Engaging Students Beyond Just the Experience: Integrating Reflection Learning into Sport Event Management

Abstract

Sport management as an academic discipline requires a balance of theory and practice through endowing students with knowledge, critical thinking skills, and expertise (Cuneen & Parks, 1997). Professionals call for students being “prepared” for the demands of the sport industry through the acquisition of a quality education and a significant amount of hands-on experience before entering the work force. Researchers have recommended utilizing experiential pedagogical strategies to not only provide the hands-on engagement but also to challenge students to use their knowledge for the public good (e.g., Bruening, Madsen, Evanovich, & Fuller, 2010; Chalip, 2006; McKelvey & Southall, 2008; Pauline & Pauline, 2008). It also supports the recent trend to educate students in the world beyond the confines of the college campus. Boyer (1996) noted engaging outside the confines of campus will not only give students hands on experience but also, cultivate a student’s cognitive and moral development, which is often underestimated in higher education.

Holistic Education through Athletics: Health and Health-Literacy of Intercollegiate Athletes and Active Undergraduate Students

“…study abroad) (Shames & Alden, 2005;Younes & Asay, 2003). Experiential learning and metadiscrete experiential learning models have been extensively researched as effective methods of sport management education (Bruening, Madsen, Evanovich, & Fuller, 2010;Hardin, Bemiller, & Pate, 2013;Irwin, Hays & Irwin, 2011;McKelvey & Southall, 2008;Pauline, 2013;Pauline & Pauline, 2008;Pierce, & Petersen, 2010;Southall, Nagel, LeGrande, & Han, 2003;Spence, Hess, McDonald, & Sheehan, 2009;Walker & Lim, 2007), but there is a lack of literature applying the theory to education through athletics.…”

Examining The Application Of Experiential Learning Techniques Across Sport Management Programs

“…While some sport management educators have moved towards a more experiential, applied learning model within sport management classrooms, the extent to which academics across the field of sport management are applying these same techniques is unclear. And while a handful of sport management scholars have examined experiential learning outcomes within individual classroom environments (Irwin, Sutton, & McCarty, 2007;Pauline, 2013;Southall, Nagel, LeGrande, and Han, 2003), a singular study has yet to provide an in-depth analysis of the widespread application of experiential learning practices across the field of sport management. In addition, no studies have examined sport management faculty attitudes towards the use of experiential learning practices and their impact on student learning.…”

“…It is evident through published scholarship that some scholars in the field of sport management have been applying Kolb's model of experiential learning theory to their classrooms (Bower, 2013;Miller, Meaney, & Podlug, 2012;Pauline, 2013;Turesky and Gallagher, 2011) in recent years. For example, through her semester long event management course, Pauline (2013) found that Students developed the ability to progress from "noticing" or "making sense" to "making meaning" from their experiences" and that "once the students learned the structure of the course, course content, and got immersed with the event, the reflection process was an eye opening experience for the students to learn about themselves and the course material in a different perspective (p. 10).…”

“…It is important to note that a handful of scholars within the field of sport management have developed experiential learning models over the last decade (Foster & Dollar, 2010;Irwin, Sutton, & McCarty, 2007;Pauline, 2013;Southall, Nagel, LeGrande, and Han, 2003). Pauline (2013) developed the Sport Management Experiential Learning Process (SMELP), a model intended for use in a semester long sport management event course.…”

“…It is important to note that a handful of scholars within the field of sport management have developed experiential learning models over the last decade (Foster & Dollar, 2010;Irwin, Sutton, & McCarty, 2007;Pauline, 2013;Southall, Nagel, LeGrande, and Han, 2003). Pauline (2013) developed the Sport Management Experiential Learning Process (SMELP), a model intended for use in a semester long sport management event course. Using Kolb's experiential learning theory model as a guide, she developed a process that involved the development of student knowledge through in-class discussion, student engagement with the event itself, various opportunities for student reflection, and opportunities for students to articulate learning.…”