Enhancing experiential learning access

Recently, I attended the 2024 Society for Experiential Education (SEE) international conference that brought together experiential learning (EL) researchers, practitioners, and administrators to address the challenges and opportunities in embedding EL initiatives into post-secondary institutions. Our UCalgary team presented two initiatives led by the Office of Experiential Learning.

The first was an introduction to the newly revised EL Framework, through which we invited feedback from EL experts. This framework offers practitioners and program developers a practical, decolonized approach to making experiential learning more accessible and inclusive across all types of EL.

The second was a panel discussion on "Small Experiential Learning," or Small EL, an enthusiastic and energetic UCalgary community of faculty and staff engaged in classroom-based and co-curricular EL projects that are small in scope but significant in impact. The response at the SEE conference was overwhelmingly positive, and our conversations with representatives from other institutions made it clear that UCalgary is at the forefront of rethinking experiential learning.

The SEE conference also made it very apparent that across North American campuses, Offices of Experiential Learning are focused on making EL experiences more accessible and equitable for all students. This shift aligns with the findings of our 2022 Equitable Pathways Project, which highlights students' desire for more integrated and accessible EL opportunities in both curricular and co-curricular spaces. Our revised EL Framework, grounded in the principles of our Indigenous Strategy, ii' taa'poh'to'p, redefines EL as "doing, being, connecting, and reflecting."

While doing is a defining characteristic that distinguishes EL from other forms of learning, meaningful EL goes beyond hands-on activities. When well-designed, EL fosters students' understanding of themselves as whole beings with intellectual, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual dimensions. It helps them build connections within academic and local communities and supports personal, academic, and professional growth through reflection.

The revised EL Framework also invites practitioners to view experiential learning as a continuum, described by the context of each experience and the purpose of the activity in relation to student learning, rather than by rigid categories. This approach provides a more flexible and inclusive structure for developing EL opportunities that resonate with students and their diverse learning needs.                

The Small EL cohort, meanwhile, comprises faculty and staff from across campus who are engaged in small-scale EL activities. Small EL incorporates hands-on, practical learning experiences on a smaller scale within classroom settings. Unlike larger-scale internships or extensive fieldwork, Small EL is intentionally focused on specific aspects of a subject, experience, or skill set. This approach offers flexible, accessible, and inclusive EL opportunities in the curricular space, where students are already engaged, helping to overcome barriers to EL participation.

These two projects are the culmination of months of extensive campus networking, relationship-building, consultations, and discussions about reconciliation. I believe these initiatives are integral to helping UCalgary achieve the ambitious targets set in the 2020 EL Plan: that by 2025, undergraduate students will complete at least two EL activities within their degree programs, and graduate students will have the opportunity to complete at least one.

These initiatives can expand access to EL, reduce participation barriers, increase opportunities, and, with robust tracking, enable UCalgary to benchmark and identify EL engagement across campus. The beauty of this approach is that no entirely new programs need to be built; it’s about providing more resources, support, and amplification for the exceptional EL work already being done by practitioners across campus.

Expanding access to experiential learning is not only about increasing opportunities but also about ensuring these experiences are inclusive, accessible, and impactful for all students. The two initiatives presented—our revised EL Framework and the Small EL program—highlight UCalgary's commitment to supporting diverse learning pathways that meet students where they are and help them engage meaningfully with their academic and local communities.

By fostering a learning environment that values connection, reflection, and inclusivity, we’re building a stronger, more engaged student body equipped for both personal and professional success. As these initiatives continue to grow, they promise to make experiential learning an integral and transformative part of every student’s educational journey.