Educators constantly struggle to keep students’ attention in the classroom.  What does it mean to have a student truly engaged in the class?  How do we get students to think critically?  Does the inclusion of experiential learning have an impact on how the student learns?

First, the presenter will explore what experiential learning is and what it means to the instructor.  Literature reviews show that experiential learning encompasses many kinds of learning such as internships, hands-on laboratory experiences, field trips and even cooperative education placements. (www.eric.ed.gov)  There are many other methods of experiential learning and the presenter hopes to generate a discussion sharing these other methods.

Employers want the student to have some “real world†experience before starting their post-graduate position.  Employers also want graduates to have some basic skills that colleges are attempting to teach.  According the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers are looking for graduates to have verbal communication skills in addition to be able solve problems and make decisions.  (https://www.naceweb.org/press/faq.aspx)

A MoneyWatch article written by Lynn O’Shaughnessy in April 2013, reviewed a survey of 318 employers was conducted by the Association of American Colleges.   Of the employers interviewed, all companies had at least 25 employees and at least a quarter of new hires held either an associates or bachelors degree. (O’Shaughnessy, 2013) (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-employers-want-in-college-grads/)  “[Ninety-three] percent of employers said that a demonstrated capacity to think critically, communicate clearly and solve complex problems is more important than a job candidate's undergraduate degree.â€Â  (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-employers-want-in-college-grads/)

This presentation identifies best practices of engaging students in the classroom and getting students to think critically in the classroom through the use of experiential learning.  These best practices are also applicable in all kinds of teaching formats.

The presenter has over 14 years of sales and sales management experience.  Presenter changed careers and entered academia a few years ago as a full time professor.  In addition, the presenter is a part-time practicing attorney.  The presenter’s teaching philosophy is to keep students engaged in learning, but more importantly, to teach them how to think critically through the use of experiential learning.  The presenter’s best practice of achieving this objective is shared from samples taken from presenter’s classroom experiences.

The presenter has taught a variety of courses such as Business Law, Employment Law, Business Ethics, Writing for Management, Human Resources Management, Compensation Management, Power, Influence and Negotiation, and a First Year Seminar.  The presenter has received excellent student reviews with regard to the use of experiential learning.

The information in this session is applicable and valuable to any other institution or professor who wishes to learn new methods of engaging students and teaching them to think critically; a skill necessary for a successful post-graduate experience.