ELTHE - NSEE 2020 Conference Proceedings

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education Special Issue - Spring 2021 NSEE 2020 Conference Proceedings Editors Editor-in-Chief KEVIN DVORAK, Nova Southeastern University Managing Editor MARIO D’AGOSTINO, Nova Southeastern University Production Manager ERIC MASON, Nova Southeastern University Social Media Manager JANINE MORRIS, Nova Southeastern University Editorial Assistants Nova Southeastern University MONIQUE COLE Nova Southeastern University SABRINA LOUISSAINT Nova Southeastern University DANIELLE PIERCE Nova Southeastern University ‘AOLANI ROBINSON ELTHE is published semi-annually by NSUWorks in cooperation with the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) with support from Nova Southeastern University, Davie, FL. © 2021, NSUWorks ISSN 2474-3410 (print) ISSN 2474-3429 (online) Spring 2021 i

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education Special Issue - Spring 2021 NSEE 2020 Conference Proceedings Contents MARIANNA SAVOCA 1 A Note from the NSEE President MARTHA “MARTI” SNYDER A Note from the NSEE Conference Chair 2 EDWARD L. BLANTON III 3 Where’s My Monday? Using Experiential Learning to Increase Financial Capability DANIKA M. BROWN and JESSICA KHALAF Critical Reflection: A Foundation for Civic Engagement 6 JENNIFER DOBBS-OATES 10 Quick Tips for Teaching Students How to Reflect VIVIENNE FELIX, KIMBERLEY COFFEY, 13 and RENA VARGHESE Facilitating Internship Partnerships Through Formal Agreements MATTHEW HORA Insights from the College Internship Study: Issues 17 of Program Access, Structure, and Student Outcomes LARISSA HORNE 21 The ‘Soft Power’ of In-Class Reflection: A Transformative Experience NIKKI JAMES 24 Learning Analytics to Support Experiential Learning ii NSEE Conference Proceedings

SOPHIA KOUSTAS and CHRISTINE BLAIS 32 Reflection Practices in Consulting Projects for 35 the Learner and Instructor 39 43 KAY PETERSON Learner Flexibility in Preparation for Experiential Learning LAURIE A. SUTCH Challenge Accepted! Going Gameful to Develop Soft Skills MARK D. THREETON and KYUNGIN KIM An Exploration of Experiential Learning Practices Utilized by STEM Educators Cover Image: Screenshot of participants of the 2020 NSEE conference congregating in Zoom. Spring 2021 iii

A Note from the NSEE President MARIANNA SAVOCA Stony Brook University This past 2020 year could be deemed the year to forget: the COVID-19 crisis, the losses, the suffering, the fear, instability, and uncertainty—all both personal and global. And yet, there are good things to remember: the courage of our emergency responders, health care, and basic service workers; the care shown for folks outside the family unit, such as neighbors and community mem- bers; and the commitment that educators at all levels made to go above and beyond for their students.  In times of crisis, basic needs take top priority, as they should. Professional engagement may take a back seat as well. And yet, as I look at the incredible leadership of NSEE and ELTHE, I mar- vel at the commitment of our Board and leadership team. I am amazed by what they have accomplished this year for our interna- tional community of experiential educators. Today I express my admiration and sincere gratitude to our authors, reviewers, and editors of this edition of the ELTHE Journal, to our leaders and rising leaders, and our members and community partners. This journal is a true gift to all of us.   With high hopes for a bright future, Marianna Savoca President, National Society for Experiential Education Spring 2021 1

A Note from the NSEE Conference Chair MARTHA “MARTI” SNYDER Nova Southeastern University On behalf of the National Society for Experiential Education’s (NSEE) Board and the 2020 Conference Planning Committee, we are delighted to work with ELTHE this year to curate a set of articles representing NSEE’s 49th Annual Conference. There were many firsts in 2020 including the COVID-19 pandemic; Kamala Harris, a woman of color becoming vice president-elect; Space-X, a private company sending humans to space; a fully virtual NSEE conference; and our first special conference issue published in ELTHE.   Our conference presenters did an incredible job pivoting to an online delivery format and sharing their expertise with the experi- ential education community.  I encourage you to read their work, which is centered around our conference theme: “Hindsight is 20/20: Using Reflection for Assessment, Program Excellence and Student Success.” I also suggest that you consider submitting your own practice and research on experiential education to future issues.  We look forward to seeing many of you later this year at our 50th Annual Conference scheduled September 27–29, 2021 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld (https://www.nsee.org/ annual-conference). We will celebrate our Golden Anniversary and share knowledge, ideas, practices, and research on experiential education in an ever-changing world.   Sincerely, Martha (Marti) Snyder, 2020 NSEE Conference Chair  Paul Gaszak, 2020 NSEE Conference Co-Chair  2 NSEE Conference Proceedings

Where’s My Monday? Using Experiential Learning to Increase Financial Capability EDWARD L. BLANTON III Texas A&M University - San Antonio Introduction conversations and understanding de- During the fall semester of 2018, veloped we evolved our thinking to fo- Texas A&M University-San Antonio cus more on this capacity. As Johnson participated in the Trellis Financial Well- and Sherraden (2007) express, financial ness Survey. The undergraduate popu- literacy is helpful but not sufficient. Fi- lation at the time was 5,726, of which nancial capability, however, incorporates 460 students responded (8.0% response skills, behavior, and knowledge in five rate). The results of this areas: making ends meet, survey showed us that “As Johnson and keeping track, planning 66% of our students wor- Sherraden (2007) ahead, choosing prod- ry about having enough express, financial ucts, and staying informed money to pay for school. literacy is helpful but (Atkinson et al., 2006). In Additionally, the survey exploring ways to expand not sufficient.” revealed that 36% of re- financial capability, we spondents used credit cards to pay for decided that there was an opportuni- college expenses. Of the responding ty to incorporate it into the university’s students that had taken out loans, 56% strategic plan as well as into our Qual- were less confident that they would be ity Enhancement Plan (QEP), which able to pay off the debt they acquired. focused on quantitative reasoning. The report also had alarming re- We also decided that in order to sults regarding housing and food secu- reach as many students as possible, the rity, inspiring administration to closely capacity of staff charged with conduct- examine the educational programming ing these programs could be increased directed at students to support their by creating an experiential learning op- financial capability. Financial capabili- portunity. The experiential learning op- ty is defined as “the capacity, based on portunity would involve upperclassmen knowledge, skills, and access, to manage who are majoring in accounting and fi- financial resources effectively” (Wiliams nance, and granting them the opportu- & Oumlil, 2015). Much of our focus, nity to deliver presentations and money initially, was on financial literacy, but as coaching to other students, as well as Spring 2021 3

students in K-12 and their parents. What For the spring semester, Fellows developed from this opportunity was continued to present in freshman sem- our Financial Literacy Fellows program. inar courses and other on-campus activ- ities, including the launch of individual Description of the Program money coaching sessions to encourage We launched a Financial Literacy students trying to reach financial goals. The Fellows also partnered with Junior Fellows Program in Fall 2019. In the Achievement of South Texas to deliver first semester, a cohort of eight Fi- the JA Personal Finance curriculum in nancial Literacy Fellows (including two area schools. In addition, while working graduate interns) were recruited. Grad- with a local GEAR UP program, finan- uate interns, which assisted the Coor- cial presentations were given at local dinator for Programs and Partnerships schools as part of their family programs. in our Experiential Learning office, After the recommendations to “stay were paid from funds secured through home, stay safe” due to the COVID-19 a grant from a nationally known bank. pandemic, roles shifted to the creation They worked 19 hours each week and of educational materials and resources completed tasks such as: scheduling Fel- on how to access financial information lows to conduct presentations, prepar- and services that were then shared with ing handouts, and doing presentations campus and community stakeholders. themselves. Financial Literacy Fellows were committed to a few flexible hours Connection to the Research each week that included classroom pre- During the 2019-2020 pilot year, sentations and money coaching sessions. 639 students received financial literacy In-class presentations occurred information through events or in-class mostly in first-year seminars. This was presentations. A simple six question as- a natural fit as our curriculum for the sessment was utilized to measure out- first-year seminars asked for instructors comes. Results showed an increase in to discuss financial matters. The presen- comprehension from an average of 14% tations covered by the Fellow included correct on the pre-test score to an av- topics such as inflation, budgeting, inter- erage of 67% correct on the post-test est, and credit. Many of these presenta- score. Over 100 community members tions would also involve in-class discus- were engaged by collaborating with sion, small group work, and exploring GEAR UP while many more students wants versus needs. Fellows contributed in K-12 participated through in-class approximately 20-25 hours each week to presentations and interactive exercises. the program in this first semester, includ- ing training and regular check-ins with Implications and Next Steps the program coordinator and graduate The COVID-19 pandemic had an interns. For their contribution, Fellows each received a $500 stipend and en- impact on our plans for the 2020-2021 gaged in reflection exercises to reinforce academic year. The pandemic also had their learning which we view as an essen- an impact on our funding as corporate tial component of experiential learning. sponsorships were more difficult to secure. With many K-12 schools also transitioning to virtual and hybrid learn- 4 NSEE Conference Proceedings

ing environments, opportunities for Fi- nancial Literacy Fellows to be in local schools was greatly restricted. However, the pandemic also forced us to reimagine some of our programming. We convert- ed to virtual learning in some situations. In many other instances, we were able to deliver presentations while maintain- ing social distancing measures. We have also been able to create new interactions and engage in ways that we did not think of before. This has led to being able to build a stronger foundation for future years of our financial literacy program. n References Atkinson, A., McKay, S., Collard, S., & Kempson, E. (2007). Levels of financial capability in the UK. Public Money and Management, 27(1), 29–36. Johnson, E., & Sherraden, M. S. (2007). From financial literacy to financial capability among youth. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 34(3), 119–146. Williams, A. J., & Oumlil, B. (2015). College student financial capability. International Journal of Bank Market- ing, 33(5), 637–653. Spring 2021 5

