Educational Methods Commons^™

Writing Workshop Methods Course As Catalysts For Long-Term Pedagogical Identity: A Co-Authored Narrative Of Resonance, Resilience, And Effects, Elsie L. Olan Dr., M.Priscilla Develder

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Writing workshop methods courses introduce teachers to foundational practices for teaching writing, yet their long-term influence on teacher identity and instructional decision-making often remains underexamined. This co-authored narrative explores how experiences within a graduate-level writing workshop shaped the pedagogical development of two educators: a professor who designed and facilitated the course and a former graduate student who went on to teach English Language Arts (ELA) in both elementary and higher education settings. Drawing on a 60-hour shadowing experience, the narrative analyzes classroom observations, reflective writing, and dialogic exchanges to illuminate three central themes: resonance, resilience, and effects that demonstrate how …

From Campus To Community: The Role Of Higher Education In Strengthening Regional Entrepreneurial Ecosystems In Appalachia, Anne M. Montgomery

Dissertations

This study addresses a gap in understanding how small, rural liberal arts higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Appalachian College Association Entrepreneurial Alliance (ACAEA) support regional entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs), and how, if at all, those strategies vary across Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) county economic classifications. Using a qualitative multi-case design, the study examined 10 ACAEA institutions and drew on semi-structured interviews, site observations, institutional documents (including strategic plans), and ARC county-level economic data. The analysis produced five cross-case themes describing how these institutions support entrepreneurship: (a) strategic leadership and institutional culture, (b) experiential and embedded entrepreneurial education, (c) community-driven partnerships …

The Impacts Of Experiential Learning On Moral Development, Jacob Tyler Greenfield

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Burnout remains a widely studied phenomenon in the healthcare literature, with much of the focus placed on reactive mitigation strategies that lack meaningful engagement with moral development. Healthcare education programs rarely incorporate formal learning experiences that promote moral development as a means of addressing burnout symptoms. This qualitative single case study examined how health professions students describe the impact of experiential learning on their moral development. Participants engaged in adapted photovoice methods, focus groups, and interviews to reflect on how serving as a Project MUSHROOM student leader influenced their morality. Four themes emerged: 1) recognizing bias and the need to …

Exploring Healthcare Students' Perceptions About Race And Privilege At A Large Academic Medical Center: A Pilot Study Of A Peer Education Program, Elizabeth A. Brown, Dante Pelzer, Katrina Black Reed, Chinieka Jackman-Rogers, Madison Kimmell

Health Behavior, Policy & Management Faculty Publications

Amid the racial unrest stemming from the summer of 2020, in the United States, many institutions had difficult conversations about race and the impact of racism with employees, students, and patients. In January 2021 and February 2021, we recruited undergraduate students for the Peer Education Program (PEP), a voluntary program conducted at a large academic medical center, and encouraged students to have a safe space to discuss controversial topics in healthcare. From April 2021 to July 2021 four interdisciplinary healthcare students met once a month for 1 hr to discuss privilege, race/racism, leadership, and advocacy and their influence on health …

Merger Crisis Role-Play: Organizational Behavior In Action, Jyro B. Triviño

Leadership and Strategy Faculty Publications

To advance professionally, students must be prepared to navigate dynamic and contentious organizational environments by articulating their varied views, protecting their personal and professional intentions, anticipating challenges, and then fostering consensus. This paper addresses a high-stakes, multi-round immersive role-play simulation of a company merger in an undergraduate Organizational Behavior course. Grounded in the core pillars of experiential learning, adaptive leadership, and organizational sensemaking, this classroom exercise places students in a pre-set, realistic post-merger leadership team facing immediate business challenges. Compared to traditional case studies, this method requires students to demonstrate real-time organizational behavior competencies, providing a powerful platform for negotiation …

Beyond Instrumentalization: Adventures In Crafting A Community-Engaged Education, Katherine Kruger, Beth Brown

