Experiential Learning & Community Engagement

Dr. George Kuh
"High Impact Learning and Teaching Practices"

via Zoom Webinar and exclusively for UNO  

Download Dr. Kuh's presentation slide deck here.

Watch the recorded webinar here.

What is Experiential Learning?

Experiential learning is, at its roots, learning by doing. In higher education, it takes on many shapes: internships and practicums, field work, labs, research, civic engagement, study abroad, student teaching, and a variety of other innovative approaches created by faculty who aim to enhance the impact of a course through hands-on activities.  Experiential pedagogy creates cognitive links between classroom learning and real-world applications, thus providing methods for turning “knowing” into “doing.”  

Why is Experiential Learning important to students?

Studies have shown that students who participate in experiential learning…
•    …understand how to apply theory (Butcher & Patton, 2004)
•    …have stronger reasoning skills (Coker, 2010; Knecht-Sabres, 2010)
•    …have more collaboration skills (Victor, 2013)
•    …have better self-confidence/self knowledge (Victor, 2013)
•    …increase in their appreciation for diversity (Cantor, 1995)

How can faculty learn more about Experiential Learning?

Participate in the training series, "Re-energizing Teaching: From Content to Essential Skills."  Apply here.

How can students find Experiential Learning Opportunities?

Every single academic department at UNO offers some form of experiential learning, and many require it for their majors. To see those that require at least 20 hours of experiential learning, visit our ELCE Certified Departments and Programs page.  

Students interested in undergraduate research should also check out the Office of Research's Student Research page to find opportunities.

UNO's Division of International Education offers the AFS Global Competence Certificate, which helps students develop and refine intercultural fluency and global competency, skills sought by many employers and organizations.  This online, research-based program is framed in an experiential learning approach and offers the opportunity to learn about yourself, about others, especially those different from us, and about how to build bridges. ELCE sponsors a limited number of students interested in earning the certificate, covering the cost of their registration in the program.