Critical Reflection: A Foundation for Civic Engagement DANIKA M. BROWN West Texas A&M University JESSICA KHALAF West Texas A&M University Introduction invites feedback and dialogue as it ori- Educators who engage in and advo- ents them toward future action. Such an approach to reflection, we argue, is root- cate for experiential learning have long ed in a methodology that works from taken it as a given that reflection is an a critical, ethical foundation of praxis. essential component of any experiential learning cycle. The standard assump- Literature Review tions around this approach to learn- Whereas descriptive reflection al- ing is that students come to a context with unexamined beliefs about how the lows students to consider any given world is or works, engage in an experi- experience, critical reflection pushes ence and related content which alters (or students to synthesize their experiences perhaps confirms) their understanding for a better understanding of agency, of the world, and that understanding forward thinking, and engaging with becomes knowledge when the student different perspectives. However, the reflects on and represents the experi- difference between the types of reflec- ence. What becomes key in this set of tion often lack clarity, leading to con- assumptions, then, is to understand the fusion in implementation. Descriptive role that reflection plays and what types reflection allows students to focus on of understandings we hope to promote their growth personally, academical- through the practice of reflection. If we ly, and through skill building (Kiely, prompt students to “reflect” on their 2015). As a result, students’ reflections experience, we are often asking them come through as a product to be done to describe what they believe they have at the end of or during the experience, learned in order to confirm for them, such as an essay, journal entry, or ap- and demonstrate for us, that there was, plication, rather than as a process that in fact, learning occurring. Yet, we would encapsulates the larger context of the like to understand the activity of reflec- experience and its effects on the student. tion itself as a learning process. Here we would like to explicate a framework Beginning with a critique of assump- for critical reflection that engages students tions and an understanding of one’s val- in a meaning-making process, synthe- ue system allows for the meaning making sizing their experiences in a way that process of critical reflection (Mezirow, 6 NSEE Conference Proceedings

1990). Such a foundation leads to more The CCL’s process began with a active engagement (Schön, 1983) by robust conversation about our expecta- the student that creates an awareness tions–what we as a center had defined as of their responses and a potential for our mission and what we hoped to see change in perspective (Rogers, 2001). in our students as they moved through It is by understanding their worldview our programs. Our next step was to an- that students can analyze the perspec- alyze what our students were producing, tives of those around but more importantly, them (Mezirow, 1990). “We came to a shared the curriculum and ways Through praxis, then, understanding and we were structuring and critical reflection fosters definition of critical communicating our ex- a better understanding reflection as a founda- pectations around what of positionality, agen- tional practice, . . .” they produced. We had cy, and forward action hoped our students’ re- (Foucault, 1982; Mezirow, 1990; Schön, flection artifacts would demonstrate a 1983). Although experiences provide a capacity for self-awareness in a critical way of learning, through engagement fashion at the capstone level. Our initial in critical reflection, students can con- findings, however, revealed that while ceptualize experiences as leading to con- we knew our capstone students were textual learning (Ash & Clayton, 2009). engaged effectively in critical communi- ty-based projects and were taking away Context valuable civic leadership skills, we were Working from an understanding of not giving them the opportunity through the distinction between descriptive and our formal reflection assignments to critical reflection, the staff at the Cen- allow them to demonstrate the most ter for Civic Leadership sought to assess fundamental skill they needed–critical our programs, which are scaffolded from reflective capacity. When we discovered introductory level community-based that we were not capturing the complex- learning to capstone level experiences, ity and depth that we were looking for in where students themselves seek to cre- our practices, we turned to the literature ate change in partnerships with commu- and our colleagues in the field to gain nity organizations. To ensure that our perspective on reflection. We came to a scaffolded approach was allowing stu- shared understanding and definition of dents to develop sophisticated reflective critical reflection as a foundational practice, skills regarding civic development, we and we focused on curricular revision in engaged in a critical evaluative process our programs to identify how to imple- about our curriculum. In summarizing ment strategies to support our students in our process, we wish to highlight that gaining proficiency in critical reflection. the process itself led us to an articula- tion of a methodological framework for Critical Reflection Cycle reflection that we in turn share with our Through the assessment of our students as the foundational value of programs, which demonstrated critical critical reflection in practice and action. reflection as a tool for both faculty and students to critique, engage in feedback, understand oneself, and move forward Spring 2021 7

Figure 1. Critical reflection cycle from that synthesis of understanding, judgement or evaluation as being under- we developed a critical reflection cycle stood in relation and connected to those as a process. Figure 1 reflects the steps values. Having come to an initial eval- within the process. In addition to being uation or judgement, the students con- dialectic, the feedback loop embedded sider the roles of different perspectives within the cycle allows for critical reflec- and alternatives to their thinking, which tion to be a reiterative process. Using allows opportunity for nuance and al- this cycle then, faculty can emphasize ternatives. Navigating perspectives and critical reflection as a process, and both judgements offers a basis for commit- faculty and students can understand ment. Finally, the commitment to action the mechanisms behind the process, is what fully defines critical reflection as thus allowing for students to recognize an action-based process oriented toward critical reflection as a translatable skill. achieving a new understanding or shift- ing of perspectives going forward. Feed- Recognizing assumptions and val- back throughout the process is central as ues are the first step in the process for it allows us to interact with students and students to locate their positionality as encourage a two-way process of learning. they consider evaluative claims about an experience or other object of analy- Conclusion and Contributions sis. The object of analysis can be what The CCL has found value in this best represents that moment of time; it could be one’s self in action, an ex- methodological approach to reflection: perience, or even the actions of others. the approach provides a curricular tool Regardless of what the object of anal- to help students recognize reflection as ysis is, the priority in moving towards a process; to engage in articulating their this next phase is that the student begins own values; seek multiple perspectives with a strong understanding of their to challenge their assumptions; and to values to better understand that object. be open to continuous feedback as they Awareness of positionality then leads to synthesize their experiences. Here, how- ever, we would like to also point out that 8 NSEE Conference Proceedings

this turn to critical reflection processes allows not only for students to be more reflective, but to share deeper syntheses that enable us to understand their po- sitionalities more fully and serve them better in our engagement with and feed- back to them. Additionally, the artifacts that come out of these processes give us the opportunity to document, assess, and demonstrate to others what students are gaining from our programming. n References Ash, S. L., & Clayton, P. H. (2009). Generating, deepening, and documenting learning: The power of critical reflection in applied learning. Journal of Applied Learning in Higher Education, 1, 25–48. Foucault, M. (1982). The subject and power. Critical Inquiry, 8(4), 777-795. Kiely, R. (2015, October 13). Considering critical reflection. Campus Compact. https://compact.org/criticalreflec- tion/ Mezirow, J. (1990). How critical reflection triggers transformative learning. In J. Mezirow & Associ- ates (Eds.), Fostering Critical Reflection in Adulthood (pp. 1–20). Jossey-Bass Inc. Rogers, R. R. (2001). Reflection in high- er education: A concept analysis. Innovative Higher Education, 26(1), 37–57. Schön, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books. Spring 2021 9

Quick Tips for Teaching Students How to Reflect JENNIFER DOBBS-OATES Purdue University - West Lafayette The theme of the 49th Annual why we do it, and how to do it well. I’ve Conference hosted by the National So- seen improved reflections from students ciety for Experiential Education was as a result. This paper will share some “Hindsight is 20/20: Using Reflection tips that you can use to help students for Assessment, Program Excellence, understand how to reflect effectively. and Student Success.” Inspired by that theme, I contemplated my own use of Begin with the what of reflection. reflection as part of my college teach- First, ask yourself “what does reflec- ing for more than a decade. In the first tion mean in the context of my course few years, I noticed a problem. What or program?” I recommend finding students turned in often fell short of out what your students already know what I was expecting. These were re- as well. I ask my students, “What is flections that were not really reflections. reflection? Is it different from recall? Analysis? Critical thinking?” Once you I found myself saying the same have a sense of where your students things over and over again in feedback are starting from, you will better un- to students. “Dig deeper,” I’d say. “Tell derstand what they still need to know. me more.” “Why is that?” “How did you know?” “Give me an example.” The re- Second, present a definition of re- flections students turned in were often flection and get your students to break shallow rather than deep, vague rath- it down into its key components. There er than specific, and descriptive rather are many definitions of reflection from than reflective. I finally came to a reali- which you can choose. I use some short zation: if I want my students to reflect excerpts from John Dewey’s writing on effectively, I have to teach them how! reflection in How We Think. Since the Description of the Practice & language is a little challenging for stu- Connection to the Research dents because it doesn’t feel contempo- rary, I find it works well to ask students Now, I regularly set aside half of a to start from the original and translate it class period (approximately 25 minutes) into something that sounds more mod- at the beginning of the semester to ex- ern to their ears. Since they are picking plicitly teach about reflection. During out the key ideas and rephrasing them in class, we talk about what reflection is, their own words, this results in them pro- 10 NSEE Conference Proceedings

cessing the information at a deeper level. Especially since the students I teach are pursuing careers in social services Some of the key characteristics and education, reflection will be a tool of reflection my students consistent- they can use throughout their careers ly notice are tht reflection is active and to shape their practice and better serve intentional, that reflection is repeated the clients and students they are sup- and extended over time, and that re- porting (Ryding & Wernersson, 2019). flection is careful and thoughtful. Of- ten, it falls to me to mention that re- Now that you’ve covered the what flection involves connecting ideas to and why of reflection, it’s time to teach evidence and to conclusions as well. them the how. There are several ways to do this. Options include getting stu- Next, I recommend teaching about dents to construct their own process for the purposes of reflection. Let your stu- reflecting effectively, teaching your stu- dents know why you use reflection as a dents about an established model of re- part of your course or program. When flection, and developing your own model. we are transparent about course design and tell our students why they will be Having students construct a process asked to do certain things, students’ mo- for themselves is valuable because it can tivation tends to improve (Anderson et help them tailor a reflection process to al., 2013). I share three primary purpos- fit their individual needs. If you would es of reflection with my students. The like to do this, start with the key char- first is that reflection promotes learning. acteristics of reflection your students When you have an ex- identified when you perience, you may learn “In the past, I just told were defining reflec- from it. Learning from students to ‘reflect’ and tion. Ask them what experience happens to I assumed they would steps they would need us all the time. But, of know what to do.” to take to reflect in that course, we also have way. My students come plenty of experiences we don’t learn up with many ideas, but they most of- from. When you have an experience ten emphasize the need to stop other followed by a reflection, it is more likely activities so one can focus on the expe- to lead to lasting learning (Ribeiro et al., rience being reflected on, and to think 2019). Second, I emphasize why we use slowly and carefully. Beyond these, I weekly reflections in the course. I point may add that it is important to accept out that repeated reflections help to temporary discomfort and to consider generate momentum and help students that change may be needed. I want stu- to make connections among experienc- dents to know that genuine reflection es. Each reflection builds on the one can sometimes mean confronting “hard before it, so, by reflecting in-between truths,” such as “I didn’t give this my each experience, we support growth and best shot” or “I let someone else down.” learning over time. Finally, I share with students that reflection is both a life skill Another strategy for teaching and a career skill. It is not just something them the how of reflection is to share to use in a course and then leave behind. an established model of reflection. Spring 2021 11