International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education

This article explores the design, functions and experiences of a community-engaged education from the points of view of a university student and a lecturer. Whilst experiential learning is currently being presented as fundamental to university employability agendas in the UK, we reflect on the other important consequences of creating a more porous educational community. We suggest that taking arts and humanities pedagogies – archival research and collage in particular – outside of the classroom, positively impacts belonging and social justice, elements that are less easily captured by university metrics. Moreover, we propose that these pedagogies can be utilised to challenge …

Fostering Connection And Empowerment: Amplifying Women’S And Indigenous Voices Through Place-Based Education, Inclusive Narratives, And Empathy Building, Paige N. Jones

Dissertations

The diverse experiences, perspectives, and identities of people across groups shape history. Educators and heritage professionals bear the responsibility of teaching historical content in ways that ensure all feel represented, valued, and safe. Despite these aims, the experiences and contributions of women and Indigenous Peoples have long been underrepresented in social studies curricula and heritage programming.

This dissertation integrates two complementary studies that examine how harnessing the power of place and centering the narratives and oral histories of underrepresented groups can advance connection and empowerment through educational experiences. The first study utilized focus group interviews with educators and heritage professionals …

Fostering Entrepreneurial Thinking And Practice Through Teaching And Learning Integration, Mohammad G. Sabbir

Learning and Educational Center Virtual Teaching and Learning Conference

This session explores an innovative, evidence-based approach to integrating entrepreneurial thinking into undergraduate neuroscience education through hands-on gene editing experiences. Using the commercially available Bio-Rad CRISPR/Cas9-based “Out of the Blue” kit for bacterial LacZ gene editing, students are guided not only through the scientific principles underlying modern gene editing technologies but also through the entrepreneurial challenge of replicating and manufacturing the kit using existing lab resources. This model empowers students to extend their learning beyond the classroom by engaging in cost-effective, scalable biotechnology practices—particularly valuable for institutions with limited funding. Classroom-based research demonstrates increased student engagement, deeper conceptual understanding, and …

Educating The New Generation Of Food Scientists Through Innovative Learning Experiences, Karen Andrea Nieto Flores

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Food science provides an opportunity to engage high school students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) by connecting classroom concepts to real-world applications. Despite the field’s relevance to public health, food safety, sustainability, and innovation, food science remains largely absent from high school curricula, and few students recognize it as a viable STEM pathway. This research addressed this gap by evaluating immersive summer camp experiences and teacher-focused curriculum review as strategies to increase food science awareness and interest among students and educators. A literature review traced the historical development and current landscape of K–12 food science education, identifying barriers …

So Much Fun, They Don't Realize They're Learning: Creating & Implementing Experiential Activities, Steven Austin Stovall

Journal of the North American Management Society

One of the challenges of teaching business students is meaningfully driving home the concepts in a course. Certainly, this can be achieved through lectures, but many instructors want to engage the students in a more active manner. This is where experiential activities come into play. An exercise can be not only an opportunity to reinforce course material, but it can be fun as well. This paper presents a roadmap for developing one’s own experiential activities and is written by an author who has written a casebook on human resources and is a regular contributor to Cengage, Prentice Hall, Sage, and …

Hearing All The Colors: Stories Of Engagement From Teachers' Perspectives, Carolyn Allison

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study documented four high school English II End of Course teachers' stories about student engagement in the classroom. Students of color, in particular, have been maligned for underperformance on state-mandated tests. Instead of focusing on the despairing headlines and data, this study focused on how teachers follow the state standards and district curriculum guides to increase success. The teachers' authentic voices on student engagement shine through their stories. Student engagement is not a one-size-fits-all scenario which these teachers prove.

The teachers' stories served as the data for this study. The data was viewed through the lens of …

The Listening Challenge: Fostering Soft Skill Development Through A Four-Week Practice And Reflective Journaling Assignment, Monica A. Hodis, Patricia L. Wollan

AMTP Proceedings 2025

In response to the growing emphasis on soft skills in business, this study addresses the persistent gap between employer needs and graduates’ abilities by introducing the Listening Challenge. This four-week individual learning assignment, grounded in Kolb’s experiential learning model, aims to enhance students’ listening skills through intentional practice and reflective journaling. Conducted over three semesters with 101 undergraduate students in a Personal Selling course, the study utilized qualitative data analysis to assess the effectiveness of the assignment. Results indicate significant progress in students’ listening abilities, increased self-awareness, and heightened motivation to improve. Students reported enhanced listening self-efficacy and expressed intentions …

