Highlights

• Experiential learning
• Integration of online learning and intensives
• Tools for interactivity

Hear about Dr Steve Guinea’s experience.

ACU Case study: Experiential learning intensives (HLSC628)
Many thanks to the Faculty of Law and Business for the use of their Pop-up Studio equipment to record this interview.
Length: 7 mins.

Unit design

The unit’s design was influenced by the work of David Boud in the area of experience based learning.

Experience based learning

EBL is based on a set of assumptions about learning from experience.

These have been identified by Boud, Cohen and Walker (1993) as:

• experience is the foundation of, and the stimulus for, learning
• learners actively construct their own experience
• learning is a holistic process
• learning is socially and culturally constructed
• learning is influenced by the socio-emotional context in which it occurs.

Cited in (Andresen, Boud and Cohen, 1995, p.1).

Online learning strategies

Strategies were put in place to familarise students to online learning. This included the creation of a comprehensive orientation module covering:

• Module learning outcomes
• Navigating the unit
• Strategies for online learning
• Introductory activity
• Introduction to some of the tools of the unit
• Webinar access info
• Overview of the unit

Structure

Assessment

The above assessments may have been designed before the latest update to the ACU Assessment Policy. See Assessment Policy for up-to-date advice on designing your assessments.

Scroll through these pages to see a recreated example of the Orientation Module in this unit.

Technology

This is a list of some of the major tools used in this unit.

Support

These are examples of the kinds of support the academic staff building this unit drew on.

• eLearning advisors
• Faculty educational designer

Student feedback

• "Mixed mode of delivery, allowed for more interactions among participants and lecturer."
• "The small interactive group in our drop in session was really good, instead of everything being online only."
• "Flexible mode of study which allowed for feedback and interactions among lecturer and participants."
• "Weekly webinars/ conference calls. Fantastic for group interaction and discussion."
• "(Students learnt) creative ways to deliver content (from HLSC628 for their own job role)"

Lessons learned

• consider the impression you want your unit to portray, the look and feel
• set aside a lot of time to put the unit together
• consider engaging with an educational designer
• consider what can be delivered online and what is face-to-face, how to best use that time

Next time

Steve would like to focus on the following for future iterations of the unit:

• Wants to integrate more experiential activities
• More two-way communication
• Gamification and interaction
• More videos that demonstrate key concepts

Further reading

• Experience-based learning: Contemporary issues (Andresen, Boud & Cohen 1995)
• In the following chapter and videos Boud presents a model that is a continuation of the work he has been doing for about 30 years. It’s a more concrete interpretation than experiential learning. Locating immersive experience in experiential learning (Boud, 2010).

References

Andresen, L David, B and Cohen, R 1995. Experience based learning: Contemporary Issues. Chapter published in Foley, G. (Ed.). Understanding Adult Education and Training. Second Edition. Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 225-239.

Boud, D. (2010). Locating immersive experience in experiential learning. In N. Jackson (Ed.), Learning to be professional through a higher education e-book. Retrieved from http://learningtobeprofessional.pbworks.com/w/page/15914981/Learning%20to%20be%20Professional%20through%20a%20Higher%20Education%20e-Book.