Experiential Learning in Community Oral Health Promotion: A Qualitative Evaluation of the Experiential Aspects

Abstract

Experiential learning is not merely a set of tools and techniques to provide experiences for knowledge and skills acquisition but also learning that embraces certain principles that must be present at some time during learning. These principles are (a) a mixture of content and process, (b) an absence of excessive judgment, (c) engagement in purposeful endeavors, (d) encouraging the big-picture perspective, (e) the role of reflection, (f) emotional investment, (g) reexamination of values, (h) meaningful relationships, and (i) learning outside one's perceived comfort zones. We implemented and evaluated a learning initiative in which 30 dental students participated in oral health promotion activities in a residential care home for older adults. Qualitative feedback provided by 24 students suggested that the initiative provided a mixture of content and processes for knowledge application, gave "the opportunity to develop creative interventions and make decisions"; allowed students to "solve problems and share knowledge"; helped them "see the reality more. .. and reach out to the community"; led them to reflect on their effectiveness, "not sure what we have done are sufficient to actually help"; motivated them to "take some time off to understand their troubles" and not just doing what they thought was required; inspired them to examine their values around "feeling of social connectedness. .. and a desire to give back"; and provided opportunities to learn outside their comfort zones, "step out of campus and encounter all the different people" and demonstrated that the experiential aspects of experiential learning can and should be evaluated.

Embedding experiential learning in undergraduate health promotion curriculum

“…The experiential learning component that necessitated interactions and collaboration with agencies, peers and university professional staff allowed students to build workplace attributes, professional behaviour and identity, acquaint themselves with and explore the health promotion sector and strengthen teamwork abilities. This corroborates with evidence that hands‐on learning in real‐world settings benefits students academic development, relationship building with peers, academics and community stakeholders while strengthening problem‐solving and decision‐making skills 1,22–24 . The set of knowledge and skills CHP students obtained are further applied when students undertake the third‐year subject “Health Promotion Planning and Evaluation” and field placement in the final semester of their course.…”

Applying Experiential Action Learning Pedagogy to an Intensive Course to Enhance Capacity to Conduct Community-Based Participatory Research

“…CBPR = community-based participatory research. a Cunningham (1998), Johnson and Johnson (2017), and Kolb (2015). b Pau and Mutalik (2017) and Rubin et al (2012). c Israel et al (1998) and Israel et al (2013a, 2013b).…”

“…To synthesize results in relationship to pedagogy, Table 4 presents the connection between the experiential action learning model, pedagogical strategies used in the course, and corresponding qualitative evaluation findings. From left to right, the first column lists each of the seven principles of our model (presented above), including five principles of experiential action learning (Cunningham, 1998; Johnson & Johnson, 2017; Kolb, 2015) and two principles of community-engaged pedagogy that align with CBPR (Israel et al, 2019; Pau & Mutalik, 2017; Rubin et al, 2012). In the middle column, several course activities are listed that exemplify how each principle of our model was applied through pedagogical strategies.…”

“…In addition to these five principles, experiential learning has more recently included several other concepts that are central to our learning model for CBPR. One concept is that experiential learning is centered in collective experiences with others in a context within which individuals bring their own experiences and may develop shared or different understandings (Pau & Mutalik, 2017). Furthermore, an educational approach termed “community-engaged pedagogy” (Reinschmidt et al, 2019; Rubin et al, 2012) includes the principle that effective experiential action learning both relies on and builds relationships among a diverse community of learners and instructors.…”

Enhancing Graduate Practicum Project Development and Selection at Schools of Public Health: A Case Study

“…Increasing demands from industry and employers require that public health graduates possess diverse skill sets that will enable them to readily join the workforce and contribute to solving complex public health problems (Millican & Bourner, 2011; Sullivan, Velez, Edouard, & Galea, 2018). Skills such as teamwork, communication, self-management, and analytical and critical thinking are largely honed through exposure to professional practice settings and are valued by employers and students alike (Caballero & Walker, 2010; Hager & Holland, 2007; Messum, Wilkes, & Jackson, 2015; Pau & Mutalik, 2017; Walker et al, 2013). The benefits of experiential learning extend beyond the student, however, allowing for relationships between universities, local agencies and organizations, and communities to be forged and strengthened (Bill & Casola, 2016; Ward & Wolf-Wendel, 2000).…”