Motivating Students Through Problem-Based And Project-Based Learning, Dennis J. Moore

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

ABSTRACT

As educators, motivating students can be a difficult task.Sixteen eighth-grade students discuss their perceptions of what makes educational programs motivating. In teacher-centered classrooms, teachers lecture while their students take notes, quizzes, and tests and practice memorization skills in preparation for high-stakes testing. Is this a fair assessment of a student's knowledge, and does this type of instruction fulfill students’ needs for a successful future? Research for this case study focused on students' perceptions of an agricultural program that utilizes problem-based and project-based learning with a sustainability focus.

In problem-based learning (PBL) classes, students are given real-world problems and asked …

Ally With Ai: An Icebreaker To Unlock Career Aspirations For Online Or Hybrid Organizational Behavior Cohorts, Jyro B. Triviño

Leadership and Strategy Faculty Publications

Modern organizational behavior classroom, which are increasing in size, diversity, and complexity, are shifting to online and hybrid learning environments, challenging the use of traditional icebreaker activities. This paper introduces a 15-minute icebreaker designed to address these issues while integrating the principles of Kolb's experiential learning theory and fostering social capital through peerr engagement in an online setting. By leveraging the availability of generative AI, students prompt a template code to unlock their career aspirations and stimulate social connections among their classmates. This provides an innovative teaching model for meeting the foundational icebreaker goal while serving a suitable tool for …

Innovative Pandemic Community-Based Student Learning: Development Of Remote Experiential Learning, Amy Christopher

Research and Reflection on Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

Objective: Review and reflect upon innovative experiential learning and student volunteer hours during remote isolation of pandemic times.

Introduction: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, experiential learning for U.S. university graduate-level health care professional programs struggled to find clinical rotation sites and provide students in the didactic curricular phase opportunities to apply health education outside of the classroom. Many healthcare sites and community health screening events were prohibited during an extended period of time due to pandemic isolation. As a health educator, exploration of remote, independent, and virtual experiential learning took creative planning to ensure students were able to apply …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of An Integrated Nutrition Education Curriculum And The Impact On Preschoolers' Food Liking, Alicia Stapp, Laurel Lambert, Georgianna Mann, Kaitlyn Sills, Kenya Wolff

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Background: Nutrition education during early childhood that includes experiential learning, modeling, and family engagement can support lifelong healthy eating habits.

Purpose: The present study examined the impact of a nutrition-integrated, 32-week supplemental curriculum entitled Growing Healthy Minds, Bodies, and Communities on children’s exposure to fruits and vegetables, ability to identify fruits and vegetables, liking of fruit and vegetables, and teachers’ perceptions of the curriculum.

Methods: A pre- and post- fruit and vegetable pictorial Likert survey was administered to 261 Pre-K4 children. To investigate teachers’ perceptions of the curriculum, a post-intervention focus group was conducted with 19 teachers.

Results: Significant differences …

Experiential Learning From Stakeholder Perspectives At A University Partnership Program, Maggie M. Shader

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of this non-experimental, quantitative survey study was to determine the stakeholders' perspectives on experiential learning at Canvas College. Experiential learning has potential benefits for students as stakeholders, and internship can be a vehicle for experiential learning. Experiential learning can involve benefits such as employability, real-world experience, calling confirmation and spiritual growth, soft skills, and immediate application of learning. Stakeholders in an internship are not limited to students. Faculty and internship leaders are also stakeholders; however, a partnership program encompasses more stakeholders, including church staff, alumni, and host university staff. The survey was researcher developed and the Cronbach’s alpha …

Examining The Experiences Of College Students Simulating The Community Worker Role In The Community Action Poverty Simulation, Jessica M. Limbrick, Portia Johnson, Sheri Worthy, Diann C. Moorman, Leigh Anne Aaron

