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Similar to Student Leadership Experiences Lead to Powerful Learning
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Student Leadership Experiences Lead to Powerful Learning
- 1. CATHERINE SALOLE CACUSS 2011 Experiential Education: Learning Through Student Leadership Experiences
- 2. 2 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS TODAY, I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT MY RESEARCH… • WHY I DID IT • SOME THEORY • THE RESULTS & STORIES • PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS • QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION
- 3. 3 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this presentation participants will… • understand experiential learning theory • have a renewed appreciation for the rich learning that occurs as a result of student leadership experiences • be able to use CAS learning and development outcomes • reflect on their student leadership programs and re- imagine them as powerful experiential learning opportunities • agree that Catherine’s kids are adorable
- 4. 4 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT DO STUDENTS LEARN IN STUDENT LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCES?
- 5. 5 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS SO WHAT? • Outcomes & assessment culture – anecdotal evidence is not enough • Focus on quality student experience – higher education must contribute meaningful results to individuals & communities • Help students in making informed decision re. their involvement • Co-curricular env’t provides a rich source of learning however there is relatively little research
- 6. 6 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS WHY STUDENT GOV’T? • Personal interest • Even less research
- 7. 7 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Student government is one of the primary areas in which students are given the power to “author their own opportunities and it allows them the place and space to create their own environment like no other on campus”. (Lehr, 2002)
- 8. 8 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS RESEARCH QUESTIONS? 1. Do students learn from their experiences in student government? 2. What do they learn? 3. What specific experiences lead to learning?
- 9. 9 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS WHAT IS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING? • Simply…. learning through doing • Popularized by David A. Kolb in 1984
- 10. 10 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS ACCORDING TO KOLB…. CONCRETE EXPERIENCE REFLECTIVE OBSERVATION ABSTRACT CONCEPUALIZATION ACTIVE EXPERIMENTATION
- 11. 11 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS FOR EXAMPLE: learning how to walk…..
- 12. 12 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Research Participants • 14 of 18 SA members • 3 execs & 11 program representatives • NB: anonymity & confidentiality
- 13. 13 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS The Student Association • “Central” SA of an urban Ontario university • Receive a student levy • Annual budget: ~ $25,000 • Elected and unpaid positions • Main functions: plan community building events and academic representation/advocacy
- 14. 14 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Sample Interview Probes 1. What were the most significant experience(s) or major highlights? What did you learn from them? 2. Tell me about some of the challenges or low points during your term? What did you learn from them? 3. What are the successes/achievements that you are most proud of? What did you learn from them? 4. Did you make any mistakes? Have any failures? Experiences that could have gone better? 5. What, if anything, would you do differently if given the opportunity?
- 15. 15 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS CAS learning & development outcomes: • Identify the competencies and skills that a student completing an undergraduate degree should acquire • Used as a framework to analyze data • Name 6 Domains (broad categories) where learning should occur • Each domain is further broken down into dimensions • Data analyzed at the dimension level
- 16. 16 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS 6 Domains Knowledge acquisition, construction, integration & application Cognitive Complexity Intrapersonal dev’t Interpersonal competence Humanitarian -ism & civic engagement Practical competence
- 17. 17 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Results: Learning by Domain 36% 25% 18% 12% 5% 4% Practical competence Interpersonal comptence Cognitive complexity Intrapersonal development Humanitarianism and civic engagement Knowledge, acquisition,construction, integration & application
- 18. 18 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Dimensions of Practical Competency 14 14 14 9 9 8 1 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 NumberofParticipants Dimension
- 19. 19 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS On time management… One of the biggest challenges was to multi-task and prioritize, because on one hand, when you run for a position, you are obligated to fulfill your role, but on the other hand, I came to university to be a student and to achieve an education, and so it’s a really hard balance between fulfilling the obligations that you yourself volunteered for, in addition to sort of fulfilling your student obligations….
- 20. 20 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS …Prioritizing was key, realizing that you are only one person, you can only be in one place at a time, I was sort of the yes person for a lot of years of my life, and last year I sort of realized, well, there’s sometimes you just have to say no. And that was a real big growing experience, not just as a student leader, but as a person, it was sort of a really big realization that you can only do as much as you can do. And it doesn’t mean putting in less effort; it’s just means prioritizing where your effort needs to go, that’s all.
