“Experiential education is a philosophy that informs many methodologies in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people’s capacity to contribute to their communities.” Association for Experiential Education.
Curricular
All of the following activities are part of the course requirements, where students will receive a
grade for the activity.
Develop, plan, coordinate, attend or present an original work at a conference or exhibition.
Work with a client to identify issues or opportunities and develop and/or implement solutions and/or strategies.
Alternate academic study with paid work terms to gain relevant knowledge of the industry or workplace.
Develop artistic, physical, technical, management or production skills through intensive embodied and/or practice-based experiences.
Produce, manage, curate or participate in a dramatic, artistic, dance or musical performance or exhibit for an audience (virtual, live).
Identify problems and prototype/test solutions to create a final artistic, scientific, business or other project.
Develop, deliver or attend an event in order to network with community partners and present and gather feedback on projects and ideas.
Develop and complete a research thesis/dissertation through systematic investigation, discovery, synthesis and/or application of information designed to solve a specific problem or answer an original research question.
Develop and complete a major research paper or thesis project through discovery, synthesis, and/or application of information to solve a specific problem or question.
Explore academic content in a purposeful way outside the classroom through short-term field trips and/or field-work (less than 20 hours) in Canada.
Intensive and immersive time in the field (21+ hours) to study and apply academic concepts within Canada.
Explore academic content in a purposeful way outside the classroom through short-term field trips and/or field-work (less than 20 hours) outside of Canada.
Intensive and immersive time in the field (21+ hours) to study and apply academic concepts outside of Canada.
Participate in discipline-specific, supervised, full-time work during the study period (400+ hours, paid/unpaid).
Observe, test and apply course concepts in a controlled setting specialized for small group learning (typically affiliated with specific technology and/or facilities).
Supervised, practice-based experience in employment-related field of study.
Supervised, practice-based experience required for professional licensing or certification.
Develop and complete a project as an independent study working individually or in small groups with a faculty member(s).
Engage with academic content through content-specific activities such as simulations, demonstrations, archival or design work, role play and/or case studies.
Address a community need (on campus or beyond) in a reciprocal partnership through the integration of course content, academic theory and assessed critical reflection to produce meaningful outcomes in personal, academic and civic learning.
Co-Curricular/Additional Opportunities
Additional opportunities to gain meaningful experience as part of broader academic programs or co-curricular opportunities are also part of the Brock experience and outlined below:
Develop, enhance, and/or improve your understanding and skills from ten themed domains within the CWC designed to help navigate the many opportunities to engage in activities outside the classroom both on or off campus. (i.e. volunteering, university governance, peer tutoring, learning skills workshops, career development sessions, athletics, etc.)
Cultivate, organize and/or manage a business, social enterprise or creative idea from development through implementation.
Participate in a club, conference, or competition. (i.e. Business Students’ Association, Model UN, etc.)
Present and/or publish an original work or contribute to a publication in an editorial, original author or co-author capacity including open access publishing and the Brock digital repository.
Study internationally for one term, academic credit, and/or additional degree.
Gain experience with teaching and classroom facilitation as part of a graduate or undergraduate programs.
Design, build and participate in essential professional skills training sessions and programs that assist you in developing, translating and expressing your experiences, academic and professional skills.
We would like to acknowledge the University of Victoria for their consultations, as well as the faculty, staff and students who took time to engage in the conversation that has shaped our definitions for the future development of experiential education at Brock.