You might use Ash Clayton’s (2009) References Describe-Examine-Articulate Learning Anderson, A. D., Hunt, A. N., Pow- (DEAL) model. Another good choice is the What? So What? Now What? ell, R. E., & Dollar, C. B. (2013). model by Rolfe et al. (2001).     Student perceptions of teaching transparency. The Journal of Effective Over the years, I have developed Teaching, 13(2), 38–47. a simple model of my own–a way for Ash, S. L., & Clayton, P. H. (2009). students to understand how reflection Generating, deepening, and doc- differs from mere recall or description. umenting learning: The power of I compare reflecting after an experience critical reflection for applied learn- to discussing a movie. After viewing a ing. The Journal of Applied Learning in movie, a student could summarize the Higher Education, 1(1), 25–48. plot–tell me what happened and who Ribeiro, L. M. C., Mamede, S., Brito, E., did what. That is a description. Or M. Moura, A. S., Faria, R. M. D., & they could write a review of the mov- Schmidt, H. G. (2019). Effects of ie. They could talk about how it affected deliberate reflection on students’ them, what meaning they took from it, engagement in learning and learn- what its strengths and weaknesses were. ing outcomes. Medical Education, That is a reflection. I tell my students 53(4), 390–397. to avoid plot summary and reflect in- Rolfe, G., Freshwater, D., & Jasper, M. stead. Put more focus on the why and the (2001). Critical reflection in nursing how and less on the what, who, and when. and helping professions: A user’s guide. Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Implications and Next Steps Ryding, J., & Wernersson, I. (2019). The In the past, I just told students to role of reflection in family support social work and its possible promo- “reflect” and I assumed they would tion by a research-supported model. know what to do. That often was not Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, the case. I have come to understand 16(3), 322–345. that, though reflection is not incredibly complex, reflection has a richness to it and it is a skill. Now, I invest half of a class period in teaching students the what, why, and how of reflection. This is a small investment that really pays off. My students reflect more effectively, and they do so earlier in the semester. They can make better use of my feed- back about their reflections because we have laid the groundwork in advance. It is a skill set that they can carry with them into future course experiences. n 12 NSEE Conference Proceedings

Facilitating Internship Partnerships Through Formal Agreements VIVIENNE FELIX New York University KIMBERLEY COFFEY Southern New Hampshire University RENA VARGHESE SUNY Farmingdale State College Internships are a critical part of the risk-averse and potentially litigious. For educational experiences of college and that reason, many institutions of high- university students, as they allow students er education rely upon signed agree- to explore the “world of work,” while de- ments with both domestic and interna- veloping professional and interpersonal tional partners to facilitate internships, skills. However, for many higher educa- student teaching, clinical placements, tion administrators, the process of navi- and other forms of experiential learn- gating internships is complicated by the ing. Many times, the professionals who nuances of internship agreements. This manage the review and negotiation of extended abstract summarizes topics documents supporting these relation- discussed during a roundtable discussion ships are doing so in addition to several at the 49th Annual Virtual Conference other professional responsibilities and of the National Society for Experiential lack a legal background. Little scholar- Education. In this abstract, the purpose ly knowledge is available about intern- and utility of internship agreements, ship agreements and affiliation agree- memoranda of understanding, affilia- ments, particularly outside the context tion agreements, and other signed agree- of medical training programs. Similarly, ments helpful in solidifying relationships practitioner-oriented content providing with external partners are explored. This high level guidance on how to craft or abstract is intended to facilitate a com- think about these documents is scarce. munity of support for the higher edu- cation professionals who manage and It is important to understand how review these documents and will provide your institution supports this scope a framework for identifying practic- of work. The approach towards these es that advance student learning while agreements will differ between a small, aligning with the needs, philosophy, private institution and the process of a and risk tolerance of your institution. larger, multi-campus public institution. Is the process centralized across your Institutional Processes college or university? Does an approved The landscape governing experi- template for an internship agreement or affiliation agreement already exist? Or do ential learning is becoming increasingly Spring 2021 13

you need to create a template and seek Internship agreements document the approval through the relevant leaders of intended learning outcomes of the ac- your institution? The answers to these tivity; the timeframe of the activity; and questions are best answered by senior the level of compensation, if any. A key leadership. In addition, you could reach difference between an IA and AAs is out to your career services center or gen- the IA is primarily negotiated between, eral counsel for guidance and support. and ultimately signed by, the student Conversations with colleagues in these and the site. In contrast, AAs, MOUs, roles is vital for understanding your in- and CPAs are negotiated and signed stitution’s approach to risk and how they between the site and the institution. It will protect students and the institution is uncommon for a student to sign the if experiential learning activity goes awry. document. For all types of agreements, the agreement sets the stage for what the Types of Agreements student and site are responsible for and To formally establish partnerships ensures everyone agrees on the intend- ed learning outcomes and assessment that will facilitate learning opportuni- of the learning activities. The more ties for students, staff must understand aligned the student, site, and college/ the purpose of the documents that will university are, the greater the chance outline the roles and responsibilities of of successful experience outcomes. each party. Whether managed by faculty, staff, or administrators, it is important Common Challenges that student learning is balanced with Several challenges in the intern- risk management and academic com- pliance expectations, where applicable. ship space often present as pain points Many kinds of agreements govern expe- for sites and institutions. Common riential learning. Some examples include topics to address in a formal agree- community partnership agreements, in- ment include, but are not limited to, ternship agreements, memoranda of un- student supervision, data privacy, on- derstanding, and affiliation agreements. boarding protocols, liability, the im- Community partnership agreements plications of immigration status, etc. (CPAs) are often used to document the parameters of and stakeholders for Experiential Learning in Other community engagement activities such Locations as volunteer work and service learning. Memoranda of understanding (MOUs) Many institutions encourage may be used similarly to document for- students to participate in experiential mal relationships between the institution learning that occurs outside the state of and external partners. Affiliation agree- the home institution. For students en- ments (AAs) are likely the most robust gaged in student teaching, clinical place- agreement and are often vetted by gener- ments, and internships in the health pro- al counsel at the site and the institution; fessions, an affiliation agreement is often these are typically used in clinical settings required between the site and the insti- and for schools and school districts. tution. A challenge of agreements that govern experiences outside the home state are the implications of local labor laws. The state in which the internship 14 NSEE Conference Proceedings

is located could shape whether the site or accrediting body to see what is per- and the institution view student interns missible, especially for remote or other as employees. New Hampshire, for ex- alternative experiences. As a best prac- ample, has extremely specific rules and tice, it might be helpful to maintain the regulations around continuity of on-site unpaid internships, “The more aligned the internships only with which must be ap- student, site, and college/ those sites who have proved by and re- university are, the greater the hosted students with- ported to the Depart- chance of successful experi- in recent years and ment of Labor by have a valid IA or ence outcomes.” both the school and AA already in place. the host organization. When it comes COVID-19, however, does create an to virtual experiences, institutions still opportunity to establish new partner- need to be aware of the regulations ships with sites who have the capac- based on the home location of the in- ity and willingness to host a mean- ternship site. For example, if a student ingful remote internship experience. is completing a virtual experience with a company based in a foreign coun- It is recommended that campuses try, you still need to be sure your insti- conduct a review of each site to make tution has the proper steps in place to sure it is appropriate and not unrea- allow the experience to occur legally. sonably dangerous. At a minimum, this might include contacting the site’s super- COVID-19 Considerations visor and discussing the environment and Several institutions issued specif- precautions implemented, including that ic guidance to their staff during the the site complies with local department COVID-19 crisis. For most colleges of health protocols and that students are and universities, students and campus- not sent to an untenably dangerous situ- es were encouraged to explore remote ation. For example, engaging in a large- internship options. However, not all in- scale interaction with the public or at-risk ternships could be effectively converted populations or the site failing to provide into remote experiences. In addition, effective, personal protective equipment. some students expressed a strong pref- To the extent permitted by the state erence for in-person internship experi- education department and applicable ences. As a result of these factors, for accreditation bodies, campuses should some institutions, there was no universal offer students alternative arrangements prohibition on in-person internships. to participating in the internship, in- cluding remote options if available, even The following recommendations after the in-person experience com- might inform your institutional ap- mences should any students feel at risk. proach to on-site internship experienc- es during a crisis like the COVID-19 From a legal perspective, no student global pandemic. For programs gov- should feel unduly pressured to go to erned by accreditation standards and/ an internship site; free will is necessary or leading to certification or licensure, to make a student acknowledgement consult with the professional association waiver, if adopted, valid. The content Spring 2021 15

of a student acknowledgement waiver - How long is the agreement valid? might request that students acknowl- - Have your legal/compliance/risk edge, or agree, they have been present- management experts been consult- ed with alternative internship options. ed, including to assess the enforce- ability of the agreement? Should they choose to go on-site, - Are students required to sign students are voluntarily choosing to par- agreements? What are the conse- ticipate in an on-site internship and are quences to their participation if assuming the known risks involved with they do not agree to sign? participation. Existing IAs and AAs may Ideally, internship agreements and need to be amended to specifically in- affiliation agreements will reflect mutu- clude warranties that sites will continual- ally beneficial terms that are amenable to ly maintain compliance with all applica- all stakeholders. In closing, it is advisable ble laws and regulations associated with to involve a legal counsel, risk manage- the COVID-19 crisis. Colleges and uni- ment, and other senior administrators versities should remain in contact with in preparing agreements to review their sites to ensure these warranties are main- validity and enforceability. Especial- tained and appropriate protocols are fol- ly, when these agreements are required lowed. In addition, campuses should in- to be signed by students for their par- form students of the consequences for ticipation in internships and other violations of local department of health experiential learning experiences. n protocols. This might include a removal from the internship site (and program), and negative academic implications for failure to abide by the student code of conduct or campus policies not insu- lated by First Amendment protection. Other Provisions to Consider There are many questions to consider when drafting and negotiating the terms of a formal agreement. Below is a non-ex- haustive list of questions to consider: - Who is the approved institutional signatory? - What is the timeline for document review? - Does the site require compen- sation (i.e. an honorarium) of any kind? If so, will my institution agree to this? 16 NSEE Conference Proceedings

