By Rajinder Virk, Brock University
A poll of 823 business leaders found that 31% felt universities in their own provinces are doing a poor job of preparing graduates to address the needs of employers (Bennett, 2002; Harvey & Shahjahan, 2013; Rana, 2016). Development of transferable skills is important to prepare future graduates for the rapidly changing landscape of the workforce (Helyer & Lee, 2014). Attributes employers are looking for include critical thinking, problem solving, reflective analysis, collaboration, effective communication and the ability to self assess (Helyer & Lee, 2014). Additionally, the development of ethical and moral values, and social responsibility are equally important (Bennett, 2002).
Community engagement with higher education is a pathway to developing transferable skills and draw on the affective domain of learning in graduates (Helyer & Lee, 2014). This will provide learners an opportunity to develop a commitment to civic engagement. Potentially improving the quality of life of those communities by working on ‘real-world’ issues, generating outcomes that stimulate creativity and innovation (Driscoll, 2009; Fitzgerald, Bruns, Sonka, Furco & Swanson, 2016; Helyer & Lee, 2014).).
In addition to building learner confidence and improving employability skills (Fitzgerald et al., 2016), experiential education brings relevance and deepens learning through the application of knowledge and skills. Engaged universities have the potential of supporting and driving community progress, meeting student and employer needs, and forging partnerships for reciprocal growth and development (Fitzgerald et al., 2016; Helyer & Lee, 2014).
Challenges
So how does this look and how do we get there? Successful implementation requires strategic planning and institutional commitment to remove any barriers (Moore, 2005). There needs to be a paradigm shift in the culture, values, and traditions around recognition awards, promotion, and tenure of faculty (Bringle & Hatcher, 2009; Driscoll, 2009; Fitzgerald et al., 2016). Equal consideration should be given to those involved with research, teaching, and scholarly engagement with the community (Bringle & Hatcher, 2009; Driscoll, 2009; Fitzgerald et al., 2016). Institutions adopting these educational practices should reflect their beliefs and values in their mission statements and organizational frameworks (Fitzgerald et al., 2016; Moore, 2005).
Development of infrastructure to support the sustainability of experiential learning opportunities. Increased collaboration between disciplines could lead to interprofessional learning opportunities. A centralized office to look after the administrative tasks and maintain portals for communication and training with affiliated partners (Driscoll, 2009; Fitzgerald et al., 2016). Commitment to faculty training and leadership development for those who will champion community engagement projects (Fitzgerald et al., 2016). Stakeholder representation and input to institutional advisory committees to help ensure meaningful engagement. Collaborative quality assurance measures are required to ensure consistency and accountability with student preparation, assessment and evaluation (Bringle & Hatcher, 2009; Driscoll, 2009; Moore, 2005).
Opportunities
Community engagement can be accomplished through a variety of ways, allowing for authentic learning opportunities while contributing to society. Examples include and are not limited to work placement opportunities through internships, field placements, service learning, volunteerism, and living laboratories (Helyer & Lee, 2014). Technology enhanced curriculum allows us to engage with local, international, and global communities. There are opportunities for scholarly activity through community-based research projects. Learners can interact with virtual experts in the field and collaborate on projects to make a difference in the world (Fitzgerald et al., 2016).
Innovative minds at work developed Riipen in 2012, a digital web-based platform that connects teachers, students and employers with experiential learning opportunities. Visit their website to learn more about these exciting opportunities and how you can get involved.
Measures
How can we ensure our learners are transformed through the educational experience? Depending on the type of experiential learning opportunity, academics can design evaluation tools that match the experience (Helyer & Lee, 2014). These may include performance evaluations, competency evaluations, formative and summative feedback tools. Reflective practice is an important component of any experiential learning opportunity so that the learner reflects on what went well, what did not, and what still needs improvement, allowing them to continuously set goals. Reflective practice allows learners to internalize the learning and facilitates a transformational experience (Helyer & Lee, 2014).
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Learning outcomes may be pre-defined or learners could negotiate learning outcomes with faculty, and even determine their own goals and outcomes further facilitating creativity and innovation (Simmons, 2013). Achievement could be measured through assessment of a final project or an ePortfolio as evidence of their learning.
