Experiential Learning
What is Experiential Learning?
Experiential learning is a process through which individuals acquire knowledge, skills, and insights by actively engaging in an experience or activity, and then reflecting on that experience to extract meaningful lessons and understanding. This approach emphasizes the importance of hands-on engagement and personal reflection in the learning process, allowing individuals to deepen their understanding and develop practical skills through direct experience.
Embedded within many undergraduate courses offered by the Faculty of Social Sciences, this educational philosophy provides a variety of opportunities in three broad categories:
- Employment-Based (supervised by an employer)
- Placement-Based (supervised by an external supervisor)
- Instructional (managed in-course by an instructor)
Work-Integrated Learning
The following are the employment-based forms of Work-Integrated Learning offered in the Faculty of Social Sciences
Co-Op
Co-op program options build three (3) required work terms into the academic degree requirements in certain programs.
Internships Learn More
Internships offer paid work opportunities connected to an elective course and open to students in any academic program.
Individual Learning in New Contexts
McMaster Social Sciences offers a variety of work-integrated and community-engaged ‘placement’ experiences, expanding learning beyond traditional classroom settings through collaborations with external partners who act as student supervisors across diverse spaces and contexts.
Practicums Learn More
Students enrolled in professional programs frequently partake in supervised practicum experiences, overseen by qualified practitioners and typically organized by professional organizations.
Placements Learn More
Placements entail coursework-linked work or volunteer experiences conducted under the supervision of a partnering or hosting organization. While placements are occasionally supported by stipends or reimbursements, they operate outside of a paid employment framework.
Enriched In-Course Experiences
Social Sciences instructors frequently incorporate hands-on and immersive experiences into their courses, encouraging students to explore new activities and engage in critical reflection which leads to enhanced learning outcomes.
Bringing experiences into the course setting reduces barriers to active learning and skill-building by meeting students where they are situated, whether it’s in a traditional classroom, online, or in a hybrid environment. This ‘instructional’ category primarily includes experiential instruction primarily designed, delivered, and supervised by the instructional team.
Field Experiences
Enhancing learning beyond the classroom can involve acquiring hands-on experience in contexts directly related to coursework. Examples include participating in field schools, engaging in job shadowing, and various other experiential learning opportunities.
Field Trips
Exploring new places allows students to gain deeper insights into people, procedures, and technologies within specific contexts. Activities include day trips, visits to partner sites, observation exercises, and more.
Community-Partnered Projects
Collaboration between students, instructors, and external partners drives the design of projects that are informed by or produce deliverables for the community or industry. This creates connections between academic learning and practical, real-world implementations.
Simulations
Through practical exercises, students immerse themselves in environments specifically designed to simulate authentic situations, spaces, or contexts. This approach creates realistic hands-on learning experiences.
Information Box Group
Laboratory Learning
In a controlled environment equipped with suitable tools, procedures, and safety protocols, students engage in designing, testing, and experimenting, facilitating hands-on learning experiences.
Applied Research Project
Students actively participate in innovation by formulating a research project focused on exploring an original question or solving a specific problem. Examples include capstone projects, research theses, design initiatives, and various other scholarly pursuits.
Creative Performance
Participating in a creative endeavour, performance, or exhibition, students hone artistic, physical, and/or team collaboration skills, culminating in a presentation to a broader audience beyond the course participants.
Entrepreneurship
Students initiate and execute a business venture centred on innovation and societal change. Examples include participation in business incubators and engagement in social entrepreneurship endeavours.
Forms of Experiential Learning
Experiential learning is a broad category that includes various beneficial forms. Work-integrated learning (WIL) stands out as a significant type of experiential learning.
Experiential learning can also take the form of hands-on skills enhancement, community-engaged initiatives, or field-based learning, which may not always align with a work-integrated or employment-centric framework. Instructors integrate experiential education into their courses for a variety of reasons, all aimed at enriching learning through practical engagement and subsequent reflection.