- 21. 21 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS On professionalism… It was a really big test to … be accepting, to be understanding, to be patient, to understand that there is a bigger picture above me, perhaps I wasn’t happy in my position, but at the end of the day, I had a role to fill and that was important to me. Because especially as a senior student, it’s a really bad example … that when things get hard, you give up, that’s not something that I’ve ever lived by
- 22. 22 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS On career development… [My SA] experience is something I am really proud of. Even in my interviews this is what I will talk about. This will be one of the big things I refer to when asked: “tell me about the time, you showed a little initiative”
- 23. 23 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS On living a purposeful and satisfying life… [Participating in the SA] helped me personally last year … it gave me a reason to continue, to wake up in the morning and to go on. School itself wasn’t enough to motivate me, and it was difficult, life was pretty difficult and then when I started the position it helped me feel better, it helped me get up in the morning, it helped me accomplish something, and I think that’s really what it was, the feeling of accomplishing something, regardless of what it was.
- 24. 24 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Dimensions of Interpersonal Competency 14 13 11 10 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Meaningful relationships Interdependence Collaboration Effective leadership NumberofParticipants Dimension
- 25. 25 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS On effective leadership… You still have to work with people; you have to do your best to grow the organization. You need to take advantage of all people skills. Sometimes they start out not wanting to do very much, but then in the end they’re very very involved, so trying to get people to see the difference they can make is important.
- 26. 26 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS On working through conflict… I learned to try and look at the situation from someone else’s shoes. I tried to do that a lot and I think I was successful. Even in conflicts, being able to see the other person’s point of view will help you resolve the conflict and come to consensus much sooner.
- 27. 27 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS On developing professional relationships… I learned how to interact with other people in an organizational and professional setting compared to the classroom where you interact as just buddies I am better at not letting personal feelings get in the way of professional relationships
- 28. 28 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Dimensions of Cognitive Complexity 14 14 7 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Critical thinking Reflective thinking Creativity Effective reasoning NumberofParticipants Dimension
- 29. 29 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Interview facilitated the cycle…. CONCRETE EXPERIENCE REFLECTIVE OBSERVATION ABSTRACT CONCEPUALIZATION ACTIVE EXPERIMENTATION
- 30. 30 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Reflective thinking… If I could do it again, I would think first about the things I say before I say them. I think sometimes when I tried to get my point of view out, I hurt some people along the way. I know that some people felt like I attacked them personally….
- 31. 31 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Dimensions of Intrapersonal Development 11 9 2 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 NumberofParticipants Dimension
- 32. 32 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS On self-understanding… I think that this experience has been really great for me; it’s changed a lot about me. I was a quiet and shy person in high school and now I have a lot more confidence. I am now looking into going into … a profession where I am making a difference and helping others.
- 33. 33 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS On self-understanding… What I think I’ve come away with from being in the [SA] is learning more about myself and how I work with others. Working with people in a classroom is one thing. Working with volunteers on a student council, helping to better the community … is totally different.
- 34. 34 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Dimensions of Humanitarianism & Civic Engagement 8 1 1 0 Sense of civic responsibility Understanding and appreciation of cultural and human differences Social responsibility Global perspective 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Dimension NumberofParticipants
- 35. 35 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Dimensions of Knowledge Acquisition, Construction, Integration & Application 7 0 0 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Relating knowledge to daily life Understanding of knowledge from a range of disciplines Connecting knowledge to other kowledge, ideas, and experiences Constructing knowledge NumberofParticipants Competency
- 36. 36 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS On relating knowledge to daily life… The [SA] allowed me to take what I learned in the classroom, and implement [it] in a setting. So it help in so many ways to help me practice some of the skills I already had such as web design and things like that.
- 37. 37 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS On relating knowledge to daily life… I know that I find most meaning in my life … when I’m doing something not for creating a profit or for helping myself, but to help others. So this experience within the [SA] has taught me that … maybe that I might go into politics. I’ve been able to see how changes are made and how beneficial being in a position where you can make changes can be.
- 38. 38 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS RESEARCH QUESTIONS: 1. Do students learn from their participation in student government? 2. What do they learn? 3. What experiences lead to learning?
