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18 Special Topic: Assessment in University General Education Program
the learning process, utilize psychomotor behaviors, or experience affective
changes, are increasingly recognized as beneficial learning experiences
(Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2007; National Survey
of Student Engagement, 2007; Harward, 2007). This is not to say that lectures
are ineffective at addressing various learning outcomes, but rather to explain
that many additional teaching and learning methods can be utilized to achieve
ILOs, sometimes with greater alignment between ILOs and TLAs than is
possible with lectures alone. As a group, these activities are usually described
as experiential or engaged learning, that is, learning that arises from direct
experience. Experiential education, despite popular misconception, is not a
new trend in higher education. John Dewey, perhaps the most famous proponent
of experiential education, wrote about it in his seminal book, Experience and
Education, back in 1938. What is new, however, and has sparked increased
interest in experiential learning pedagogies, is the recognition that TLAs
need to be more closely aligned with affective ILOs, to increase the chances
of students being able to achieve those stated outcomes.
Experiential learning activities are extremely diverse and may involve
participation in such activities as undergraduate research, community-based
research, hands-on laboratory activities, simulations, internships/field work/
practica, cooperative education (employment), service learning, study abroad
programs, cross-cultural programs, civic engagement/public scholarship,
or leadership training. Harward (2007) argued that service learning and
community-based research are two exemplars of engaged pedagogies having
“the greatest potential to transform attitudes, behaviors, and dispositions”
(p. 10), precisely the types of outcomes that we have defined as falling within