Introduction to the In-depth Experiential Learning Stream and Transferable Competencies

Course information

Questions sent by email receive a response within two business days, or during the following class if it takes place within 48 hours of the email. Before emailing, please read this syllabus and explore the resources linked from it. The answers to many questions are here, and students may be referred back to the syllabus if the answer is already available.

Instructor biography

I have spent most of my life working for non-profits in economic development and the environment. I worked overseas for the first 15 years of my career, supporting initiatives that engaged communities, businesses, and other stakeholders to collaborate for positive social change. I work at the University of Ottawa as Executive Director of the Global Development Policy and Practice Hub (GDPPH) and run my own small consultancy that supports organizational development and learning for non-profit organizations. I support organizations and individuals learning from practice, and planning for and evaluating organizational and individual goals.

I am passionate about experiential learning, which is, after all, why I am teaching this class. Some of my most profound personal experiences have been through internships, travel, or other non-formal forms of learning. I am looking forward to supporting students in this class to develop your own skills to learn through experience, and to create a plan that will carry you through your time at the University of Ottawa and beyond.

Course description

Official course description

Introduction to the principles of experiential learning. Presentation and deepening understanding of transferable competencies. The course will also address the modalities and requirements of the IELS pathway and introduce students to different types of experiential activities.

Additional course description

Experiential learning (EL) offers numerous benefits for students and is an increasingly popular teaching approach in universities. Experiential learning is a teaching methodology that engages learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people's capacity to contribute to their communities. It helps learners make connections between their past and current experiences. A facilitated reflection process encourages students to make relevant connections to their own academic, professional, and personal motivations and goals. After making these connections, learners will be able to carry their learning process into future experiences and contexts.

Among the positive impacts of this type of learning are:

• Developing the ability to reflect, communicate, and argue.
• Strengthening self-awareness, skills, and confidence in one's abilities.
• Increasing integrity, collaboration, and open-mindedness.

In any experiential learning process, the learner is at the centre of the approach, as it is a perspective that empowers them in the construction of knowledge. As a result, the learner takes on a significant responsibility in their own learning.

The success of this course depends on substantial participation and engagement from students throughout the semester. Attendance at all classes is therefore required. Reflective activities will be conducted both in and outside of the classroom each week. The role of the instructor is to serve as a facilitator, whose goal is to encourage students to pursue their learning autonomously, in line with their personal aspirations. The evaluation of the learning process during the semester depends primarily on the student's reflective approach and their ability to connect theory with practice.

Course learning outcomes

General learning outcomes

• Understand the main principles of experiential learning and SMART goals, and how to apply them in practice.
• Discover the IELS pathway modalities, requirements, and expectations.
• Explore the 11 uOCompetencies and develop specific skills, attitudes, and capabilities related to a subset of these competencies.

Full definitions are available on the uOCompetencies page.

Specific learning outcomes

• Initiation to concrete and authentic experiential learning activities in and out of the classroom.
• Learn how to reflect on actions and experiences, and be accountable for learning and performance outcomes.
• Develop a better understanding of the self, of learning skills, and of how to assess and communicate the outcomes of a learning experience.
• Set personal, academic, and professional goals to achieve throughout the IELS pathway.
• Develop competencies in group collaboration, planning, and conflict resolution.
• Produce reflective assessments documenting learning processes, challenges, and the ability to integrate uOCompetencies while making links between theory and practice.
• Learn how to give and receive constructive feedback.

Teaching methods

Classes are structured around short lectures and in-class activities, including small group discussions, role-playing scenarios, and written reflection exercises. Students are expected to complete the assigned readings before class. You will be encouraged to reflect on your learning each week by keeping a journal.

Reflection and the learning journal

Reflection is a crucial component of experiential learning and of this course. In reflective activities, students express how they are processing an experience and what learning they are drawing from it. You will be prompted through written or oral activities to analyze and think critically about your experience. Reflection helps you connect past and present experiences and understand your own motivations. It is this intentional process of reflection that generates learning from experience and leads to the achievement of learning objectives.