Insights from the College Internship Study: Issues of Program Access, Structure, and Student Outcomes MATTHEW HORA University of Wisconsin - Madison Background internships that college students face. To Internships are considered one of conceptualize how these different types several “high-impact practices” (HIPs) of barriers may affect students, we draw that represent one of the most influen- on field theory to explore how intern- tial ideas shaping research, policymak- ship opportunities are shaped by stu- ing, and educational practices among dents’ acquisition of different forms of colleges and universities in the early 21st capital, which are then deployed to seek century (Kuh, 2008). However, growing entry into new fields of the professions evidence shows that the impacts and ac- and/or individual firms (Martin, 2003). cess to HIPs and internships are not eq- uitable or universal. For instance, some Methodology scholars have found that obstacles to In this mixed-methods study we ad- accessing HIPs exist for students, partic- dress the gap in literature by reporting ularly for underserved college students findings from a survey (n = 1,549) and (Finley & McNair, 2013). In the case focus group, and interview (n= 100) of internships, assumptions about uni- data from students at three comprehen- versal access are especially problematic, sive universities: one historically black given that low-income college and university and/or first-genera- and one technical col- tion students may lack “Few empirical studies lege in the U.S. states the financial and/or have examined the nature of Maryland, South social capital to iden- and extent of the barriers Carolina, and Wiscon- tify and then complete to internships that college sin. These data were an internship (Perlin, analyzed using logistic students face.” 2012). Consequently, access to intern- regression, inductive thematic, and social ships may be limited for many college network analysis techniques to answer students, resulting in a situation where the following questions: (1) What types internships act as a gatekeeping mech- of barriers keep students from partici- anism that inhibits social mobility. pating in internships? (2) How, if at all, do these barriers vary across different Few empirical studies have examined student demographics? Research instru- the nature and extent of the barriers to ments used to answer these questions Spring 2021 17

featured an online survey that included ship was the need to work at their cur- questions about internship participation, rent paid job (60%), followed by a heavy obstacles to participation, demographic course load (56%), a lack of internships information, and focus group proto- in their discipline or field (45%), insuf- cols that inquired about similar topics. ficient pay (33%), lack of transporta- These data were analyzed using logistic tion (19%), and lack of childcare (9%). regression and hierarchical linear mod- eling techniques (for survey data), and Next, given the prospect that some inductive thematic analysis (for focus students may experience more than one group data). Limitations to the study of these barriers at a given time, we include the self-selected nature of the report how individuals reported com- sample and the limited number of in- binations of these barriers. The most stitutions represented in the dataset. common combination was the need to work at their current paid job and a Results heavy course load (n=68 students), fol- RQ #1: Barriers to internship lowed by those who had a heavy course participation load, needed to work, and had few op- portunities (n=42), and those who re- For the 1,060 students who an- ported the above three barriers but also swered “no” to having participated in the obstacle of finding internships with an internship in the past 12 months, sufficient pay (n=42). At the same time, 64% (n = 676) of them stated that they some students did report only a sin- had hoped to obtain an internship but gle obstacle, such as the need to work could not for a variety of reasons. This (n=60) or a heavy course load (n=44). finding alone indicates that a substan- tive number of college students want to Next, the most frequently discussed pursue internships but cannot, thereby barrier to internship participation per- underscoring the fact that access to in- tained to compensation—specifically, ternships themselves is a considerable unpaid paid internships. Another obsta- problem. Among the six barriers to in- cle to internship participation involved ternships included in the survey (Figure balancing the demands of their paid 1), the most common reason that pre- employment, coursework, study time, vented students from taking an intern- Figure 1. Type of obstacles faced by college students 18 NSEE Conference Proceedings

and family obligations with the hours One of the most unambiguous find- needed for an internship. As one student ings from our study was that the need described, “[I] pretty much do not have to work prevented many students from enough time to give to an internship even taking an internship. While the impact if it’s just part-time. … I just don’t think of work on college students’ experience there’s enough time in the day.” Students and performance may not be universally also expressed concerns about the lim- negative, our findings make clear that in ited availability of internships in their addition to potential impacts to students’ disciplines. Finally, another barrier to in- academic success, work presents a sub- ternship participation was that of geog- stantial obstacle to students seeking and raphy and location, which could lead to completing internships. Future research students incurring travel and living costs should also investigate the impacts of for internships in expensive cities where work on first-generation students, who many desirable internships are located. were more likely to report the barrier of working at their current jobs (65%). RQ #2: Relationship of barriers to internships and student attributes Finally, we argue that it is the com- bination of obstacles – reflecting labor The statistical analysis of survey data markets, students’ social networks, their indicated that academic discipline and access to financial resources, and indi- employment status were two significant vidual situations – that functions as a factors influencing the obstacle related multifaceted field of constrained oppor- to working a part-or full-time job. Over- tunity. Future work in this area could fo- all, students without part- or full-time cus on how specific marginalized groups jobs are less likely to report obstacles to experience the obstacles reported in this internships including the need to work at paper, while also paying closer atten- a current job and insufficient pay. Simi- tion to how historical, organizational, larly, the higher the parental income, the and individual-level forces intersect to less likely it is that a student would re- shape student experiences. Based on the port a lack of internship opportunities. evidence reported in this paper, we con- In addition, compared with students in clude that internships are inaccessible to arts and humanities, business and STEM a significant number of today’s college major students are less likely to report students. As a result, we argue that in- insufficient pay at internships and need- ternships should be removed from lists ing to work as obstacles to internships, of HIPs until and unless equitable ac- indicating that a combination of finan- cess can be guaranteed or at least high- cial and professional (or disciplinary) ly probable for all students attending factors are at work inhibiting a student’s colleges and universities in the U.S. n ability to seek and pursue an internship. Discussion References Our goal in this paper was to con- Finley, A., & McNair, T. (2013). Assess- tribute new insights into college stu- ing underserved students’ engagement in dents’ access (or lack thereof) to one of high-impact practices. Association of the most widely promoted HIPs in high- American Colleges and Universities. er education today—college internships. Spring 2021 19

Kuh, G. D. (2008). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Asso- ciation of American Colleges and Universities. Martin, J. L. (2003). What is field theory? American Journal of Sociology, 109(1), 1–49. Perlin, R. (2012). Intern nation. Verso Books. 20 NSEE Conference Proceedings

The ‘Soft Power’ of In-Class Reflection: A Transformative Experience LARISSA HORNE University of the Fraser Valley Introduction described in this paper were enacted to This paper is based on active contribute to the methodology of active in-classroom experimentation with the learning, while expanding the notion notions of reflection, student empow- of a flipped classroom and introducing erment, and team-based learning, and the “empowered classroom” model. the introduction of the concept of ‘soft power’ in relation to a Continuous Re- Description of the Practice flection Model in the classroom. Reflec- The teaching practice under exam- tion was examined as a cultivated and ination was based on four principles voluntarily embraced tool for personal including intentionality, collaboration, and professional growth. As well, the design-thinking, and risk-taking. The concept of an “empowered classroom” Continuous Reflection Model was co-de- was introduced. By utilizing data col- signed by Instructor and students and lection, observations, and testimonials integrated throughout each semester in a from four upper-level Modern History dynamic way, while avoiding repetitions courses over the course of two academic and reflection fatigue. The underlying years, the practice was methodology of the designed and repeat- model was centered edly iterated to assess “The outcomes of imple- around reflecting the ways in which menting this new model in the on both the content the ‘soft power’ of and the process of continuous reflec- four aforementioned classes learning, both in- tive practices impacts exceeded the instructor’s dividually and col- original expectations . . . ” students’ habits of mind, influences laboratively. The design of a model in their intellectual capacity, and tests their which reflection can organically flourish societal attitudes and values. All four was based first and foremost on creating courses were equal in their contextual a social network of learners built on in- complexity, the reading loads and assess- ter-personal relationships and trust. As ment schemes, as well as their relevance well, the instructor generated additional to prominent global issues. The findings interest in course content by construc- Spring 2021 21

tively critiquing existing scholarship, originally designed per course was ex- incentivising student undergraduate re- ceeded by 25% on average. The inten- search, facilitating peer-mentor academic tionality and collaboration principles of presentations by the courses’ alumni and the teaching practice under examination providing self-assessment opportunities were strengthened by the application of to students to examine their personal the principles of design-thinking and learning goals and address knowledge risk-taking. The students were prepared gaps in the area under study. These activ- and encouraged to think experimentally ities resulted in the formation of learn- and experientially, and to take informed ing communities based on mindfulness, risks in student-driven activities, show mutual and self-respect, and peer-to- flexibility and responsiveness, as well peer and peer-to-instructor collegiality. as challenge traditional in-classroom power hierarchies. This contributed On average, by the middle of all se- directly to the creation of an “empow- mesters under examination, a function- ered classroom” in which students and ing “empowered classroom” emerged. instructor become partners in teaching Student groups in all four courses ac- and learning. The instructor’s role as a tively engaged in curriculum design. A sole content provider decreased, where- significant portion of the assessment as their role as a mentor-facilitator in- scheme was dedicated to teamwork, creased significantly. The outcomes of which included seminar co-facilitations, implementing this new model in the and student-proposed reflective prac- four aforementioned classes exceeded tices. The collaboration flowed between the instructor’s original expectations and in-class and out-of-classroom learning can be divided into several categories. spaces, and utilized individual students’ leadership skills, technical abilities, pri- First, on the administrative side, the or learning, and versatile disciplinary model assured high levels of student backgrounds. These all became con- retention and a higher average GPA tributing factors to completing assign- across all four courses. Relatedly, all four ments and meeting the course and pro- courses became an attractive recruit- gram learning outcomes. The process ment feature for the academic program. of continuous reflection accompanied Second, the model cultivated a number all of these collaborative efforts and of transferable skills, critical not only manifested itself in a variety of forms. for the successful completion of an ac- These included written, verbal, and ademic degree but corresponding to the non-verbal reflections, as well as op- most sought-after employment skills. tional take-home reflections that a ma- These include creativity, critical thinking, jority of learners voluntarily completed. coordinating with others, emotional in- Reflection was also built into most of telligence, cognitive flexibility, and oth- the student-driven gamified portion of ers. Third, the new practice cultivated the curriculum and gradually became a mindfulness and inclusivity and resulted natural attribute of all weekly seminars. in an increased level of cross-cultural awareness, competency and dialogue. As a result of this experimental It extended beyond academic life and approach, the number of assignments into social life contributing to the for- 22 NSEE Conference Proceedings

mation of long-lasting friendships data collection, and continue innova- and relationships among peers. The tion within the curriculum design. n “empowered classroom” also demon- strated a direct correlation between peer mentorship and student success. In conclusion, students who had previously felt largely disengaged from an active learning process or had not fully experienced belonging or person- al agency within the post-secondary environment boosted their confidence and ability to learn and showcase their knowledge through this model. Al- though these outcomes were achieved, the model was proven among up- per-level courses and could be partially dependent on the audience in a given class. In this context, learners under- went a transformative experience and reaffirmed the value of high impact practices in Experiential Learning. Implications and Next Steps This practice is geared towards student self-empowerment and the cultivation of life-long learning and transferable skills, thus influencing a clarification of career goals. It is intend- ed to be scaled up and implemented in all upper-level courses taught by the In- structor over the next three years and beyond, and well as shared across the institution as an innovative practice in the area of active learning, and high im- pact practices in Experiential Learning. This will be accomplished by developing a pre-recorded workshop and presen- tation materials which will then be dis- seminated broadly. As well, student tes- timonials will be continuously collected after each class taught according to the Continuous Reflection Model and the concept of the “empowered classroom” in order to improve quality, expand on Spring 2021 23