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Poverty is a pervasive issue impacting many areas of human sciences and Extension. Individuals living in the United States may have varying attitudes toward poverty. Research has shown that poverty simulations are effective in modifying attitudes toward poverty. The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) program is one such example that exposes its participants to the lived realities of poverty in the United States. While research on CAPS is plentiful, little research has examined the experiences of those who simulated the community worker role. This research explored the experiences of students who simulated community worker roles during a CAPS simulation. This …

Adaptable Quantum Education Platform Using Learning Objects, Krishna Puja Anumula

Master's Theses

In recent years, the need to make classroom learning more interactive and engaging has become increasingly important. The lack of workforce in interdisciplinary fields such as quantum networking and quantum internet requires a new approach that addresses every learner’s individual needs. To address this challenge, this thesis introduces an adaptive learning platform rooted in the theory of learning objects and Kolb’s experiential learning model. The platform aids educators and learners in designing and utilizing various learning objects for quantum networking and quantum internet.

The platform enables educators and learners to build their own lessons and lesson plans using learning objects …

Influence Of The Work Environment On Workplace Learning Of Undergraduate Engineering Interns, Yashin Brijmohan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Internships are an impactful form of workplace learning that helps undergraduate engineering students acquire and enhance competencies to improve their employability. However, the nuances about what makes an internship successful are not well understood. Furthermore, learning during engineering internships has not been thoroughly researched. Previous literature has mostly focused on internship outcomes, and there is little discussion on how to improve internship experiences to achieve the expected outcomes. Thus, this qualitative study explored the workplace learning environment of internships and how engineering undergraduate students engaged with workplace learning. The study has produced a comprehensive framework that illustrates important factors in …

Preservice Teachers' Pk-12 Educational Field Trip Experiences: Teaching Beyond The Classroom, Cecilia A. Turman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of the study was to investigate preservice teachers’ (PSTs) attitudes and beliefs towards their PK-12 field trip (FT) experiences as students, their memories, influences in their lives, impact on their educational approaches and career choices, as well as how, as future teachers, they would implement FTs to their future students to provide feedback on FTs’ training for preparation programs. Rationale: Anderson et al. (2010) criticized teacher preparation programs’ lack of teacher training to implement educational FTs and contended that instructors’ FTs experiences as students may have influenced the way they plan and carry out educational FTs. John Dewey’s …

Defining Experiential: Higher Education Educator Perspectives On Experiential Education Criteria And Experiential Learning Forms, Paul Gaszak

Dissertations

In the field of experiential education, there is a general understanding that concepts and definitions of experiential education and experiential learning differ by individuals, departments, organizations, and institutions. The purpose of this quantitative descriptive research study was to gather the perspectives of individual experiential educators across higher education (n = 121) on what they perceive to be experiential education’s criteria and what forms of educational methodologies qualify as experiential learning forms. The findings demonstrated inclusive perspectives regarding both criteria and forms, such as receptiveness to experiential education being able to occur within classrooms, in short durations, and without third-party participation. …

Advancements In Ai-Driven Education: Transforming Learning And Training With Intelligent Technologies, Sharon L. Burton

Publications

This article examines the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education, focusing on its integration in learning methodologies and its impact on student engagement and outcomes. Recent research underscores the increasing use of AI in education, where it is reshaping teaching and learning dynamics by facilitating personalized and effective learning experiences. Applying Literature review, the study further explores AI's role in enhancing independent learning abilities and student satisfaction, with intelligent learning tools proving crucial in improving user contentment and intent to use. Additionally, it considers the ethical and risk management aspects of AI in education, including data governance …

Schools Are Where Trees And Children’S Livelihoods Go To Die: A Teacher’S Reflection On Revitalizing Land-Based Education, Tiffani Marie

Occasional Paper Series

Plainly said: schools are where trees and children’s livelihoods go to die; both cut down, gutted and their desecrated remains used for the maintenance and reproduction of the establishment. Through its critique of schooling—its ties to individualism, harmful social reproduction, colonial foundations, and centering of white supremacist ideologies, this paper makes the case for land-based education as a conduit toward healing, innovation and connection. It draws links between the irreconcilable nature of youth wellness and schooling, while centering pedagogical reverence for the natural world, particularly connection with tree spaces, as part of a critical educational trajectory toward symbiotic relationship with …