- 39. 39 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS What types of experiences lead to learning? 1. Interactions with others 2. Event planning 3. Managing priorities and stress 4. Reflections on the overall experience
- 40. 40 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS Practical Applications • Affirm the value of student leadership positions • to student – development of transferable skills • to student affairs practitioner – keep investing time • to institution – experiential education opportunities • For practitioner • Use/adapt the methodology • Importance of reflection in the learning process • Facilitating learning experiences
- 41. 41 Division of Students PARTNERS IN STUDENT SUCCESS
- 42. Thank You! Questions? Contact Information Catherine Salole Director, Student Community & Leadership Development York University salolec@yorku.ca 416.736.2100 ext. 66158
Editor's Notes
- Hello - thanks for coming! About me – Director/just finished my Masters Originally presented this at CACUSS in 2011 after I analyzed my data My research specifically around student government…applicable to student leadership work Who is in the room? – work with student leaders? Was a student leader? Before leaving this slide…I intentionally highlighted Learning and Experiences….hang on to those words for now…
- Why I did it... Significance of research…
- (PEER MENTORING, STUDENT GOVT LEADERS, VARSITY ATHLETES, RESIDENCE DONS? How do you know?.....this begins the “S0 What” slide….
- So What….Why should we care about what students learn in the co-curriculum? Anecdotal evidence is no longer good enough…we are in an outcome and assessment culture…AAPR anyone? People don’t go to univ for the sake of going to univ anymore …Bob Rae in his 2005 education report wrote that our focus in higher education’ needs to be on delivering a high quality student experiences that deliver meaningful results to individuals & by extension communities….how do we know that we have done this? Goes back to my first point. The other reason we want to be able to articulate what students learn in their co-curricular experiences is to help them make an informed decision as to where to spend their valuable and limited time Relatively little is known about what student learn outside the classroom…but what we do know is that the co-curricular env’t has an enormous potential to increase student learning….Learning Reconsidered …
- My role working with student gov’t fuelled my interest in conducting this research. In this role, I had a unique vantage point into the inner workings and dynamics of the student organization. Each year I was astounded by the commitment, perseverance, and integrity that many of the student reps demonstrated in their roles For many it was their most significant university experience of their undergrad I also found it interesting that there was hardly any research given the role that student gov’t play on campus….
- Now you know why….here is the what of my research Before we can even try to answer this question me must answer….what is learning…I chose to uncover how one learns in student government through the lens of experiential learning….
- Kolb’s model defines learning as “the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience importantly, the model views learning as a process vs. and outcome that needs to be acquired. In EL, the learner is an active player vs. a passive empty vessel waiting to be filled by someone more knowledgeable…. Kolb describes learning as a cyclical process that moves through 4 phases: Concrete experiences serve as the basis for experiential learning. In this phase, a learner must openly involve himself or herself fully in an experience. Through the reflective observation phase, the learner begins to make personal sense of the experience and reflects on the experience from various perspectives. It is these reflections that lead to the next phase, abstract conceptualization, whereby the learner creates sound hypotheses, implications, and/or strategies for actions from their observations. Finally, in the active experimentation phase, the learners are provided an opportunity to practice their hypotheses, implications and/or strategies in new experiences, which in turn itself, becomes a new concrete experience. The action that is taken in the final stage becomes a new set of concrete experiences….so instead of being a cycle it is more a spiral…where knowledge builds
- Here are my kids….Serena and Adrian Pictures mark the beginning of learning how to walk They are both walking, running, jumping, skipping, falling and in the case of Serena…sleep walking…. I didn’t teach them, they didn’t learn from a book, didn't watch an instructional movie…they learned by doing….learned in stages and each stage built on each other…first they sit, crawl, stand, cruise and walk Before we leave the theory then…..remember that I asked you to hold onto the words experience and learning…..When one makes meaning of an experience leads to learning happens…
- -Back to my research…I invited 18 SA members to participate in my research during the fall after their terms concluded. -Once accepted and I attained their informed consent, I gave them the interview questions ahead of time
- Were more of a branch of the central student union – and had significant influence.
- Data collection was through one on one semi-structured interviews Questions were probes guided the conversation and their purpose was to to elicit how they made meaning from their experiences Also had stem questions to ensure that I was drilling down to specifics of the experiences Play out for question 1
- So at the end I had hours and hours of data which I organized and analyzed using CAS. CAS: Council for the advancement of standards in higher education Develop benchmarks across a range of student services and programs – and they include Learning outcomes handout
- Any guesses as to where the majority of learning occurred in this study?