Learning Analytics to Support Experiential Learning NIKKI JAMES Northeastern University Introduction particularly rural and first-generation Experiential learning, or learning university students (Tiessen et al., 2018). from doing, stems from Dewey’s prop- The lack of experiential learning access osition that “there is an intimate and overall is attributed to experiential learn- necessary relation between the process- ing programs being complex, labor-in- es of actual experience and education” tensive, and difficult to design and de- (Dewey, 1938, p. 19 – 20). The concept liver (Henderson, 2018). However, the was further developed by Kolb (1984) lack of access is magnified for learners and studied in educational practice and whose life commitments outside of research (Allison & Wurdinger, 2005; their education are not amenable to un- Beard & Wilson, 2006; dertaking a full-time Breunig, 2008; Ewert “. . . it is possible that internship in tradition- & Sibthorp, 2009). Ex- learners’ interactions with al working hours, cov- periential learning has the technology could be ering additional costs also been used for ca- indicative of a learner’s of travel, relocating to reer exploration (Men- mindset, approach to learn- access an internship del, 2018), transfer of ing, and learning history.” in their field of study, theory and technical skills to a work envi- or leveraging their personal connections ronment (James et al., 2020), and the de- to secure an internship opportunity. velopment of 21st-century skills (Coun- cil, 2018; Dieu et al., 2018; Fischer, 2018; The emergence of learning ana- James et al., 2018; Servant-Miklos, 2018). lytics and machine learning paired with their use in innovative instructional tech- Traditional experiential learning nology holds promise when developing interventions like co-op experiences alternative experiential learning models and internships, where students work like virtual internships and capstone full-time in a work environment, lead projects, that are more accessible. More- to meaningful learning outcomes (Am- over, their use could help address the la- brose & Poklop, 2015). However, they bor intensity of facilitating experiential are less accessible to non-traditional learning opportunities overall (James et students, like working adult learners, al., 2018). For example, the effective use international students and some under- of real-time learning analytics could aug- represented minority students (URM’s), ment management and facilitation tasks 24 NSEE Conference Proceedings

in technology enabled learning envi- national students in Australia. Practera, ronments (Hernandez-Lara et al., 2019; the learning technology used to en- Alblawi & Alhamed, 2017). Specifically, able the Experiential Business Project displaying a real-time learning analytics program (EBP), is explicitly designed dashboard that identifies potential issues to support the design and facilitation students or industry partners are having of learning programs underpinned by could decrease the time facilitators need Kolb’s experiential learning cycle (Kolb, to invest to find out what is going on, 1984). While completing the EBP, stu- and allow them to instead re-invest that dents use the technology to complete time supporting additional students. This a business project with a team, receive augmentation could responsibly address feedback on the project from an indus- the equity gap in accessibility to experi- try partner, and receive support from ential learning by reducing the complex- the program coordinators who monitor ity and labor intensity for teachers and a real-time learning analytics dashboard faculty, if underpinned by learning theo- to identify when support is required. ry (Gašević et al., 2017; Reimann, 2016). Throughout the EBP, learners com- Research Objective plete two learning theory-based surveys. This research project aims to ex- The surveys are embedded in the pro- gram to help develop their metacogni- amine how the aggregation of learn- tive ability and reflexivity. These surveys ing analytics and learning theory could identify each student’s self-perception augment the facilitation of experien- on their tendency towards a fixed mind- tial learning to increase accessibility set, a growth mindset (Dweck, 2017), without compromising the quality of a deep approach to learning, and a the learning experience for individu- surface approach to learning (Mar- al students. This objective is achieved ton & Saljo, 1976). Additionally, stu- by addressing these two research dents complete a demographic sur- questions in the following sequence: vey that enables the identification of their learning history (Kwak, 2016). - Which data captured by an expe- riential learning technology can be Research Design used to provide actionable insights The research design stems from a re- for facilitators? alist, anti-positivist idiographic perspec- - How can data captured by an tive (Cohen et al., 2007) that perceives experiential learning technology be agency (Bandura, 2001) as the driver of used by facilitators to support their an individual’s choice between determin- practice in experiential learning? ism and voluntarism (Burrell & Morgan, 2005) at each point of actuality (Sachs, Learning Context 2005). This perspective suggests that This research project uses de-identi- humans are irrational and unpredictable, implying that students’ interactions with fied and retrospective data from a tech- technology enabling the EBP would lack nology-enabled experiential learning a pattern or logic. However, neurological program designed specifically to open research finds that although humans are access to experiential learning for inter- Spring 2021 25

unique and irrational, our learned behav- rospective data for over six hundred ior can be predicted (Wood & Rünger, students participating in the EBP pro- 2016). Therefore, it is possible that learn- gram. The student data includes all the ers’ interactions with the technology interactions and time spent on learning could be indicative of a learner’s mind- content, project submissions, skill de- set, approach to learning, and learning velopment reflections, and feedback. history. Unearthing these patterns could provide experiential learning facilitators Data Analysis with insights that enable them to pro- The data analysis process is vide personalized support to learners. completed in three steps: Data Collection - The classification of each element The data collected for use in this of the course design into content categories (Table 1) study include the course design for the EBP program, de-identified, and ret- Table 1. Categorization of program tasks Category Number of Tasks Operational Tasks 30 25 Orientation 5 Other 39 Project Tasks 10 Skill_ Plan 2 Assessment_ Plan 4 Skills_Research 5 Skill_Aggregate Findings 5 Project_Draft 2 Assessment_Draft 4 Skill_Presentation 5 Project_Report 2 Assessment_ProjectReport 45 Skill Development Tasks 6 Skill_Collaboration 7 Self-Assessment 20 Skill_Teamwork 2 Self_Peer_Assessment 5 Skill_Reflection 5 Skill_Networking 26 NSEE Conference Proceedings

- The scoring of the three surveys - A data privacy impact assessment used to identify students’ mindsets, was conducted to ensure every ef- approaches to learning, and learning fort was taken to prevent unautho- history. rized access to the dataset. - A multiple regression analysis Results using R package glmulti to identify The multiple regression analysis to what extent a learner’s behavior engaging with the EBP could be results indicate that a learner’s behav- predictive of their mindset, ap- ior engaging with the EBP could have proaches to learning, and learning some predictive power in identifying a history. learner’s learning history, approach to Ethical Considerations learning, and mindset. Two crucial fac- The use of a learner’s data in educa- tors when evaluating the fit of a multi- tional decision making is discussed and ple regression model is the symmetry critiqued in literature. Considerations of the model, indicated by the residu- include how data is capture, used, and als (Table 2), and the percentage of the stored (Slade & Prinsloo, 2013). Each of variance in the dependent variable that these considerations is looked at through can be explained by the independent both the lens of privacy (Rubel & Jones, variables, indicated by adjusted r.squared 2016) and efficacy (Sclater, 2016). Tak- (Table 3). In this analysis, the fit is de- ing these concerns into consideration, termined by the percentage of the stu- the following parameters were used: dents’ variance in the learning theory surveys that can be explained by the - The data was de-identified by the student’s behavior engaging with partic- technology provider before being ular sub-categories of tasks in the EBP. passed to the researcher. The Symmetry of the Models - The technology provider obtained The residuals (Table 2) show that consent from participants. the learning history, surface approaches - Program coordinators were to learning, fixed mindset, and growth unaware of the consent status of mindset models appear to be symmetri- participants. cal, indicated by a median being close to Table 2. Regression model residuals zero and a consistent symmetry through- out the model. The deep approaches to learning model is asymmetrical. Howev- Regression Min 1Q Median 3Q Max Learning History -12.2785 -2.8880 0.5876 1.2311 14.2311 Deep Approach -33.797 -2.039 20.101 Surface Approach -22.6993 -2.6993 1.5 1.5 22.3007 -7.9919 -0.9919 0.8362 0.8362 9.0081 Fixed Mindset -15.5038 -0.7297 0.2937 0.2937 6.4962 Growth Mindset 0.2802 1.3140 Spring 2021 27

er, the median and 3Q value are 1.5, indi- Discussion cating that over 25% of the students’ ac- The regression analysis results in- tual scores were exactly 1.5 points higher than their predictive score. This model dicate that capturing the time spent is also unbalanced at the extremities, on different types of learning tasks which could indicate an outlier score can be used to provide facilitators in- that impacts the symmetry of the model. sights on a learner engaging with the EBP program. Importantly, the anal- Predictive Power of the ysis provides insight into additional Models data that could further develop these regression models and, subsequently, Table 3 presents the adjusted the accuracy of the insights provid- r.squared for the five regression models ed to experiential learning facilitators. developed. Adjusted r.squared indicates how well the model fits the data, iden- The analysis found that time spent tifying the percentage of variance in a on learning content consumption, sub- learner’s score of the learning theory mission of project tasks, reflective tasks, survey that can be explained by the time peer feedback, and administrative tasks a learner spent on each of the sub-cate- can provide insights about a learner as gories of learning tasks in the EBP. The they engage in the EBP program. Inter- learning history model indicates a pre- estingly, no one type of task had a di- dictive power of 49%. The result needs rect correlation to a particular learning to be considered, understanding that the theory category. The context of the data set is skewed towards one side of task in relation to the project is relevant the learning history continuum. A more when it comes to identifying the learn- balanced dataset may impact the result. ing history, mindset, and approaches to The surface approaches to learning and the learning of learners in the EBP. For deep approaches to learning models example, research on mindset by Dweck have a 40% and 51% predictive power, (2017), indicates a fundamental differ- respectively. The surface approaches to ence in a human’s behavior based on learning model has the lowest predictive whether they believe their intelligence, power and lowest overall significance skills, and performance can be devel- value for each sub-category of tasks oped or not. This analysis found that that have a relationship with a learner learners who indicated a self-perception score on the survey used to identify ap- of a fixed mindset on the survey spent proaches to learning. Finally, the fixed more time on tasks that others could see. mindset and growth mindset models For example, project task submissions or both have a 49.6% predictive power. learning tasks helped them present their Table 3. Adjusted r.squared for the five regression models Category Learning Deep Surface Fixed Growth History Approach Approach Mindset Mindset Adjusted r.squared 0.495 0.513 0.401 0.496 0.496 28 NSEE Conference Proceedings

work to others, whereas learners who for faculty interested in implementing indicated a self-perception of a growth experiential learning opportunities into mindset on the survey spent more time their courses but do not have experi- on learning tasks that indirectly impact- ence facilitating experiential learning. n ed the project, like the 21st century skill References self-assessments and development plans. Alblawi, A. S., & Alhamed, A.A. (2017, Implications for Practice December 11 - 14). Big data and The results of the analysis indicate learning analytics in higher education: Demystifying variety, acquisition, storage, that data captured by instructional tech- NLP and analytics [Conference pre- nology could provide actionable insights sentation]. IEEE 2017 Conference for experiential learning facilitators and on Big Data and Analytics, Boston, instructional designers. Before discuss- MA, United States. ing the implications of this analysis on Allison, P., & Wurdinger, S. (2005). the design and facilitation of experiential Understanding the power, promise, learning in higher education, it is essen- and peril of the experiential learn- tial to note the analysis’ limitations. The ing process. Teacher Education and analysis provides a proof of concept for Practice, 18(4), 386–399. how the effective integration of technol- Ambrose, S. A., & Poklop, L. (2015). ogy into experiential learning programs Do students really learn from could augment the facilitator and pro- experience? Change: The Magazine of vide insights that would help improve Higher Learning, 47(1), 54–61. the instructional design. The regression Bandura, A. (2001). Social cognitive the- models developed in the research proj- ory: An agentic perspective. Annual ect are specific to the EBP program Review of Psychology, 52, 1–26. and require further testing on larger Beard, C. M., & Wilson, J. P. (2006). data sets before being used in practice. Experiential learning: A best practice handbook for educators and trainers: However, as a proof of concept, Kogan Page. the results of this analysis suggest that Breunig, M. (2008). The historical it is possible to use data from instruc- roots of experiential education. In tional technology to gain insight about Warren, K., Mitten, D., Loeffler, T. learners. The analysis could be built into (Eds.) Theory and practice of experien- an instructional technology analytics tial education (pp. 77–92). Associa- dashboard and visualized for learning tion for Experiential Education. facilitators alongside insights from the Burrell, G., & Morgan, G. (2005). learning theories themselves. Facilitators Sociological paradigms and organizational can use these insights to tailor their sup- analysis: Elements of the sociology of port and feedback to specific students. This implementation of real-time learn- ing analytics into technology supported experiential learning programs could in- crease the volume of students an experi- enced facilitator can support. Moreover, it could provide the “training wheels” Spring 2021 29

