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Event Based Learning

Event-based learning in higher education engages students in real-world scenarios and collaborative problem-solving. This method promotes active learning, critical thinking, and the application of theoretical knowledge to practical situations.

In higher education, event-based learning can take various forms:

  • Student conferences: Organizing academic conferences where students present their research through talks and poster sessions, simulating professional academic environments.
  • Industry-partnered events: Collaborations with industry representatives to provide students with authentic workplace experiences and challenges.
  • On-campus events: Provide students with many unique opportunities to engage socially and academically, ranging from DIY craft nights and fitness classes to career fairs and cultural festivals, fostering community and enhancing the overall student experience.

Event-based learning experiences are considered high-impact practices because they:

  • Provide shared intellectual experience: Students experience programs together, adding depth to their understanding.
  • Develop employability competences: Students enhance their project management, collaboration, and communication skills, which are crucial for future employment.
  • Promote authentic skill-building: Participants learn to present information, negotiate in teams, and address expert or generalist audiences.
  • Foster learning communities: These events strengthen connections between students, enhancing their sense of belonging and course enjoyment.
  • Encourage interdisciplinary collaboration: Students work with peers from different fields, mirroring real-world professional environments[2].

To maximize the impact of event-based learning in higher education, institutions should consider:

  • Integrating events into the curriculum rather than treating them as extracurricular activities.
  • Providing structured follow-up and ongoing practice opportunities to reinforce learning.
  • Incorporating feedback and support from industry professionals to enhance the authenticity of the experience.

Event-based Framework

 

Pre-Event

Pick an event

Select an event that encourages students to engage with the “big questions” found in your curriculum from a variety of perspectives.  

Event: [Authors Series https://libraryc.org/ccaurora ]

Prep Your Students

Prior to attending, have your students consider how the event might relate to the course material. This will help them develop a lens through which to process their experience.

Students could:

  • Develop questions and share those with others in the class.
  • Research the topic of the event and share findings with classmates.

  • Answer and discuss exploration questions.

Sample Exploration Questions:

  • What do I expect to learn from this event?

  • How might this event be relevant to our course?

  • What do I already know about this subject?

  • What questions do I have about the topic?

Post-Event

Reflection

Having an experience does not mean that students have learned from it. Integrating a reflective activity will help students to

  • Identify what they have learned
  • Apply the event information/experience to the course content, or apply the course knowledge to the experience or event information

  • Integrate the experience into their academic and personal growth

Reflection activities should be done after an event, though they can be integrated at different stages in the learning process.

Please review the sample reflective activity for Event-based Experiences. A student does not need to answer every question; instead you can focus the student work on just one or two questions in each section.

Public Demonstration of Competence

Students should share their learning publicly. This solidifies learning when students teach each other (Mazur and other neuroscience sources). The formal or informal feedback that students receive from instructor and/or classmates is also a part of the learning process.

Assignment ideas:

  • Classroom presentation
  • Read their reflection essay in front of the class or in pairs
  • Display a work of art in the classroom or college, like The Hub
  • Submit an article to a publication

Assess Learning

Assess students’ learning as it is demonstrated in the reflective assignment. Consider aligning outcomes with CCA’s institutional outcomes, the 4 Cs:

  • Career & Transfer Readiness
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Cultural Competence

 

Sample Reflective Assignment

Name of Event:

Date:

What? Describe and explain the event.

  • What did you do or experience at the event?
  • What were the main ideas or topics covered?
  • Did you have interactions with others from varying backgrounds holding different perspectives than your own?

So What? Explore the event and its meaning.

  • How might students from a different background or academic focus view this same experience?
  • What did you learn about yourself, about your community? What did it mean to you?
  • Explain how the main themes and ideas from the event connect with you and with what you are learning in class.
  • How did you or your classmates make connection between your course material and/or your discipline?
  • What past experiences contributed to your understanding of your experience?
  • How did your experience at the event or with your fellow students deepen your understanding of your discipline or future career?

Now What? Examine what will you do with the information or experience.

  • Did the experience help you better understand your discipline or future career? How so?
  • Is there anything about the event topic(s) that you intend to explore in the future?
  • How do you plan to utilize your new understanding in future classes?
  • How do you plan to apply what you learned outside of school?
  • What ideas or topics from the event would you like to know more about?

Opportunities for Event Based Learning

This assignment template can help you incorporate the Hub's Stop and Serve initiative into your course, creating a meaningful connection between course content and service. Use this template as a starting point to create an assignment that aligns with your course objectives and leverages the 'Stop and Serve' activities. Feel free to make changes to suit your specific needs and learning outcomes.

For our homework assignment or journal assignment this week, please participate in CCA’s Day of Service on 9-5-24 at the Hub either at CentreTech (C107) or Lowry (West Quad). Don’t forget to sign in!

Answer the following questions in full sentences and submit a .doc or .pdf file in the D2L assignment folder. You may also submit a video or audio file with your answers to the following questions.

  1. Describe the service item you completed. Include details about what you did, why you chose this activity, where you completed the activity, and about how long it took you.
  2. Have you ever participated in service work before, or do you do so regularly? Describe why / why not.
  3. Connect the action back to class: how does this service action connect back to the reading, content, or course outcomes for our class? For up-to-date course outcomes check out the Syllabus section of D2L.
  4. Feedback: What did you like/dislike about this assignment versus others? Any advice/requests for future Day of Service events?

Upcoming Hub Events for Event-Based Learning