning pedagogy

Designing a Quality Internship Program

In this workshop, participants will explore academic and non-academic internships as well as the role of various partners within each. Participants will explore the key elements to designing meaningful internship experiences that are mutually beneficial to students, faculty/staff members, and employers.

  1. Distinguish between academic and non-academic internships through the lenses of faculty/staff, employers, and students
  2. Discuss strategies for creating high impact and engaging internship learning experiences designed to develop skills/career competencies
  3. Discuss the assessing, evaluating, and legal considerations surrounding internship programs
  4. Begin an action plan to develop or enhance an internship program

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Experiential Education

While experiential education is widely regarded to be a high-impact practice, the way in which it is implemented can create a significant disparity in its success. This workshop provides an opportunity to examine the inequities that can be part of the design and learning processes within experiential education, as well as opportunities to affirm diversity, advance equity, and promote inclusion. As a result of this workshop, participants will increase awareness of strategies for creating more equitable learning and engagement.

  1. Recognize existing patterns of inequities within experiential education.
  2. Identify opportunities to ground and infuse diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into experiential education. 
  3. Examine preparation strategies and practices for community engagement and DEI.

Legal Issues

This workshop examines legal issues such as liability, risk management, and protecting and accommodating students’ rights that arise in administering experiential education programs, with particular emphasis on the reciprocal rights and responsibilities of the school, community partners, and student. The primary objectives of this workshop are to increase faculty and staff awareness of their responsibility to their students and to bring greater awareness of legal considerations that impact their respective areas of responsibility.

  1. Recognize the relationships of and between the parties involved in experiential education.
  2. Determine the circumstances where you should involve the legal experts at your institution.
  3. Determine the circumstances when compensation may be required during internship experiences.
  4. Recognize discrimination and how to address it in experiential education programs.

Online Learning and Experiential Education

The purpose of this workshop is to examine best practices relating to online teaching and learning. Examples of methods, tools, and techniques will be shared, and participants will leave the workshop with an action plan that will guide their decisions of how to best use the online learning environment to support experiential education. 

  1. Acquire foundational knowledge of experiential learning pedagogy.
  2. Discuss best practice of online teaching and learning.
  3. Develop an online experiential learning activity action plan.

Strategic Planning for Experiential Program Design

This interactive workshop, geared towards intermediate and advanced level practitioners, will focus on models of effective experiential education programs, program implementations, and program management.  Participants will consider what “best practice” means in their environment and what should go into the design of an ideal program. 

  1. Identify signature elements of program design.
  2. Engage in strategic analysis of my current program.
  3. Develop a strategic action plan.

Strengthening EE at Your Institution

SEE has pioneered the area of strategic planning related to the process of institutionalizing the full range of experiential education into educational and community institutions. This workshop addresses critical factors that need initial and ongoing attention such as faculty involvement, alignment to mission and values, and strategies for change. 

  1. Explain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to strengthen experiential education.
  2. Practice completing an institutional/programmatic evaluation of experiential education.
  3. Develop an individualized “mini-action plan” using the elements from this workshop.

Teaching & Learning Experientially

This workshop focuses on the teaching and the learning components of experiential education.  Participants will get to construct course syllabi, design workshops, and/or plan group experiences on their campuses while  creating an educative experiential learning component. Attention is paid to learning goals and outcomes as well as the challenges of experiential education assessment.

  1. Recognize how one's personal learning experiences informs one's design decisions.
  2. Define experiential education and intentional design.
  3. Identify experiential learning theorists and principles that serve as a foundation for designing experiential learning.
  4. Describe backward design and how it can be used to create experiential learning.
  5. Use foundational theories, experiential learning best practices and principles of backward design to develop goals, learning objectives, assessments, and activities that support teaching and learning experientially. 

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