Developing Integrated Learning Environments for Improved Outcomes

Introduction

The assessment of student learning outcomes in the co-curriculum is often diffused across many departments without central goals guiding students through their learning experiences. As higher education leaders consider what skills and abilities students should acquire in the years between orientation and graduation, it is imperative to identify and communicate outcomes with students and map those experiences to a curriculum. This curricular approach to determine the appropriate outcomes and how to measure student achievement align well with the design thinking processes. This chapter will focus on the define phase of design thinking by exploring the current trends in higher education, and considerations for measuring experiential learning in the context of defining a problem statement that can be addressed through the phases of the design thinking process. An effective way to achieve the goal of defining the purpose of experiential education and measuring success is through the creation and implementation of integrated learning environments.

Learning is often perceived to primarily occur in the classroom or under the leadership of a faculty member. Therefore, faculty and other academics have become the default practitioners in the development of curriculum and measuring student outcomes. In reality, learning is a continual process occurring in a multitude of environments through diverse experiences. Students often report hands-on application, also referred to as experiential learning, is how they best gain and solidify their understanding of new knowledge and competencies. Student affairs practitioners have long known the learning opportunities students have in student organizations, housing, student employment and other co-curricular experiences are highly effective environments for learning. In fact, the publication of the Student Learning Imperative (ACPA, 1994) shifted the field of student affairs to emphasize learning through service delivery. The statement argued that learning, personal development, and student development are intertwined and inseparable (Schuh et al., 2016). In the almost thirty years since the publication of the Student Learning Imperative, student affairs practitioners have continued to identify ways to measure and report the learning that occurs in the co-curricular. Such engagement opportunities teach and enhance students’ skills, including communication, teamwork, and problem solving, to name a few. In the Project CEO White Paper, over 20% of respondents indicated that their co-curricular experiences were the primary environments where they learned teamwork, decision-making, problem solving, workflow planning, and verbal communication (Griffin, 2016).

This chapter will use the define phase of design thinking to address the integration of curricular and co-curricular experiences by first exploring the current environment and emerging trends in higher education that influence the outcomes and learning opportunities provided for students. This will lead into a discussion regarding design thinking and the foundations of integrated learning. Finally, the chapter will conclude with examples of how campuses are creating integrated learning environments and documenting student learning, including the use of comprehensive learning records.