Prompts for reflective writing

Reflective writing should answer questions such as:

• What happened?
• What knowledge did you take from the course and use in your experiential learning project?
• What was different from what you expected, or different from your prior knowledge?
• What might this mean or tell you? Is there anything you need to learn more about?
• How will this affect you personally? How have your views or understanding changed?
• What will you do differently as a result of this learning or experience?
• What might this mean for the field, the work, or the subject area?
• How did I influence what happened?
• Why did I behave in that way?
• Why might I have felt the way I did during the situation, and now, when reflecting on it?
• How has who I am affected my view of what happened, my values, opportunities, life choices, and subsequently my reflections?
• What beliefs, or ways of challenging my assumptions, will allow me to look at this from others' perspectives?

Additional prompts will be provided in class throughout the semester, and each week's Reflect questions in the schedule below can be used as starting points.

Your learning journal

Your learning journal is an important tool for documenting your goals and learning process, and for reflecting on your growth in this class and beyond. Your journal should above all reflect yourself. Do not worry about handing it down to your children, or about your eventual biographer reading it. For this reason, bring your journal with you to class.

Different people journal in different ways. A journal can be a pad of paper and a pen, a bound notebook, a complicated piece of software, or plain text files on your computer. At a minimum, it should be secure, and something you will not easily misplace or lose. You may also want to consider which format helps you concentrate and reflect. Personally, depending on my mood and stress level, I move between pen and paper and an electronic journal. When I feel distracted, I find that the quiet of pen and paper helps me focus.

You will share your journal entries each week through Brightspace. Weekly entries are not graded for content: each submitted entry earns a completion mark of 1%, up to a total of 10% of your overall grade. Journal submissions are separate from attendance, which is tracked through your in-class responses to learning prompts.

What is expected of a journal entry

• Weekly entries: roughly 250–400 words, responding to at least one of that week's Reflect questions or one of the prompts above. Marked for completion only.
• The two graded entries (10% each): 600–800 words and polished. They are assessed on three criteria: depth of reflection (moving from describing what happened to analyzing what you learned); explicit connection to at least one uOCompetency and to your SMART goals; and concrete implications for what you will do differently.

Assessment

See the document Evaluation Methods for details about each assignment's modalities. Correction grids and specific expectations will be shared during the sessions.

Course policies

Attendance

Attendance is necessary to succeed in this course, as several activities take place in person. The commitment of learners is at the core of any experiential learning process and requires significant investment both in class and outside of it. Much of class time is spent working on group projects and collaborating with your peers, so missing class means you are not there to support your team.

That said, life happens. Each student is allowed three missed classes without reason. After that, each missed class results in a deduction of 3 points on the final grade. Please communicate with the TA regarding any absence. Attendance is taken in class.

Language quality

The most important element of academic and professional writing is clarity. Your submitted work is judged primarily on the quality of your ideas, your self-reflection, and your ability to convey these to the reader. Take appropriate measures to avoid errors of spelling, syntax, punctuation, and inappropriate use of terms. You may be penalized up to 15%, at the professor's discretion. Weekly journals may be submitted handwritten; in that case, while legibility matters, accommodations for spelling and grammatical errors will be given.

Use of artificial intelligence tools

Generative AI is increasingly used at all stages of a research project and when producing academic work. In this course, most of your submitted work reflects on experiences you have had individually or in groups. AI must not be used to describe experiences you did not have. You may use generative AI tools to proofread your work or to assist in crafting it. Students and groups using generative AI should cite any external references appropriately and follow the guidelines in the University of Ottawa Library guide to generative AI.

When using AI for written assignments, include a statement describing how AI was used (for example, for translation, for editing text, or for background research) and name the model used (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or another).

Late assignments

All late submissions are immediately docked 5%, with an additional 5% for each subsequent day late, including weekends, to a maximum of three days. After three days, outstanding assignments are given a grade of zero (0%).

EIN (incomplete failure) grade

Under Academic Regulation A-3, a student receives a grade symbolizing failure in a course when they have not completed a significant portion of the course's assignments or exams. This symbol (EIN) is equivalent to a failure (F).

Weekly schedule and readings

Each week generally revolves around a core competency that is the central theme for the classes (see Learn). To engage with the course content and deepen your learning, you are asked reflection questions each week (see Reflect); record your answers in your journal. The content of your journal belongs to you, and your notes will be useful for producing many of your assignments, including the final reflective assessment. You also complete activities (see Act) to assimilate the content covered in class. Some activities are done independently outside of class; others are completed in class.

