Comprehensive Experiential

Learning Centers

Maintaining integrity and direction

in a changing learning
environment

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

 Higher education practices
 Internships have been part of academic
curricula, mostly in professionally oriented
disciplines, instructed by faculty for credit.
 Co-op has been in selected departments,
initially identified with engineering, later with
liberal arts. In past 30 years expanded to
many disciplines.
 Other forms of experiential learning have
been supported in academic departments
Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008
 Shift in emphasis
 In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, USA, Canada,
Australia and U.K. all produced documents about
necessary skills for the workforce.
 In the U.S., it was the SCANS report (Secretary’s
Commission on Necessary Skills) from the
Department of Labor. Fueled by industry spending
large sums of money to train new hires after
graduation from universities, especially in soft
skills. (Secretary’s Commission on Advancing Necessary Skills. (1990).
SCANS report. Washington, DC: US Department of Labor.)

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

 Shift in emphasis
 The White Paper on Higher Education focuses on access,
learning vs. teaching, and use of technology (Edgerton, R. (1997).
White paper on higher education.  Pew Charitable Trust: N.J.)
 Accreditation agencies followed, focusing less on structure and
more on student learning outcomes
 A variety of experiential learning options were created or
redesigned to provide external measurement for learning
outcomes
 Institutional commitment, program delivery, reporting
structures, definitions, and goals were realigned
 Experiential Education begins to become central rather than
marginalized

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

 Effect on existing programs
 Internship coordinators increased in academic
disciplines to respond to accreditation requirements.
 Co-op program staff/faculty started supporting
internships, sometimes blurring definitions
 Career Services started listing internships (and co-op)
on websites for access, also blurring definitions. Push
for one-stop shopping.
 Employers began to use terms interchangeably to
access students which caused confusion between
academic applied learning and student work.

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

 Defining characteristics/goals
 Experiential Learning - Experience in a major or
course related real-world environment, for the purpose
of applying course content and developing academic,
work, and/or career competencies (Academic Affairs
focus is provision of educational programs)
 Work experience - Work in a real-world environment
for the purpose of developing work and career
competencies and preparing for full-time work upon
graduation (Career Development focus is provision of
services and access)

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

 Reporting Structures
 An example is in Service-Learning. In Academic Affairs the
focus is on applying course content in service experiences
and competency development. In Student Development, it
focuses on community service.
 In a 2003 survey of 50 of the largest universities in the
U.S., co-op programs in Academic Affairs averaged 300
participants/semester. Those in Student Development
averaged 45 with more than one-third at 0.
 We must decide what outcomes we want in order to choose
the structure that will lead to those outcomes.

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

 Looking at Outcomes
 Emphasis on learning outcomes increases research and
reviews of research on learning outcomes and educational
efficacy of programs
 National research project among 15 co-op programs on
student learning outcomes (Parks, D.K. Onwuegbuzie, A.J., & Cash,
S.H.,2001)
 Reviews of Research
 On Co-op, 1988-2003 (Dressler, S. & Keeling, A., 2004)

 On Service-Learning,1993-2000 (Eyler, J., Giles, D.E., Stenson,

C.M., & Gray, C.J., 2001).

 None done on internships across disciplines as of yet

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

 Similarities and Differences
 Similarities in outcomes but differences in focus
 Both use reflection but differ on issues to be
reflected upon.
 More than half of the personal competencies are
developed through both modalities.
 Personal and Academic outcomes are very similar.
 Co-op has more Work and Career outcomes and
Service-Learning more Social outcomes.
 Program focus, what questions are asked, may
effect outcomes
Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008
 Academic Similarities
 There may be greater differences between
academic outcomes in academic Co-op programs
vs. those in Student Development than there are
between academic Co-op programs and Service-
Learning programs.
 Outcome similarities imply that each methodology
can be informed and strengthened by each other.
Rather than compete, these experiential learning
programs can function as collaborative options in the
curriculum.
Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008
 Forms of Experiential
Learning
 Co-op and Internships - centralized and/or decentralized
 Clinical practice, practica, undergraduate research,
independent study - in academic departments
 Service-Learning - Education College and/or in academic
departments, centralized or decentralized
 Senior design - Engineering
 Capstone/cornerstone courses - Business
 Study abroad - International Services
 Others

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

Increased Centralization and
Mission Changes
 Focus on learning outcomes provide
consistency between different forms of
experiential education.
 Previously marginalized methods begin to
move closer to institutional missions
(Carnegie Engagement designation)
 This environment provides a means to find
commonalities based on learning outcomes

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

 Increased Centralization and
Mission Changes
 Experiential Learning Centers - Co-op,
Internships, sometimes Service-Learning,
 Collaboration - partner on Internships and
Service-Learning
 Other partnerships - Faculty Learning Centers,
International Services (CPT)
 Career Service - Externships, Shadowing,
Alumni, Development
Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008
Impact on Experiential
Learning Programs
 Benefits
 Drawbacks
 Best Practices
 Other issues

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

 Benefits
 Increased coordination/partnership with faculty - can
focus on faculty reward system and curricular needs
 Decreased competition between programs - Both
employers and students have information and
support to make appropriate and best choices
 More expansion and less confusion due to
increased promotion of all forms of experiential
learning - This also protects program integrity
 Can increase quality across disciplines by unifying
assessment

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

 Drawbacks
 Integrity and definition can be lost if external forces
remove options
 Resources and effort may be split or diminished
 Those that take the least effort may grow more rapidly or
take precedence, regardless of level of educational benefit
if there is lack of manpower
 Voice for each program may be diminished
 Skills required may vary between programs so hiring can
become more difficult if there is little differentiation of tasks
 Faculty may divest involvement if they see diminished
control

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

 Best Practices
 Decide on academic and/or student development
focus - impacts on personnel requirements,
status, definitions, and outcomes
 Define clear lines of authority for each program
and with other departments
 Create and implement criteria for quality
 Introduce incentive funding if possible
 Improve faculty reward systems to reflect value

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

 Best Practices
 Collaborate with academic deans and faculty to
garner support and measure learning outcomes
 Report learning outcomes everywhere appropriate
with the focus of feeding information back into
curriculum and support the institutional mission for
academic learning
 Obtain student comments on application of course
content from reflection assignments and send
them to appropriate faculty members

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008

Questions and Answers

Your experiences and thoughts?

Dr. Sheri Dressler, NSEE, 2008