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Marton, F., & Säljö, R. (1976). On qual- Slade, S., & Prinsloo, P. (2013). Learning itative differences on learning: I. analytics: Ethical issues and dilem- outcome and process. British Journal mas. American Behavioral Scientist, of Educational Psychology, 46(1), 4–11. 57(10), 1509–1528. Mendel, J. (2018). Excel: Exploration Tiessen, R., Grantham, K., & Cameron, of careers through experiential J. (2018). The relationship between learning, [Doctoral Dissertation, experiential learning and career out- New English College]. Pro- comes for alumni of international quest. https://search.proquest. development studies programs in com/openview/8007bdec- Canada. Canadian Journal of Higher 220214fa7734541622910274/1?pq- Education, 48(3), 23–42. origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&dis- s=y Wood, W., & Rünger, D. (2016). Psy- chology of habit. Annual Review of Reimann, P. (2016). Connecting learning Psychology, 67, 289–314. analytics with learning research: The role of design-based research. Learning: Research and Practice, 2(2), 130–142. Rubel, A., & Jones, K.M.L. (2016). Student privacy in learning analyt- ics: An information ethics perspec- tive. The Information Society, 32(2), 143–159. Sachs, J. (2005). Aristotle: Motion and its place in nature. Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://www.iep. utm.edu/aris-mot/ Sclater, N., Peasgood, A., & Mullan, J. (2016). Learning Analytics in higher education: A review of UK and interna- tional practice. Jisc. Servant-Miklos, V. F. (2018). Problem solving skills versus knowledge acquisition: the historical dispute that split problem-based learning into two camps. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 24(3),619–635. Spring 2021 31

Reflection Practices in Consulting Projects for the Learner and Instructor SOPHIA KOUSTAS Southern New Hampshire University CHRIS BLAIS Southern New Hampshire University Introduction sult and work with a business part- As many educators know, there are ner on a project; ideally, this project is highly valued and will have an impact a variety of models to use to practice on the company when completed. The reflection. The two models discussed following is a breakdown of each step. here include: the “What? So What? Now What?” model and the Pre/Post-Mo- What? allows a learner to de- torola model. Both models can be used scribe an experience in detail and is with individuals or teams alike. A key what is factual in nature. This is usu- point of commonality between the two ally the easiest part of reflection, be- models includes not only thinking about cause we are used to “reporting out” an experience, but also taking action go- about an experience, such as our day, ing forward. Taking action or “doing” when asked, “How was your day?” It is a nod to Dewey and Schön; Dewey relates to the “take-in” of information. and Schön encouraged reflective prac- tice or reflection-in-action (Rolfe, 2014). So What? is a reminder to the learner to not only “report out” what Description of the Practices they experienced, but to also to de- What? So What? Now What? scribe what the experience meant to Reflection Tool them; why is it significant to them? What have you learned? What about A primary use of “What? So What? the event made an impact on you? I ask Now What?” is to encourage its prac- learners, “What was your takeaway?” tice in individuals or teams. Although there are team reflections, as the next Now What? relates to what will model will uncover, this model was the learner “do” with the information used mainly with individuals and their gleaned. How could you/will you use practice in working individually and as the information you learned? What a team member. A year-long experi- skills or knowledge have you learned ence where this is used is a team-based, that you will apply in the future? While project-based course. Individuals are placed on a team that is set up to con- 32 NSEE Conference Proceedings

each part of reflection is important, the entire team or as a written individual “Now What?” relates to taking action: reflection. Ideally, the pre- and post-Mo- torola questions become integral in the For Dewey, reflection is not simply learning process and are always complet- having an experience and then ed before and after a learner’s experience. going home to think about it. On the contrary, thinking is an active During the pre-Motorola assess- process that involves forming hy- ment (before the project implementa- potheses and trying them out here tion) the focus is on the learning goals, and now in the real world. Thinking roles, theories, skills, and purpose. or reflection is therefore a form of experimentation. We cannot reflect - What are our learning goals in this in an armchair; reflection can only project? Identifying goals for the take place in practice. (Rolfe, 2014, project, meeting, or event helps the pp. 1179–1180) learners involved understand better the work involved also. The overall The objective of this type of reflec- project goal needs to be clear, suc- tion is to allow the learner to start with cinct, and communicated well for something comfortable and then move everyone to understand. along in the reflective process to dig - What is the customer’s role in the deeper and uncover their learning. A project? Understanding the custom- comprehensive list of additional ques- er role, needs, and related benefits tions can be used in each step (Schlessel- will provide insight to the learner(s). man, 2019). This can be accomplished a number of ways, including journal- ing, video recording, and discussion. Pre- and Post-Motorola - What theories will we use in this Reflection Tool project? This question is extremely important because it is essential for The pre- and post-Motorola reflec- the learner to make the connection tion tool was developed by the Motorola between their theoretical knowledge Telecommunications Company (USA) and praxis. Higher education insti- as a means to prepare and assess proj- tutions are recognizing the impor- ects. Although this tool was developed tance of supporting learners in inte- in industry, it was adapted in education grating their theoretical knowledge initially by Timiakatemia in Finland (Lei- into “practicing theory” (Radović et nonen et al., 2004). This tool can be used al., 2020). in preparing (pre) and assessing (post) - What skills will we use in this proj- learner activities such as a meeting, proj- ect? The entire team is empowered ect, event, internship, etc. (Rajala et al., by identifying skill sets and com- 2017) and is commonly used in a team petencies to be used in the project. setting with a report out by the mem- This question also allows for the bers on related insights. The questions individual or the team to reflect on used in the pre- and post-Motorola are areas for improvement. different and can be facilitated by the in- structor, coach, or learner. The insights are collected during a joint session with Spring 2021 33

- How does this project help us to the roundtable session about reflec- get to our goal? This question helps tion practices, we learned that oth- the learner understand the “why” ers used similar practices and gave of the entire project. students choices in their delivery The post-Motorola assessment hap- method of reflection. The key is to pens after the project has been imple- make it a regular part of practice. n mented and focuses on the opportunities, References challenges, learnings, and future steps. Hedges, M. (2014). Embedding During this set of questions, the team or individual learner is able to authen- threshold concepts: The use of a tically reflect on the overall experience. practice—theory—practice cycle. - What went well? Celebrating Waikato Journal of Education, 19(2), small wins can prove to be a great 83–92. motivator for both a team and an Leinonen, N., Palviainen, P. and Par- individual. tanen, J. (2004). Team Academy: A - What went poorly? Identifying true story of a community that learns by areas for improvement will help the doing. Jyväskylä, Finland: PS-kustan- learner become a life-long learner. nus. - What did we learn? Reflecting on Schlesselman, L. (2019, May 10). What? key takeaways will provide insights So what? Now what? model. https:// for both the project until it is com- cetl.uconn.edu/what-so-what-now- pleted and all other future experien- what-model/. tial activities. Radović, S., Firssova, O., Hummel, H., -What will we do better next time? & Vermeulen, M. (2020). Strength- What will we put into practice? ening the ties between theory and These last two questions set the practice in higher education: An tone for the next experience and investigation into different levels of provide a holistic assessment of the authenticity and processes of re- entire experience. and de-contextualisation. Studies in Overall, the continuous use of Higher Education, 1–16. the pre- and post-Motorola ques- Rajala, M., Jarvis, C., Prieto-Alonso, J., tions helps build community, increas- Aben, I., Brooks, I., Esnaola, A., … es feedback sharing within a team, Diaz Rivas, A. (2017). Greenpreneurs: provides a reflective process for any A handbook for trainers. [pdf]. experiential learning activity, and in- Rolfe, G., (2014). Rethinking reflective creases accountability within the team. education; What would Dewey have Conclusion done? Nurse Education Today 34(8), After facilitating discussion in 1179–1183. 34 NSEE Conference Proceedings

