Experiential Learning Context
The workplace is increasingly viewed as a valuable learning context to which all students should have access. Ontario colleges are already active in experiential learning; indeed, Ontario has been applauded and described as a ‘hotbed’ of experiential learning (Ipsos Reid, 2010). There is strong evidence among students, postsecondary institutions, and employers that all stakeholders benefit from a high-quality experiential learning experience (Sattler 2011). Most Canadians who have participated in experiential learning report that their experience made a significant difference in their future work and educational pursuits (Ipsos Reid, 2010). Sattler and Peter’s (2013) study on work-integrated learning (WIL) in the Ontario postsecondary sector described WIL as an essential part of the learning experience, giving students the skills they needed to make the transition from education to the workplace. A study by Peters (2012) focused on faculty perceptions of WIL and results indicated that faculty believed students should have greater access to WIL.
In line with the recommendations of The Premier’s Highly Skilled Workforce Expert Panel (2016), the Ontario government has committed to ensuring that every Ontario graduate of a publicly-funded postsecondary institution have opportunity to engage in at least one meaningful experiential learning experience during their program of study to ensure that they are both career- and job-ready and can fulfill their potential.
Centennial College’s strategic plan (Our Book of Commitments, 3rd Ed.), 3E framework, and the Academic Plan: Building Leaders and Changemakers commit to revolutionizing teaching and learning by making experiential learning a hallmark of the Centennial experience through systemic training, structured work experience, and institutional partnerships and expanding WIL, capstone projects, and cooperative education programs. Employment is one of the pillars of the College’s 3E framework, with the objective of transitioning the student journey to employment through meaningful EL experiences. Further, the Academic Plan advances a “wildly important goal” of giving every student a WIL experience, paving the way to employment and career success.
The Ministry of Colleges and Universities has signed Strategic Mandate Agreements with colleges and universities that are valid from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2025 (SMA3). This cycle of agreements is focused on promoting accountability through performance outcomes, requiring colleges to set targets for the number and proportion of graduates in programs who participated in at least one course with required experiential learning component(s) as a way to measure and evaluate the college’s role in supporting student and graduate outcomes and alignment with Ontario’s economy.
It is not enough, however, to offer any type of work-related experience to students. Experiential learning needs to be thoughtfully integrated into program curricula, with attention to academic quality. The quality of experiential learning is contingent on the meaningfulness of learning activities, the organization in which experiential learning takes place, as well as the structure and intentionality of the experience.
