Experiential Learning: Engaging Students through Active Practices

Community Information

Facilitator: Shannon Orr, Professor, Political Science Department & CFE Faculty Associate

Community Duration: Fall 2025

Meeting Schedule, Modality & Location: 

• Wed, Sept 17, 10:30-11:30 AM, Jerome Library Room 142
• Wed, Oct 8,10:30-11:30 AM, Jerome Library Collab Lab
• Wed, Oct 29,10:30-11:30 AM, Jerome Library Collab Lab
• Wed, Nov 19, 10:30-11:30 AM, Jerome Library Room 142
• Wed, Dec 3, 10:30-11:30 AM, Jerome Library Room 142

Community Participants: All BGSU faculty, adjunct instructors, graduate students who are interested in active teaching methods are encouraged to participate.

Community Description:

Are you looking for new ways to bring your teaching to life and connect students with real-world learning? This community will explore experiential learning as a pedagogical strategy to enhance student engagement and support student success. 

Experiential learning will be broadly defined to include a range of experiences, including internships, simulations, field trips and community projects. These are real-world, active learning techniques that look beyond the classroom. Together as a community we will cover topics such as designing impactful experiential activities, assessing learning outcomes, and integrating these strategies into diverse disciplines. 

Meetings will include group discussions, case study analysis, hands-on practice, and guest speakers with expertise in experiential learning. Participants will participate in collaborative discussions with colleagues, gain practical tools and resources to implement experiential methods, and exchange feedback on with community members on their teaching approaches. By the end of the semester, you will develop a concrete plan for incorporating experiential learning into their courses. 

Community Learning Outcomes:

By participating in this community, you will be able to:

• Define experiential learning and understand its benefits for student engagement and learning.
• Identify effective experiential learning strategies for their discipline.
• Develop and refine an experiential learning activity or project for their course(s).
• Assess the impact of experiential learning on student outcomes.
• Foster collaboration and exchange ideas with peers across disciplines.
• Gain confidence in implementing active, student-centered teaching methods.

Participant Expectations:

As a member of this community, you are expected to:

• Meet the community learning outcomes.
• Actively participate in and attend at least 80% of all scheduled community meetings (or meet the participation requirement determined by the facilitator).
• Complete any assignments and/or asynchronous tasks.
• Complete any necessary deliverable activities or projects as determined by the facilitator.

Registration for this community is now closed.