Learner Flexibility in Preparation for Experiential Learning KAY PETERSON Institute for Experiential Learning Learners have preferences for learn- in each experience. As opposed to a ing that may be implicit. Learners find linear information transfer that mea- a comfortable approach to learning that sures outcomes, experiential learning places emphasis on certain parts of the is viewed as a recursive cyclical process learning process and underutilizes or that involves all aspects of a whole per- avoids others (Peterson & Kolb, 2017). son (e.g., affective, perceptual, cognitive, Educators can recognize learner prefer- and behavioral) and can be applied to ences and meet learners where they are any life situation. This ideal process of most comfortable. In addition, educa- learning includes four steps or modes: tors empower learners to be most suc- experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting. cessful when they guide learners around the full learning cycle process, acknowl- In practice, the cycle is more dy- edging tension and resistance. Educators namic and less prescribed, yet deep can design four approaches to address learning requires the use of all four four learning stages and leverage each modes regardless of the order. By do- stage with technology. By this form of ing this, people are able to experience scaffolding, educators encourage learn- an effective, well-balanced learning and er flexibility and empower learners to living process that keeps their subjec- adopt this full cycle learning process. tive experience at the center of learn- ing, improves retention, and increases Experiential Learning effectiveness. To be effective, the pro- Kolb (2015) synthesized the work cess of learning requires the resolution of conflicts between dialectically op- of nine foundational scholars from ed- posed modes that motivate learning. ucation, psychology and philosophy to The north-south axis of experiencing develop an ideal process of learning and thinking are two interdependent and and developing from experience (e.g., opposite ways of grasping information the learning cycle) and described prefer- to understand the world. Experiencing ences for using it. Experiential Learning (learner focused) is direct and subjec- is based on several unique perspectives tive, while thinking (content focused) is on learning and development begin- an interpretation that is generalized and ning with the awareness that learning objective. Reflecting (meaning focused) is present in every life experience and and acting (action focused) are two inter- there exists an invitation to be engaged Spring 2021 35

dependent and opposite means of trans- er than zoning in immediately on one forming or processing our experiences portion of the reflection. Educators and thoughts. Learners connect direct may allow for different forms of com- experience to general knowledge by re- munication by including asynchronous flecting about the meaning and implica- team chat or cohort discussions that are tion of our experience. They transform based on messages delivered with video. our abstract thinking and feelings into behavior by acting (Kolb et al., 2014). Conceptualizing learners (reflecting Learner Preference and Full and thinking, connecting meaning with Cycle Learning content) prefer authoritative, specialized content delivery with educators who as- Most learners find that they use sume an expert role (Kolb et al., 2014). certain learning stages and avoid or un- Educators can guide learners here by derutilize others (Kolb, 2015). These helping them find and understand expert preferences lead to basic orientations knowledge and theory from reading as- as learners: diverging, conceptualiz- signments, videos, podcasts, and lectures ing, evaluating, and doing. Educators in order to think like an expert in the can identify learner preferences, then field. With content now available from lead learners around the entire cycle by a myriad of sources, educators may now adopting four different approaches and become curators of exceptional content employing design and technology tech- that encourages learner analysis instead niques that drive learners to move out of of developing and delivering their own. their comfort zones (Kolb et al., 2014). Technology can leverage this reflect- ing-thinking stage of learning in virtu- Diverging learners prefer experienc- al classes through a flipped classroom ing and reflecting connecting, learner design, and online talks and podcasts and meaning (Kolb et al., 2014). They to engage learners (especially for learn- prefer warm, affirming interactions and ers who may underutilize this stage). conversations with educators who as- sume a facilitator role. Educators can Educators can scaffold this learning guide learners with diverging by help- challenge by putting theoretical content ing them to find personal relevance in context to make it meaningful, point- in a topic with facilitated discussions, ing out explicitly how theory transfers breakout rooms, and chats. By provid- from the classroom to real world and ing scaffolded reflections, discussion ways in which it will support their learn- prompts and journal assignments, edu- ing submission. Educators may consid- cators encourage learners to connect to er choosing technology that provides feelings, values, and beliefs. Educators locking and hiding features that insist on can also leverage technology to support content completion before ensuing as- diverging by breaking up reflective ques- signments are revealed or submitted. To tion prompts with text boxes that have incentivize learners to analyze theoreti- a character minimum so that students cal concepts that form conclusions prior must address each question, imagine to completing assignments, educators different possibilities, and answer all can also try using badges and extra cred- aspects of the reflective questions rath- it in the course to reward this approach. 36 NSEE Conference Proceedings

Evaluating learners (thinking and include not only what students are do- acting connecting subject with action) ing, but how they are doing it; therefore, like objective, result oriented feedback learners get the added benefit of learn- in structured evaluation from educators ing to work productively together as a who assume an evaluator, standard set- team. Educators can use the automation ter role (Kolb et al, 2014). Educators can of technology platforms to invite in- provide structured feedback through dustry partners to provide the enhanced graded assignments or demonstration of perspective of real-world feedback, es- learning that allows the learner to evalu- pecially since the virtual environment ate his or her own progress and continue facilitates ease of their participation. to improve. Graded assignments, mod- erated feedback and expert evaluation of Doing learners (acting and experi- performance are means of guiding learn- encing, connecting action with learner) ers through this part of the cycle. Tech- like applied, collaborative situations that nology leverages the evaluating stage in allow for contextual, hands-on learning learning by allowing educators both to from educators who assume a coaching insert more frequent feedback and to role (Kolb et al., 2014). Educators can distribute feedback requests to more provide time and space for trial and error parties (such as peers experiments that allow and industry experts, “With content now avail- learners to practice ap- in addition to the ed- able from a myriad of plying what they have ucator). This feedback sources, educators may learned. Educators can is a catalyst for stu- design skill labs, team- dents to make chang- now become curators of work, and interactive es and improvements. exceptional content that experiences to allow Students who prefer encourages learner analysis learners to do things. this stage will be rein- instead of developing and In this stage of learn- delivering their own.” forced and engaged; students who avoid ing, often the most neglected due to lim- this stage from performance pressure will itations in time and resources, technolo- experience how feedback ignites learn- gy offers a great potential to open access ing and prepares them for the real world. to more experiential learning opportuni- ties for more learners (James et al., 2020). Educators can consider choosing technology that can provide 360° re- Through technology-enabled pro- view capability to distribute feedback grams, educators can scale experiential frequently throughout a program rather learning programs to reach more stu- than simply evaluating once at the end of dents in more defined, scaffolded experi- the program when the learner may not ences that uncouple complex competen- iterate to practice new behaviors. These cies, such as teamwork, one capability at frequent developmental assessments a time (James et al., 2018). For instance, allow a learner to adjust behavior, im- working with a team involves having prove skills, and learn to give and receive awareness of self and others, sharing a feedback; learners are able to practice mental model of a teamwork process, making changes: the essence of learn- communicating with others, giving and ing from experience. This evaluation can receiving feedback, managing time and Spring 2021 37

resources, and being accountable to get Kolb, A.Y., Kolb, D.A., Passarelli, A., things done. In the current virtual con- & Sharma, G. (2014). On becom- text, it also involves working remotely ing an experiential educator: The and managing collaboration tools. These educator role profile. Simulation and many complex competencies must come Gaming, 45, 204–234. together for a learner to be successful with a complex, holistic one-time ex- Peterson, K. & Kolb, D. A. (2017). How perience. With technology, educators you learn is how you live: Using nine ways can scaffold learning experiences over of learning to transform your life. time in a stepwise, graduated manner Berrett-Koehler. to build one competency at a time, al- lowing students to uncouple various Sharma, G. & Kolb, D. A. (2010). The skills to make the practice more focused. learning flexibility index: Assessing contextual flexibility in learning To accomplish this design and execu- style. In S. Rayner and E. Cools tion, educators will benefit from recog- (Eds.), Style differences in cognition, nizing their own preferences for learning learning, and management: Theory, and educating. In doing so, they become research and practice (pp. 60–77). aware of the results from using their Routledge. preferred approach and finding ways to supplement it through design, technol- ogy, and learning from experience. n References James, N., Humez, A., & Laufenberg, P. (2020) Using technology to structure and scaffold real world experiential learning in distance education. TechTrends, 64, 636–645. James, N., Kovanovic, V., Marshall, R., Joksimovic, S., & Pardo, A. (2018, October 3–5). Examining the value of learning analytics for supporting work-integrated learning [Conference presentation]. Australian Cooper- ative Education Network Confer- ence, Sydney, Australia. Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (2nd ed.). Pearson Education. 38 NSEE Conference Proceedings

Challenge Accepted! Going Gameful to Develop Soft Skills LAURIE A. SUTCH University of Michigan - Dearborn Introduction students were already doing, not add ex- Today’s workplace requires creative, tra work that wouldn’t appeal to them. flexible, and adaptable project leaders and problem solvers who can interact Created in Canvas, the University’s with the diverse world around them in learning management system, the Tal- positive ways. At the same time, they ent Gateway is easily accessible to all must also balance professional demands students, whenever it is convenient for with lifelong learning and a personal life. them. Participation is voluntary, so stu- College students are trying to prepare for dents opt in, and by leveraging tools jobs that don’t even exist yet, requiring that already exist on campus, it is scal- skills that can trans- able and sustainable. fer across positions “Being ‘challenged’ to try This online program and career paths. In new tasks and experiences is open to all students, response to this need, encourages them to step with participants who in 2016 the University range from first-year of Michigan-Dear- outside of their comfort to graduate students. born created the Tal- zones in ways they would When students join the not have before . ..” ent Gateway, an innovative program Talent Gateway, they become part of a that promotes a holistic approach to ca- community that connects them to cam- reer-readiness through gameful learning. pus resources and helps them identify and engage with mentors as well as de- The creators of this program want- velop habits of self-reflection and critical ed something that would 1) help stu- thinking. Reflection is the cornerstone dents build habits of creativity and rein- of the Talent Gateway, and as students vention; 2) be student-driven, inclusive, earn points for submitting “challenges” voluntary, scalable, and sustainable; and that prompt them to explore their aca- 3) encourage students to reflect on their demic, personal and professional experi- personal and professional experiences as ences and goals, they learn to recognize well as their curricular and co-curricular and leverage connections among all of activities. Knowing that UM-Dearborn their learning and living experiences. By students have busy, demanding lives developing habits of self-reflection, ini- outside of class, the creators also want- tiative and creativity, those who partici- ed a program that would leverage what pate in the Talent Gateway are not only Spring 2021 39

ready for their first professional posi- Upon completion of 10 challenges tion but are more prepared to reinvent in a specific category, students “unlock” themselves throughout their careers. the associated Competency Capstone. In Building Skills in the Talent the capstone, they express their skills in Gateway the competency as they would in a cover letter or résumé, and most important- As the program was in the final stag- ly, they answer interview questions as- es of development, one of the creators sociated with that skill (some of which learned of a new tool developed by Uni- are submitted by employer partners). If versity of Michigan-Ann Arbor called students are awarded points for the cap- Gradecraft. This was a game changer for stone, they also receive a digital badge. the program, and today, the foundations of the Talent Gateway are the challenges The principles of gameful learning in Gradecraft and a “gameful learning” can be found throughout the Talent approach. Gradecraft was originally cre- Gateway – students all start at zero and ated for traditional classes to increase choose their own path. That includes the abil- student autonomy, engagement, and in- ity to choose a competency – for exam- trinsic motivation. At its core are four ple, leadership – and work on challenges foundational concepts (Aguilar et al., that specifically relate to that skill. They 2015; GradeCraft, n.d.): 1) Earn up; 2) also have the freedom to fail; if they do not Autonomy of choice; 3) Freedom to fail; and answer all of the reflection questions in 4) Tangible progress. The Talent Gateway a challenge, their submission is returned uses Gradecraft to create “challenges” with feedback from the Talent Ambas- – small tasks with associated reflection sador that encourages them to think questions. Each challenge prompts stu- critically, revise, and resubmit. They can dents to reflect on how that task impacts choose to resubmit or move on, with no their academic, personal, and profes- penalty or consequence. Students can see sional success as well as how the expe- their progress on their dashboard, and in rience or skill can be applied in life af- addition to digital badges for competen- ter college. Challenges are reviewed and cies, students can earn badges and awards awarded by upperclassmen and graduate for ascending levels of (M)Talent, cul- student workers called Talent Ambas- minating in the (M)Talent distinction. sadors. The Ambassadors themselves Earning the (M)Talent gain valuable skills including sharing Distinction constructive feedback, communica- tion skills, time management and more. One of the strengths of this pro- gram is that students can participate Many of these challenges are during their entire UM-Dearborn jour- tagged with the National Association ney, working towards earning the (M) of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Talent distinction. If their schedules get competencies (as well as the additional busy or they lose interest, they can stop competencies of Creativity and Civic submitting challenges and come back Engagement). As students complete at a later time. When a student earns challenges, they are also developing and 50,000 points, they are eligible to present learning to articulate these competencies. at an (M)Talent Showcase. These events 40 NSEE Conference Proceedings

