Model and Designation for Experiential Learning
The BSU Experiential Learning Model
As part of BSU Strategic Plan, the university is moving toward an updated model for experiential learning. In Spring 2023, a founding Director of Experiential Learning was hired, a partnership with the PeopleGrove (formerly known as the Student Opportunity Center) was formed, and an Experiential Learning Taskforce consisting of more than 20 faculty, staff, administrators, students, and community partners was assembled...their charge, to scale experiential learning at the university.
Since then, several strategic directions for an updated experiential learning model have been identified and the university is in progress towards implementing some of those changes including the EL Definition, EL Designation, EL Experience Classification Levels, and EL Foundational Components and Features as well as the Student Opportunity Center System powered by PeopleGrove, which is the university's new, premiere experiential learning management system that centralizes experiential learning activities.
EL Definition
Experiential learning (EL), also known as applied learning, is an engaged process of learning whereby students “learn by doing” and “reflecting on that experience" (Kolb, 1984). Rather than through lecture alone, experiential learning actively involves students in hands-on experiences within real-world, expert guided, laboratory, role-play, or simulated situations and settings. As a result, students are placed in the center of the learning process, and the entire campus and world becomes their classroom. This provides for authentic and meaningful learning for students, through which their potential and transformation is unleashed. Across the university, experiential learning activities integrated throughout the curriculum and co-curriculum both on- and off-campus take many different forms for students such as capstones, entrepreneurship, internships, research, study abroad, and much more. However, all of these types of experiential learning activities allow students to have "direct hands-on experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop individual capacity to contribute to their communities" (AEE, 2024).
EL Designation
Experiential learning designation is a taxonomic approach to identifying, categorizing, recognizing, and supporting the faculty and staff led experiential learning activities that are integrated throughout the curriculum and co-curriculum across the university within and beyond the classroom...all of which support student learning and success.
The official BSU “EL Designation” means that a course or co-curricular opportunity with an integrated experiential learning activity has met the criteria set forth by the university regarding the experiential learning components for both the Activity Type Definition and Experience Classification Level as approved through EL Designation Application in the PeopleGrove/Student Opportunity Center System (SOC) by the EL Review Committee.
EL Designation Application
The EL Designation Application is used by faculty and staff to apply for the BSU official "EL Designation" for your course or co-curricular program that has an embedded experiential learning activity. Applications are submitted via the Student Opportunity Center System powered by PeopleGrove, which is the university's new, premiere experiential learning management system that centralizes experiential learning activities. Please take the time beforehand to review each question of the application to ensure that you have all of the required content and materials. After you submit your application, the EL Review Committee will review the application and then provide an approval -or- constructive feedback for resubmission. Once your application is approved, you will receive communication from the Chair of the EL Review Committee with congratulations and instructions on how to update your course syllabus with the BSU official “EL Designation” and assigned “Experience Classification Level”. The university does not permit a course to use the "EL Designation" and “Experience Classification Level” without an approved and unexpired application on file with the Office of Experiential and Integrative Learning.
EL Designation Application (SOC System)
EL Activity Types with Definitions
The EL Activity Types with Definitions are currently under development and review by the EL Taskforce. Experiential learning is a broad term that encompases a variety of different types of experiential learning activities. The university has categorized these experiential learning activities into four experiential learning categories: Field and Work Based Experiential Learning, Global and Community Based Experiential Learning, Project and Problem Based Experiential Learning, and Research and Writing Based Experiential Learning.
The experiential learning activities in this category engage students in hands-on field and work based experiences where they can apply their academic knowledge, skills, and abilities to investigate and work in the natural environment or workplace settings and situations. Examples include: Apprenticeships, Clinicals, Cooperative Education (Co-Op), Externships, Fellowships, Field Work, Internships, Practicums, Work-Study, and Etc.
The experiential learning activities in this category engage students in hands-on community and global based experiences where they can apply their academic knowledge, skills, and abilities to connect, lead, and serve as well as discover cultures and engage with a diversity of people in local, state, national, or global community settings and situations. Examples include: Leadership Positions, Learning Communities, Service and Volunteering, Study Aboard, Study Away, and Etc.
- The experiential learning activities in this category engage students in hands-on project and problem based experiences where they can apply their academic knowledge, skills, and abilities to solve complex and novel issues as well as produce value-added projects, performances, and products in a variety of settings and situations. Examples include: Capstones and Culminating Projects and Performances, Case Studies, Competitions and Professional Events, Entrepreneurship, Labs, Portfolios and E-Portfolios, Simulations, Studios, Role-Plays, and Etc.
- The experiential learning activities in this category engage students in hands-on research and writing based experiences where they can apply their academic knowledge, skills, and abilities to inquire and investigate questions for discovering new knowledge as well as scaffold and revise substantial writing and publications in a variety of settings and situations. Examples include: Graduate Research, Undergraduate Research, Writing Intensives, and Etc.
EL Experience Classification Levels
The classificational levels for experience learning are a taxonomic approach to arranging and assessing EL activities according to key components and features of experiential learning.
A course or co-curricular opportunity that engages students in a clearly defined experiential learning activity integrating the components of learning outcomes and hands-on experience.
A course or co-curricular opportunity that engages students in a clearly defined experiential learning activity integrating the components of learning outcomes, hands-on experience, and guided reflection.
