Impacts of Experiential Learning Depth and Breadth on Student Outcomes

Abstract

This 5-year study of graduating seniors at Elon University ( n = 2,058) evaluates the impacts of experiential learning depth (amount of time commitment) and breadth (number of different types of experiences) on student outcomes. Data on study abroad, undergraduate research, internships, service, and leadership experiences were pulled from cocurricular transcripts and paired with responses to the National Survey of Student Engagement. Both depth and breadth were associated with acquiring a broad general education, writing clearly and effectively, contributing to the welfare of communities, relationships with faculty and administration, and desire to attend the same institution. Depth (but not breadth) was associated with higher order thinking (synthesis and application) in the senior year, as well as overall educational experience. Breadth (but not depth) was associated with working effectively with others and better relationships with other students. Overall, key learning outcomes desired for a college student are driven by both experiential learning depth and breadth.

A Meta‐Analysis of the Relationship Between Experiential Learning and Learning Outcomes

“…Nonetheless, there are growing calls for improved integration of concepts and development of “soft skills” (Duncan & Dunifor, ; Mitchell, Skinner & White, ), acquiring a global perspective, appreciation for social responsibility, and guidance toward ethical behavior (Navarro, ; Waddock & Lozano, ). Many instructors have added experiential learning activities to their classes based on personal observations and positive results in the research literature (Huang, Chen, & Chou ), and some institutions have encouraged the use of these learning activities across their campuses (Coker, et al., ; Morris, ).…”

“…Experiential learning continues to be a major consideration in improving learning outcomes as witnessed by recent research (Coker et al., ; Hajshirmohammadi, ; Morris, ; Tomkins & Ulus, ) and from increased calls from outside agencies to use experiential learning activities in higher education (AACSB, ). A 5‐year study at Elon University showed that key learning outcomes are driven by the depth and breadth of experiential learning college students are exposed to during their studies (Coker et al., ).…”

“…Experiential learning continues to be a major consideration in improving learning outcomes as witnessed by recent research (Coker et al., ; Hajshirmohammadi, ; Morris, ; Tomkins & Ulus, ) and from increased calls from outside agencies to use experiential learning activities in higher education (AACSB, ). A 5‐year study at Elon University showed that key learning outcomes are driven by the depth and breadth of experiential learning college students are exposed to during their studies (Coker et al., ). Despite this, some scholars have claimed a lack of established and confirmed empirical relationships between experiential learning activities and learning outcomes (Anderson & Lawton, ; Freedman & Stumpf, ; Washbush & Gosenpud, ), while others have argued against the theoretical underpinnings (Holman, Pavlica, & Thorpe, ).…”

Changing Student Conceptions of Arid, Urban Watershed Management

“…Based on our findings, experiential learning is a promising approach, even for students with little prior knowledge of the specific subject area being introduced (Welker et al ). Having multiple experiential learning experiences across subjects supports students to develop stronger teamwork skills (Coker et al ). Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating brief experiential learning activities into an introductory level course, which could then encourage the development of teamwork skills among students in these early courses.…”

Method of continuous improvement of multidisciplinary programs and outreach activities

“…The implementation of multidisciplinary modules and courses may be difficult because of the trade-off between the learning breadth and depth [4][5][6][7] , which must be carefully balanced for optimized student outcomes and professional development 8 . In addition, the connection between students' background and multidisciplinary topics, or the communication between professionals of different disciplines may impact the progress of activities.…”