are opportunities for students to con- like “Discover Your Inner Superhero” or nect and network with employers, and “Me in 3 Short Words,” which adds an for employers to experience firsthand element of fun. But the depth of student the quality and caliber of these students. reflection is clear: even through challeng- es that are “easy”, students display a new Through a short Ted Talk-style understanding and comprehension of presentation, the candidates share their how their academic, career, and person- stories of growth and development, and al goals (and growth) intersect to make demonstrate the skills they have gained them more insightful about who they that make them ready for the workforce. are and how their skills make them more Even then they are not finished; after marketable as employees. Being “chal- the event, they must have a debrief with lenged” to try new tasks and experiences staff to discuss what went well, what encourages them to step outside of their they would do differently, and what they comfort zones in ways they would not have learned from the Talent Gateway have before, bringing new confidence experience as whole. The (M)Talent dis- to then step out – and up – even more. tinction is then awarded on the students’ official transcript, and these students are Employers seek graduates with recognized at graduation. Currently al- not only the academic knowledge and most 1000 students (10% of the student hard skills required of the position, population) participate in the Talent but soft skills as well (Stewart et al., Gateway, and 500 participants have grad- 2016). Graduates with strong interper- uated. Eighty-one students have earned sonal skills contribute positively to the the (M)Talent distinction, and we an- organization. These employees will be ticipate 25-30 more in December 2020. adaptable and ready to pivot to meet Why is This Important? the changing needs of today’s work- place. By reflecting on their experiences As mentioned, the Talent Gate- in the Talent Gateway, students are bet- way is a community. Since UM-Dear- ter able to articulate and demonstrate born is primarily a commuter campus, their soft skills, and this can help them this program provides a connection be successful no matter where they go to a community and campus life that next in life. One recent graduate shared: is sometimes hard for commuters to develop – and is even more import- At my pharmacy school interview, ant during the 2020 pandemic. As one the Dean gave a presentation to student said, “I love Talent Gateway the group of candidates, stat- because of the sense of community it ing that employers are looking gives you. As a non-traditional student, for graduate students who have the Gateway is the first thing that made strong soft skills. When she ad- me feel like a student here, and when dressed the applicants asking if I started the Gateway, I had this com- anyone knew what soft skills were, mon experience with other students.” I was the only one who nodded and was able to explain what they There are certainly some challenges are. Although this may be a simple in the Gateway that are lighter in tone, thing, answering this question helped me stand out to the Dean on interview day and made me more confident to answer other Spring 2021 41

questions. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without my involve- ment in the Talent Gateway. n References Aguilar, S. J., Holman, C., & Fishman, B. J. (2015). Game-inspired design: Empirical evidence in support of gameful learning environments. Games and Culture, 13(1), 44–70. Stewart, C., Wall, A., & Marciniec, S. (2016). Mixed signals: Do college graduates have the soft skills that employers want? Competition Forum, 14, 276–281. GradeCraft. (2020). Welcome to Grade- craft! Retrieved February, 16th, 2021, from https://gradecraft.com/. 42 NSEE Conference Proceedings

An Exploration of Experiential Learning Practices Utilized by STEM Educators MARK D. THREETON Pennsylvania State University KYUNGIN KIM Pennsylvania State University Introduction over 300 workers under the age of 24 Many young people today begin died from work-related injuries. Similar- ly, safety related literature has also illus- their career after completing an applied trated that teens are at a higher risk of STEM related program within career injuries and fatalities when compared to and technical education (CTE). CTE adults (National Institute for Occupa- provides an integrated STEM education tional Safety and Health, 2020). These program, which is structured to help findings are alarming, given that a mul- students develop the knowledge, skills, titude of teens and young adults under and dispositions which are required of age 24 are enrolled within CTE pro- high-tech career professionals. Exam- grams. As a training ground for STEM ples of CTE programs include, but are related fields, career and technical ed- not limited to, automotive and diesel ucators must provide a safe teaching technology, biotechnology, construction and learning environment while simul- trade technology, cosmetology, elec- taneously preparing students to work tromechanical engineering technology, safely in the school, in order totransfer and health/medical assisting services these skill sets to real-world application technology. Over the years, safety and (Threeton & Walter, 2013). To accom- health within these technical programs plish this, educators utilize certain in- has been a major concern; these are structional practices, which may serve simulated educational environments to better promote this transfer of learn- that contain the same occupational haz- ing (Threeton et al., 2019; Threeton & ards found in the actual technical field. Walter, 2013). However, little research has been conducted on whether these While instructors expend a great instructors are using experiential learn- effort to teach safety and health to stu- ing practices to teach safety and health. dents, accidents still occur on occasion Therefore, the study seeks to explore this and in some cases can be very serious gap. The results from the study could (Gray & Herr, 1997). All individuals can lead to new discoveries about teaching, be susceptible to accidents. In 2019, learning, and enhanced techniques for the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Spring 2021 43

delivering safety and health instruction. concrete experience (CE), reflective ob- servation (RO), abstract conceptualiza- Purpose, Research Questions, tion (AC), and active experimentation and Design (AE). Given that the model is based on grasping and transforming experience, The purpose of the study was to the learning process can begin at any explore how applied STEM educators one of these four modes and should of CTE define experiential learning and be regarded as a continuous experien- utilize it while teaching safety and health tial learning cycle (Kolb & Fry, 1975). subjects in their educational programs. Educators can utilize the experiential The study sought to answer the follow- learning cycle within their instruction ing questions by employing the corre- to promote the transfer of learning. sponding research design (see Table 1). Therefore, Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle (1984) will serve as a foundation Theoretical Framework from which to measure how educators The theoretical framework utilized within the study define and utilize this model while teaching safety and health. for this study is Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) (1984). With- Data Collection and Analysis in the model, individuals engage in real A focus group methodology was em- world learning experiences and have opportunities to apply knowledge by ployed to address the research questions watching, thinking, doing, and feeling. in the study, along with a pre-survey that Specifically, the model has four modes: Table 1. Research question and design alignment Research Question Design Analysis RQ1: How do educa- Qualitative data col- Coding for tors define experiential lected from 3 focus descriptors learning? groups and themes RQ2: To what degree Quantitative data col- Pre-survey results are educators using lected from a presur- calculated and experiential learning vey and qualitative coding for instruc- to teach safety and data from 3 focus health? groups tional practices and themes RQ3: What elements of Quantitative data Pre-survey results the experiential learning collected from a calculated and cycle are used to teach pre-survey and coding for instruc- safety and health? qualitative data from tional practices three focus groups and themes 44 NSEE Conference Proceedings

collected demographic information Background of the Participants from participants and explored their frequency of using experiential learn- Most participants were male ing practices while teaching safety and (90.5%). Approximately 57% of par- health. The participants in the focus ticipants reported that they reside in groups included 21 applied secondary the age range of 42-52. Participants re- STEM educators of CTE in automo- ported 6 to 10 years (23.8%) or 11 to tive and diesel technology, building trade 15 years (23.8%) of work experience. technology, carpentry, cosmetology, and Participants also revealed their specific masonry; the educators were from var- instructional discipline which included: ious schools located within a 30-coun- carpentry (31.6%), building trade tech- ty region of an eastern U.S. state. Pri- nology (26.3%), automotive technology or to the actual focus group sessions, (15.8%), masonry (10.5%), diesel tech- human subject protocol approval was nology (10.5%), and cosmetology (5.3%). obtained from the designated higher education institution and informed con- Results sent was secured from all participants. RQ1: How do STEM educators of CTE define experiential There were three focus groups con- learning? ducted in total, which averaged five to ten participants per session. Each ses- While the research is still in the sion was audio recorded. Additional- analysis phase, the investigators have ly, the sessions contained a moderator identified some initial findings that can and an assistant moderator to facilitate be highlighted in the manuscript. Ac- discussion and take notes. At the end cording to participants, there were two of each focus group session, the assis- general definitions of experiential learn- tant moderator verbally reviewed the ing. These included allowing students to notes that were taken. The participants acquire knowledge and skills about con- from each focus group session were cepts by transferring past experiences of then asked if what was covered in the teachers or others to students; setting up notes was an accurate representation of scenarios that mimic real world condi- the discussion to which all participants tions; and providing training to teach stu- replied affirmatively. After the member dents how to deal with those situations. check process was complete, each focus group discussion was concluded. The au- RQ2: To what degree are dio recordings were professionally tran- educators using experiential scribed. An analysis of qualitative data learning to teach safety and employed a thorough process of reading health practices? and an in-depth review of the written and audio transcripts to illuminate the While the research is still in the concepts and themes from which in- analysis phase, initial results revealed terpretations were revealed. Finally, the that most of the educators use experi- pre-survey results were calculated to as- ential learning practices in many parts sist in answering the research questions. of their classes. They also mentioned that the experiential learning practic- es took up more than 90% of their instruction when teaching safety and health. These findings are aligned with Spring 2021 45

the results of the pre-survey which in- experiential learning for safety and dicated that 95% of participants use health instruction (see Tables 2 and 3). Table 2. Experiential learning practices (N=20) N% Variables Yes 19 95.0 No 1 5.0 The use of experiential learning practices when teaching safety and health Table 3. Experient ial learnin g practices Pre-Survey Questions Always Frequently Sometimes Never 1. How often do you use ex- 7 6 62 periential learning practices (33.3%) (28.6%) (28.6%) (9.5%) when you teach safety and health in your CTE pro- 7 8 40 gram? (N=21) (36.8%) (42.2%) (21.0%) (0.0%) 2. Experiential learning op- 6 7 61 portunities in my program (30.0%) (35.0%) (30.0%) (5.0%) include an actual student experience while learning 3 12 41 about safety and health (15.0%) (60.0%) (20.0%) (5.0%) (N=19) 7 8 32 3. Experiential learning op- (35.0%) (40.0%) (15.0%) (10.0%) portunities in my program include a student reflection component while learning about safety and health (N=20) 4. Experiential learning op- portunities in my program include students drawing conclusions while learning about safety and health (N=20) 5. Experiential learning op- portunities in my program include students using new skills or knowledge while learning about safety and health (N=20) Note: Some participants did not respond to all items on the pre-survey. 46 NSEE Conference Proceedings