1. Courses that require applying theoretical concepts to practical situations, such as business, healthcare, social work, and education. Experiential activities like simulations, role plays, and real-world projects help students practice applying concepts. 2. Topics that involve interpersonal skills, decision-making, teamwork, leadership and communication. Experiential approaches provide opportunities for students to develop and practice these skills in a low-stakes environment. 3. Subjects that involve processes or systems that are difficult to understand from descriptions alone. Hands-on activities through simulations, experiments, or field experiences

1. Exploring
Experiential Learning Activities:
Simulations, Role Play and Real World Interactions
Ken Monroe · Fränzi Ng · Kelly Warnock
Instructional Designers @ TRU’s Open Learning

2. Presentation Outline:
• An experience of experiential learning
• The experiential learning formula
• Examples:
• Simulations and experiments
• Role playing
• Real-world interactions
• Application in your classroom

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubNF9QNEQLA&index=5&list=PLBFF0B6080DA9E343

5. Reflect with Your Partner
1. What surprised you about this experiment?
2.
• What questions do you have now?
• What experiment(s) would you like to conduct next?
“Scientists have found that only…
20% of the fibers going to the brain’s primary visual cortex come from the retina;
80% come downward from regions of the brain governing functions like memory.
Richard Gregory, a prominent British neuropsychologist, estimates that visual perception
is more than 90% memory and less than 10% sensory nerve signals.”
Gawande (2008), Gregory (1998, p.5)

6. The History of Experiential Learning
• John Dewey
• Jean Piaget
• Carl Rogers
• David A. Kolb

7. Experiential Learning is related to but not synonymous with:
• Experiential education
• Action learning
• Adventure learning
• Cooperative learning
• Service learning
• Free choice learning
• Constructivism
• Outdoor education
• Problem-based learning
• Interdisciplinary learning

8. 2 Categories of Experiential Learning
Field-Based Experiences Classroom-Based Experiences

9. Definitions of Experiential Learning
“Intentional and reflective learning from experience.” U of Waterloo
“The strategic, active engagement of students in opportunities to learn
through doing, and reflection on those activities, which empowers
them to apply their theoretical knowledge to practical endeavors in a
multitude of settings inside and outside of the classroom.” SFU
“Learning through reflection on doing.” Wikipedia, retrieved 14 Jan 15
vs. rote or didactic learning (e.g. lecture)

10. E + R = L
“Experience plus reflection equals learning.”
John Dewey

11. How Do Students Experience
Learning through …
• Simulations
• Role Play
• Real World
Interactions
By Jeff Sheldon via Unsplash.com (CCO 1.0)

12. Simulation
The imitation of the
operation of a real-world
process or system over
time.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/USMC-07117.jpg/800px-USMC-07117.jpg

13. Simulation: Everest
Overview
• Course: BUSN 6041:
Leadership & Organizational
Development
• Assignment: 10%
• Length: 4-5 days to
complete (6 day climb)
• Assessment: debriefing
discussion
• Resource: Harvard Business
Publishing ($13)

14. Everest Simulation
• Strategy: How well each team member shares
information and makes sound decisions determines
whether the climbers make it to the next camp and
survive the climb.
• Goal: Reach the mountain’s
summit.
• Challenges: Each hiker is
faced with health-,
weather-, and resource-
related challenges.
Reaching the Summit: Management Techniques on the World's Highest Mountain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFOqM1B6nuE

15. Highlights
http://harvardbusiness.org/sites/default/files/17901_CL_Everest_Sim_Sheet_Feb2013.pdf

16. Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
• build, participate in, and lead effective teams
• solve problems and make decisions more effectively (in difficult
situations when members have different information and opposing interests)
• explore how leadership approaches affect team
performance in situations characterized by time, pressure,
and competition
• recognize the relationship between authority, power,
leadership, and group dynamics.

17. BUSN 6041 Feedback
• Small class sizes (4 students)
• Students enjoyed the simulation
• Students went through the simulation 2-3 times.
(Most did worse the second time, since they over-analyzed the
scenarios and decisions.)
From Student:
• “I just want to say that the Everest simulation was a
great assignment that was really interesting and
enjoyable. Thank you for that.”

18. Simulation: My Virtual Child

19. Overview
• Course: SOCW 3551
Human Development
• Simulations:
• MyVirtualChild, MyVirtualTeen, MyVirtualLife
• Key goals:
• foster critical thinking; apply key concepts, experience
developmental principles in action.
• Resource: Pearson MyPsychLab.
• Available for Developmental Psychology and Lifespan
Development courses.

20. Tutorial Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUY-XuC32SU

21. Scenarios / Issues
• Breastfeeding
• Discipline
• Socializing
• Aggression
• New babies
• Attachment
• Developmental tasks

23. SOCW 3551 Instructor Feedback
“A couple of students did use it and told me that they
thought it was interesting and stimulating in terms of their
thinking about development… I'm hesitant to make the
MyDevelopment Lab and My Virtual Life simulations
required when there's so much reading to be done each
week, but I think they're really helpful for OL students who
don't have the opportunity for class discussions in the
same way. I've really tried to focus on critical thinking and
evaluation in the course, and I do think that the videos and
simulations help with that, particularly with students who
may struggle with the reading and whose learning style is
more experiential.”