- A course or co-curricular opportunity that engages students in a clearly defined experiential learning activity and integrating the components of learning outcomes, hands-on experience, and guided reflection as well as at least one from either integrative project, peer collaboration, or professional mentorship.
EL Foundational Components & Features
The key components and features of experiential learning have been adapated from Kuh, O'Donnell, & Reed (2013) and (Moffett (2023).
Learning outcomes for students to achieve at least partly through an experiential learning activity framed with performance expectations set at appropriately high levels and supported with frequent and timely constructive feedback. (Optional: Student learning outcomes are aligned to the AACU’s Value Rubrics, AEE's Principles of Practice, NACE’s Career Readiness Competencies, and SEE’s Practice Principles.)
Hands-on experience for students to learn by doing through active involvement in applications, contacts, exposures, participations, or strategies within real-world, expert guided, laboratory, role-play, or simulated situations and settings that engage their direct involvement rather than lecture alone.
Guided reflection for students to critically reflect as a reasoning process to make meaning of an experience and discover relevance of learning, which works best when it is continuous as a part of structured exercises and prompts that contextualize, challenge, clarify, connect, review, and self-evaluate.
- Integrative project for students to produce an artifact or demonstration of competence through e-portfolios, creative performances, entrepreneurship products, oral presentations, pitch decks, publishable works, research articles, and etc that make connections among their hands-on experiences with knowledge and skills from the curriculum and co-curriculum often applied to novel and complex issues or challenges.
Peer collaboration for students to cooperate with other students and/or colleagues involved in mutual support of their hands-on experience through discussions and interactions about substantive matters that promote healthy discourse, interconnected teamwork, and intercultural competence with diverse people and worldview frameworks.
Professional mentorship for students to build relationships with a more experienced mentor such as a faculty, staff, alumni, partners, and/or supervisors involved in guidance and support of their hands-on experience through discussions and interactions about substantive matters that foster goal setting, constructive feedback, and professional development.
EL Review Committee
The EL Review Committee consists of the following members:
| Member Name | Member Title | Representation Area |
| Dr. Jared E. Moffett (Chair) | Director of Experiential Learning | Office of Experiential and Integrative Learning |
| Dr. Amani Jennings | Dean of Students | Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs |
| Dr. Latifa Zoulagh | Assistant Professor, Department of Language, Literature, and Culture Studies College of Arts and Sciences |
College of Arts and Sciences |
| Ms. Remi Duyile | Student Engagement & Internship Coordinator and Adjunct Professor | College of Business |
| TBA | TBA | College of Education |
| Dr. Janeula M. Burt | Associate Professor, Department of Psychology | College of Professional Studies |
| TBA | TBA | The Graduate School |
| Ms. Yetunde Akinkunle | Library Service Specialist | Thurgood Marshall Library |
EL Taskforce
In Spring 2023, the EL Taskforce was developed to guide the work for the BSU's new Experiential Learning Model and System.
| Member Name | Member Title | Representation Area |
| Dr. Jared E. Moffett (Co-Chair) | Director of Experiential Learning | Director of Experiential Learning |
| Mr. Chris Freire (Co-Chair) | Vice President of Experiential Learning at PeopleGrove | PeopleGrove Consultant |
| Dr. Becky Verzinski | Assistant Vice President for Assessment | Center for Academic Programs Assessment |
| Gayle Fink | Assistant Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness | Office of Planning, Analysis, and Accountability |
| Dr. Anika Bissahoyo | Assistant Vice President for Research | Office of Research and Sponsored Programs |
| Dr. Shirelle Briscoe | Assistant Vice President for Transfer Services and General Student Advocacy | Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs |
| Thomasina M. Boardley | Director of New Student Experience | Division of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs |
| Johnetta Boseman Hardy | Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center | Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center |
| Rosetta Price | Acting Director of the Career Development Center | Career Development Center |
| Wanda Rene Howard | Assistant Athletic Director for Student Success | Department of Athletics and Recreation |
| Yetunde Akinkunle | Library Service Specialist | Thurgood Marshall Library |
| Vernon Jones | Acting Information Technology Program Manager | Division of Information Technology |
| Dr. Mathias Mbah | Assistant Dean of the Graduate School | The Graduate School |
| Dr. Kim Evelyn | Assistant Professor Department of Language, Literature & Cultural Studies | College of Arts and Sciences |
| Dr. Supriyo Ray | Assistant Professor Department of Natural Sciences | College of Arts and Sciences |
| Remi Duyile | Student Engagement and Internship Coordinator and Adjunct Faculty | College of Business |
| Dr. Eona Harrison | Director for the Center for Data Analytics | College of Business |
| Dr. Eva Garin | Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and Associate Professor, Teaching, Learning & Professional Development | College of Education Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning |
| Dr. Alex Anderson | Assistant Professor, Department of Teaching, Learning & Professional Development | College of Education |
| Xiomara V Medina | Associate Director of Clinical Training/Field Placement | College of Professional Studies |
| Dr. Charles Adams | Department Chair and Professor of Criminal Justice | College of Professional Studies |
| Dr. Cordelia Obizoba | Associate Professor, Department of Nursing | College of Professional Studies |
| Nicole Njeri Mbugua | Student | Student |