Reflection in Experiential Learning: Improving Affective Student Learning Outcomes

When

Noon – 1 p.m., April 2, 2025

Where

Image
Headshot of Brian Mayer

Featuring Brian Mayer, CUES Distinguished Fellow, Acting Director of the School of Sociology, Professor of Sociology, and Professor of Public Health, this hybrid seminar and panel will bring participants inside a CUES funded project and unpack its relevance for advancing teaching and learning at the University of Arizona (see abstract below).

Panelists:

  • Jacqueline Barrios, Assistant Professor, Public & Applied Humanities; College of Humanities
  • Kathleen Kennedy, Associate Professor of Practice, Retailing & Consumer Sciences; College of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences

Abstract

Field-based experiential learning is widely recognized as a high impact teaching practice that offers widespread learning benefits. However, the extent of these benefits and how to measure them remains unclear. Critical scholarship suggests that benefits are not equally distributed among all students. This presentation highlights a study exploring how students from diverse backgrounds engage with experiential learning and proposes methods for better assessing affective learning.
 
Using data from 62 undergraduate students’ positionality statements and reflections in an applied research course on local housing insecurity, we find that almost all students show signs of affective growth, but the type of learning and the benefits vary based on social positionality. Students who identify as insiders, female, and from low-income backgrounds tend to form more empathetic connections and demonstrate improved reflexivity and emotional intelligence than their peers during the research experience. Yet, the emotional burden on students, particularly those studying socially proximate respondents, underscores the need for support systems and self-care strategies within course design.
 
Join us as we delve into the findings of this study and discuss the implications for designing inclusive and supportive experiential learning environments.

Accessibility

Please join the CUES mailing list to be notified when registration opens.

With questions about access or to request any disability-related accommodations for this event such as ASL interpreting, closed-captioning, wheelchair access, or electronic text, etc., please contact cues@arizona.edu.

Inside UofA-Funded Scholarship Series