Real-World Learning (RWL) is a new curriculum requirement for incoming first-year students, including the class of 2017. This academic requirement must be completed before the students graduate from Elizabethtown College. Dr. Brian Newsome, associate professor of history, served on the Real World Learning committee this past summer as the assistant dean for general education and assessment. Newsome explained that the goal for the program is to “formalize and expand opportunities that Elizabethtown students may have already been taking advantage of in which we know from our experiences.”
Real-World Learning was highly researched before it was officially integrated into the curriculum. “A Learning Working Group” consisting of 15 faculty members, staff and students and co-facilitated by Dean Calenda and myself, focused on the importance of so-called high-impact practices in promoting deeper learning,” said Dean of Faculty Dr. E. Fletcher McClellan. This Learning Working Group looked at research conducted by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). “This research discovered that the vast majority of Etown students completed at least two of the signature learning experiences, as well as first-year seminar and guided research and writing courses. Once we saw that extending these experiences to all students was an attainable goal, we decided to make it a requirement.”
Real-World Learning, although not officially required in the past, has been a common practice of students throughout Etown for years. Many Etown students have been doing this to prepare themselves for the “real world” they will encounter after graduation, and academic advisors took note that the students who excelled academically were proactive in gaining experience from interviews and outside internships. “We think advising is a very important part of this process. Students should work closely with faculty advisors in deciding which experiences will best promote their academic, career and personal goals,” said McClellan.
McClellan said that when the strategic plan was developed in 2011-12, the committee asked this key question: “How can the College provide a more effective and engaging educational program?” Those who were involved in integrating this program into the curriculum wanted all students to be able to engage in experiences such as internships or guided research. The Real-World Learning experience offers five signature opportunities to students, including supervised research, internships, field placements and practicums, capstone courses, projects or development portfolios, community-based learning and cross-cultural experiences.
Supervised research allows students to investigate, test and study under the supervision of a faculty member and experience internships. Field placements and practicums allow students to immerse themselves in their interests while experiencing a professional setting. Each RWL capstone course, project or development portfolio allows students to apply and demonstrate what they learned through a project, exhibit, performance or showcase.
Community-based learning allows students to engage in service projects in local communities and beyond. Finally, cross-cultural experience allows students to explore different cultures by living and studying in a different culture abroad or in the U.S. These activities can not only help to strengthen a resume for graduate school, but they also and increase a student’s chances of getting hired for their dream job. “We chose the experiences that were the best fit with our educational program and students’ actual choices,” said McClellan.
“What they all have in common is that they establish high academic expectations, require considerable time and effort from students, and feature significant interaction with faculty and among students themselves. Since the College promotes internships and field experiences such as student teaching in most of its academic programs, involves most of its students in service-learning as an expression of our mission and has invested heavily in undergraduate research through Scholarship and Creative Arts Day, we decided that high-impact practices should be a key element of RWL,” said McClellan.
This new requirement is opening doors for students and helps students figure out the career path they want to pursue. “Employers want students to have well-developed communications and analytical and critical thinking skills. They also want students to have practical experience before entering the world of work. Our signature learning experiences will enable students to apply classroom learning to real-life issues and problems, thus developing the skills and savvy that will equip them for success,” said McClellan.