24. Psychology Experiments
http://www.infomart.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/5senses.jpg

25. Hands-on Assignments

26. “The submissions that I have seen so far...have been
excellent - the students have been doing a good job
meeting or exceeding expectations on activities like
modelling the brain, neurons, sensation and
perception activities.
PSYC 1111 Instructor Feedback
CC-License by Markus Spiske / www.temporausch.com

27. Role Playing
Talking in someone else’s shoes.
creative commons licensed (BY) flickr photo by Ran Yaniv Hartstein: http://flickr.com/photos/ranh/270486786
The Valkyries march to war with their god Odin

28. What is a Role Play
A role play requires at a minimum two people who are each assigned a
persona within a defined scenario. “Talking in someone else’s shoes.”
In our educational environment, the learning objective will require the
participants to apply the skills they have learned.
Some popular role play scenarios are:
• Customer Service training - Dealing with a difficult client
• Leadership training - Providing feedback to an employee
• Negotiation modelling – different stakeholders negotiate a solution to
a problem or issue.

29. HLTH 3101 : Client- Directed Care Management is intended for professionals
working in the health care system and/or upper-level students in the health
degree programs who wish to develop their knowledge and skill in a client
directed approach to care management.
The course deals with theory of care management within a client-directed
service philosophy and provides a framework to apply this theory to client
care situations.
This is an on-line co-hort based course. Over the past two/three years,
sections are consistently at capacity with 25 students per session.
HLTH 3101 – Client Directed Care Management

30. Stages of Role Play
Planning
Assigning
PreparingCompleting
Assessing

31. Planning
The role play is designed to allow participants to practice the
Ethical Decision Making process. This process is discussed in the
learning material of the module. The role play is therefore the
practical application of that process.
In designing the role play, the developer chose a common
situation from the field. One that students, as practitioners
have likely come across, or one that they would likely come
across in the future.
The experience emulates the give and take negotiation that
occurs in a Client directed care management team.

32. Client – 75 years old. Emphysema and Arthritis. Veteran. Wants a scooter to help
get around better.
Client’s relative – visits regularly. Helps with groceries. Worried about the
scooter idea as they’ve seen deterioration in health. But wants him/her to get
out more.
Care Manager - responsible for managing this Client directed process and
implementing the Ethical Decision Making process
Community Occupational Therapist – must provide independent
recommendation of ability to function
Veterans Affairs representative – must approve or reject application for funding
of scooter.
Assigning
Roles are gender neutral in order to be distributed out randomly to all students.

33. Preparing
• Groups of 5. Each group has a unique and private discussion forum area in BB
Learn
• Each person assigned a role. Care is taken not to assign someone a role in which
they have professional experience. E.g. an O.T. would not be assigned the
Community O.T. role
• Faculty checks in with all groups to ensure understanding. Reinforces the message
that all further communication is made “in role” until the end of the assignment
• Role Player’s are encouraged to research and contact real people if they are
unfamiliar with the role.
• The duration of the role play is 14 days, due to the nature of the course.

34. Completing
Faculty member needs to check in with groups regularly and
monitor the discussion.
There have been situations where the faculty has had to
remind groups about the Ethical Decision Making process is
being followed, asked people to review assumptions and
ensured that the Client Directed nature of the team.

35. Assessing
Each group shares their top 4 top resolutions in a Discussion Forum that is common to the
whole class. This is the first time that groups will see what different groups have done.
This Discussion Forum component contributes 5% of the course grade. Assessment is
based on a rubric which defines criteria about quality of decisions, following the Ethical
Decision Making process, timeliness of responses. There is not an assessment of the
resolutions.
Each individual is required to write a reflection of the activity including what went well,
what caused conflict, any insights they gained about the different “team member” roles.
The Reflective Journal accounts for 15% of the final grade. The journal entry on the Role
Play is a part of this 15%.

36. Outcomes
Students
• The experience varies based on the effort put in.
• According to the faculty member, a large majority of students like the
exercise and comment on how it has opened up their thinking process.
• Many in the reflection journal comment that they believe the assignment will
have a positive influence on future actions.
Instructor
The exercise satisfies the desire to have an authentic learning experience given
the vast practical experience of the students. Highlights the following course
learning objectives:
• Application of Client directed approach to care management
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Team work

37. Educational Advantages of Role Playing
• It encourages individuals, while in role, to reflect upon their knowledge of a
subject.
• Individuals are required to use appropriate concepts and arguments as defined by
their role.
• Participation helps embed concepts.
• It gives life and immediacy to academic material that can be largely descriptive
and/or theoretical.
• It can encourage students to empathize with the position and feelings of others
Jarvis, L., Odell, K., & Troiano, M., (2002). Role Playing as Teaching Strategy. Available at
http://imet.csus.edu/imet3/odell/portfolio/grartifacts/Lit%20review.pdf

38. Project EnROLE:
http://www.uow.edu.au/cedir/enrole/rp_repository.html
Some Resources

40. What in my curriculum is
more effectively taught
with experiential learning?

41. E + R = L
“Experience plus reflection equals learning.”
John Dewey

42. Experiential Learning Model
1. Concrete Experience
2. Reflective Observation
3. Abstract Conceptualization
4. Active Experimentation
Kolb, 1984

43. The Essence of Experiential Learning
• Reflect on the experience using analytical skills
• Student-focused, student-generated
• The student is directly involved with the experience
• Learning is perceived as authentic
• Low judgment, mistakes are ok
• Primarily learning from the process (not content)

44. York University
In courses with experiential learning:
+ Higher student engagement
+ Better outcomes
- More time & work for students and instructors
- Lack of clarity on the goals & standards (messy)
Rhonda Lenton, Robindra Sidhu, Sidak Kaur, Mark Conrad, Brian Kennedy, Yvette Munro, Richard Smith
Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, 2014

46. What in my curriculum is
more effectively taught
with experiential learning?