- The majority of learning occurred in the domains practical competence (personal skill development) and interpersonal competence (ability to work with others). This is supported in the literature. Go into each of the domains further…I will read some reflections….how they made meaning of their experiences
- Generally. Practical competence refers to personal skill development. All 14 achieved learning in pursuing goals, managing personal affairs and demonstrating professionalism Just over half achieved learning in communicating effectively, living a purposeful and satisfying life and managing career development With pursuing goals…slightly skewed because one probe asked them about goals Personal affairs…time management was the common theme Demonstrating professionalism was achieved through demonstrating initiative and/or held themselves accountable for fulfilling their roles Career development: acknowledgement that they found relevancy in their experiences to their future careers.
- The domain Interpersonal competency is broadly about working with others….I cannot underscore how significant learning was in this area….In fact as you see, the majority of participants achieved learning across the 4 dimensions of this domain. Working with others is a rich learning experience. This finding is very much supported by the literature. The majority occurred during conflict with others, planning events and during meetings. I will let the quotes tell this story…
- - The interview process itself seemed to provide a vehicle for each of the 14 participants to demonstrate critical and reflective thinking. Specifically, they demonstrated that they were able to rethink previous assumptions and consider alternative solutions. Specifically, they each gave examples of how they would approach various things differently if given an opportunity. That is, the interview process itself fostered reflection in all of the participants about their experiences in student government.
- The interview process—the participant’s preparation for the interview and the interview itself—seemed to facilitate learning. When considering the participants’ participation in and contributions to the interview through the lens of Kolb’s learning model, they clearly demonstrate movement through two phases of Kolb’s Cycle of Experiential Learning: (a) the reflective observation phase during which time the learner begins to make personal sense of the experience; and (b) the abstract conceptualization phase when the learner creates sound hypotheses, implications, and/or strategies for actions. These phases were demonstrated by the 14 participants when they showed their ability to think and rethink previous assumptions and consider alternative solutions when considering how they would approach their role in the SA again if given the opportunity.
- One of the most remarkable findings of the study was the impact that the experience participating in student government had on the participants’ sense of self. Without a doubt, participating in the SA was a transformational experience. Through their interviews, 11 of the 14 participants demonstrated that their experiences in the SA had led to their development of the competency realistic self-appraisal, self-understanding, and self-respect (within the domain intrapersonal development). During their insightful and personal reflections, participants demonstrated a profound understanding of their values, strengths, and weaknesses as a result of their experiences in the SA. For many, this learning was a result of experiences working with others, particularly during conflict or disagreements, once again signaling the impact that working with others has on learning. It is also worth noting that for many of the participants, the deeper sense of self that emerged from the experiences in student government provided them some clarity on career choices and development. In Learning Reconsidered, ACPA and NASPA (2004) make an argument that moves the focus of education from the transfer of knowledge towards one that is more holistic and fosters identity development and transformation. ACPA and NASPA argue that: When the goals of education are to produce “intentional learners who can adapt to new environments, integrate knowledge from difference sources and continue learning throughout their lives” (Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2002, p. xi), we must give priority to identity development and to changing the ways in which students conceive their roles, abilities and contributions in the larger society. (p. 11) As evidenced by this study, participating in student government does afford a transformational learning opportunity for those involved and contributes to holistic education. An important practical application here for student affairs professionals….the importance of reflection (The 9 who achieved learning in commitment to ethics and integrity spoke about decision making based on values and principles as well as being accountable to their constituents)
- Sense of civic responsibility was related to their role serving others as a student politician Somewhat surprising that only one person developed learning in understanding and appreciation of culture and human differences. The literature suggests that interactions with those who are different (race, gender, sexuality) leads to gains in learning in this area. The SA was a diverse group but this didn’t come up in the interviews….2 explanations….reflective of the school or didn’t want to bring it up.
- Not surprising given this domain is closely related to academics The participants who achieved this outcome where able to make connections between classroom learning and SA or make connections between SA and career
- Now you know why….here is the what of my research Before we can even try to answer this question me must answer….what is learning…I chose to uncover how one learns in student government through the lens of experiential learning….