Beyond The Acronym Of Stem: Experiential Learning Professional Development For Integrative Stem Education, Christine Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

STEM education and integrative STEM education are increasingly popular in the K-12 domain. However, there is not a consensus on their definitions, nor a sufficient amount of instructional support to help teachers that are unfamiliar with these learning approaches. This study examined how an intentionally designed experiential professional development model impacted the application of integrative STEM practices and teachers’ perceptions of this student-centered approach. A qualitative approach allowed for an integration of various perspectives over multiple cycles of professional development, reflection, and application. Data was collected from a focus group discussion, pre- and post- classroom observations, teacher reflection journals, and …

A Leadership Laboratory: Exploring The Use Of Case-In-Point Pedagogy To Develop Complex Thinking In Leaders, Erica Corley Jackson

Dissertations

Leadership scholars have identified a growing gap between the complexity of 21^st century organizations and the capabilities of individuals in positions of leadership to adequately address these challenges. This gap has contributed to a so-called complexity crisis—a situation in which the demands placed on those in leadership positions increases “at a rate that significantly outstrips the rate at which” leaders are cognitively developing (Rich-Tolsma & Oliver, 2016, p. 1). One way to respond to this growing need for complex adult thinking is through metacognitive development initiatives. However, finding educational methods to promote metacognitive development has proven to be …

Fostering Student Leadership In Honors Colleges, Jill Nelson Granger

National Collegiate Honors Council Monographs: Chapters

The architecture of student leadership in honors colleges is a formative decision that affects students’ experience and development. Through a broad view of student leadership structures across U.S. honors colleges, four common modalities are identified and described: governance, programming, mentorship, and ambassadorship. Relevant models, variations, combinations, and specializations are provided. Student leadership, as a hallmark of honors education, is one way in which honors colleges distinguish themselves both within and outside the university. As intentional learning communities, honors colleges incorporate student leadership into the nature of honors education, as part of mission, and as a defining outcome of the honors …

A Graduate-Level Field Course In Irrigation And Agricultural Water Management For An Immersive Learning Experience, Derek M. Heeren, László G. Hayde, Dean Eisenhauer, Peter G. Mccornick, Ali T. Mohammed, Aaron R. Mittelstet, Alan L. Boldt, Xin Qiao, David Mabie, Francisco Muñoz-Arriola

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Effective irrigation and agricultural water management (IAWM) is critical for food security and water security. A key requirement in designing, implementing and operation of IWM is the necessary knowledge and capacity on the farm, in the service industry and within the supply chain. Educational opportunities that not only teach the relevant principles of irrigated agriculture, but also the necessary applied skills are essential. An Irrigation Field Course was initiated by the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (IHE Delft) and was later developed as a joint field course with IHE Delft, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), and the Daugherty Water …

It’S The Trauma Talking: A Phenomenology Of Foster Parents’ Trauma Knowledge In Central Virginia, Stephanie Lynn Cheek

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe foster parents’ trauma knowledge in Central Virginia. The theories guiding this study include childhood complex trauma theory and experiential learning theory (ELT). As discussed by Herman (1992) and Terr (1991), childhood complex trauma theory explains the behaviors and actions of foster children who have suffered complex trauma. As discussed by Kolb (2014), ELT explains the processes that foster parents go through in gaining and applying trauma knowledge to their fostering. The central research question is, how do foster parents in Central Virginia describe their trauma knowledge? Further research questions include, how …

Effects Of Telesimulation On The Health Literacy Knowledge, Confidence And Application Of Nursing Students, Susan Patton

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Assessing and addressing health literacy (HL) in patients is an essential role of the nurse and a critical component of nursing student education. Yet, large gaps exist within nursing school curricula with regard to the development of HL knowledge and skills, and the confidence to implement practices that target HL. Furthermore, effective training modalities that examine the transformation of nursing students’ knowledge into practice through the development of confidence during experiential learning have not been well explored.

Purpose: Evaluate the effectiveness of a HL information and a HL telesimulation intervention on the HL Knowledge, Application and Confidence of first-semester …