While there are challenges, there are definite benefits and opportunities for learners, employers, and the institution by integrating higher education with community engagement. Experiential learning will prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s future.
References
Bennett, R. (2002). Employers’ demands for personal transferable skills in graduates: A content analysis of 1000 job advertisements and an associated empirical study. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 54(4), 457-476. doi.org/10.1080/13636820200200209
Bringle, R., & Hatcher, J. (2009). Innovative practices in service – learning and curricular engagement. New Directions for Higher Education, 147, 37-46. doi:10.1002/he.356
Carleton University. (2018). Why experiential learning is important. Retrieved from https://carleton.ca/experientialeducation/why-experiential-learning-is-important/
Driscoll, A. (2009). Carnegie’s new community engagement classification: affirming higher education’s role in community. New Directions for Higher Education, 147, 5-12. doi:10.1002/he.353
Employment North. (2015). Top 10 qualities and skills employers are looking for. Retrieved from https://employmentnorth.com/top-10-qualities-and-skills-employers-are-looking-for/
Fitzgerald, H., Bruns, K., Sonka, S., Furco, A., & Swanson, L. (2016). The centrality of engagement in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 20(1), 223. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1097202.pdf
Harvey, N., & Shahjahan, M. (2013). Employability of bachelor of arts graduates. Sydney: Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267390436_Employability_of_Bachelor_of_Arts_Graduates
Helyer, R., & Lee, D. (2014). The role of work experience in the future employability of higher education graduates. Higher Education Quarterly, 68(3), 348-372. doi:10.1111/hequ.12055
Imperial College London. (n.d.). Innovative teaching for world class learning: learning and teaching strategy. Retrieved from https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/about/leadership-and-strategy/vp-education/public/LearningTeachingStrategy.pdf
Improving student employability. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.jobs.ac.uk/media/pdf/careers/resources/improving-student-employability.pdf
Moore, J. (2005). Seven recommendations for creating sustainability education at the university level. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 6(4), 326-339. doi:10.1108/14676370510623829
Rana, K. (2016, September 2). Graduates face an unwelcoming job market when they get out of school. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/graduates-face-an-unwelcoming-job-market-when-they-get-out-of-school/article31703528/
Reuber, B. (2018, May 15). People said they loved the idea – but were slow to sign up. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/small-business/sb-managing/people-say-they-love-the-idea—but-theyre-not-signing-up/article26315091/
Riipen (2018). Experiential learning the Riipen way. Retrieved from https://riipen.com/
Simmons, N. (2013). Outcomes of learning. In M. Kompf, & P. Denicolo (Eds.), Critical issues in higher education (pp. 85-96). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
University of Waterloo. (2018). ePortfolios explained: Theory and practice. Retrieved from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/educational-technologies/all/eportfolios
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Civic engagement. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/civic_engagement
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Paradigm shift. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/paradigm_shift
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Reflective practice. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/reflective_practice
5P52 Higher Education 
Lots of excellent information and resources Rajinder, thank you! I wonder if all the suggestions of community engagement and experiential and deep knowledge are truly attainable with the stress of grades, bell curves, and GPAs tied to the learning. Will the majority of students figure out how to get the high grades and move on without really understanding their subjects?
Hi Aynur,
Thanks for your feedback. These are good points but also another reason why we need to look at our assessment methods and grading schemes. Do high grades necessarily reflect one’s understanding of a subject? Perhaps we can come up with other ways for students to demonstrate their learning and understanding of a subject. Also, having a mix of assessment methods may take the stress out of learning. I think it goes back to us asking the question, “what are we trying to achieve in our learners and how will we know they got there?”
Nice blog Anynur! As I was reading your blog on this timely topic, I was remembering the Skilling Up: Failure to Train discussion that Professor Simmons assigned us to watch one week. It was: https://tvo.org/video/programs/the-agenda-with-steve-paikin/skilling-up
Given what they talked about during this panel, the substantial decrease in on-the-job training provided by companies over the last decade seems to be a gap that is important for higher education to fill, to better prepare students with transferable skills and experience for employment.