Assigned readings are available through Brightspace, through the library online, or directly via the links below. Readings should be completed each week before the Wednesday class. In-class activities mostly take place on Fridays. Activities to be completed at home should be done before the Friday class.

Indigenous affirmation

Institutional policies and academic regulations

It is important to know the institutional policies and academic regulations associated with your academic success. This information is available on the Faculty of Social Sciences website, on the Student Hub page under "Institutional policies and academic regulations."

Intellectual property rights of course content

For clarification regarding the intellectual property rights of course content, please visit the Copyright Office webpage or consult your professor.

Academic fraud regulations

For clarification regarding academic integrity and misconduct, please consult Academic Regulation A-4 or your professor.

Bilingualism at the University of Ottawa

Under Academic Regulation A-1: except in programs and courses for which language is a requirement, all students have the right to produce their written work and to answer examination questions in the official language of their choice, regardless of the course's language of instruction.

Artificial intelligence

Under Academic Regulation A-4.1.a, students must identify content generated by any technological means, including artificial intelligence, in their work.

Beware of academic fraud

Academic fraud is an act committed by a student to distort the marking of assignments, tests, examinations, and other forms of academic evaluation. Academic fraud is neither accepted nor tolerated by the University. Anyone found guilty of academic fraud is liable to severe academic sanctions.

Examples of academic fraud include:

• engaging in any form of plagiarism or cheating, including through tools such as ChatGPT;
• presenting falsified research data;
• handing in an assignment that was not authored, in whole or in part, by the student;
• submitting the same assignment in more than one course without the written consent of the professors concerned.

The development of the internet has made it much easier to identify academic plagiarism. The tools available to your professors allow them to trace the exact origin of a text on the web using just a few words. If you are unsure whether you are at fault, it is your responsibility to consult the Writing and Style Guide for University Papers and Assignments.

People who have committed or attempted to commit academic fraud, or who have been accomplices to it, will be penalized. Examples of academic sanctions include:

• a grade of F for the assignment or the course in question;
• an additional program requirement of between 3 and 30 credits;
• suspension or expulsion from the Faculty.

For more information, refer to the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity and the Academic Integrity website of the Office of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic Affairs.

Resources for you

Sexual violence prevention

The University of Ottawa does not tolerate any form of sexual violence. Sexual violence refers to any act of a sexual nature committed without consent, such as rape, sexual harassment, or online harassment. The University, as well as student and employee associations, offers a full range of resources and services allowing members of our community to receive information and confidential assistance, and providing a procedure to report an incident or make a complaint.

Faculty Student Experience Centre

The Student Experience Centre helps students with their academic and social well-being during their time at the University of Ottawa. Regardless of where a student stands academically, or how far along they are in completing their degree, the Centre is there to help them continue on their path to success.

Students visit the Centre for very different reasons. Younger students may wish to talk to older peers to gain insight into programs and services offered by the University, while students further along may want to brush up on study and time management skills, or learn about programs and services for students nearing the end of their degree.

The Centre offers a place for students to talk about concerns and problems in any facet of their lives, without fear of judgment. Mentors, in turn, gain insight into issues unique to students and can help improve the services offered by the Faculty of Social Sciences and the University.

Academic Writing Help Centre

At the AWHC you learn to identify, correct, and ultimately avoid errors in your writing, and to become an autonomous writer. Working with writing advisors, you can acquire the abilities, strategies, and tools that enable you to:

• master the written language of your choice;
• expand your critical thinking abilities;
• develop your argumentation skills;
• learn what the expectations are for academic writing.

Counselling services

There are many reasons to take advantage of counselling services, which include personal counselling, career counselling, and study skills counselling.

Human Rights Office

The Human Rights Office provides leadership in the creation, implementation, and evaluation of policies, procedures, and practices on diversity, inclusion, equity, accessibility, and the prevention of harassment and discrimination.

1 Stewart Street, main floor, Room 121 · Telephone: 613-562-5222 · Email: [email protected]