Integration of Learning Model: How College Students Integrate Learning

Abstract

Students integrate their learning experiences across contexts through a process of connecting, applying, and synthesizing information, knowledge, and skills.

Exploring Integrative Learning in Service-Based Alternative Breaks

“…Our findings lend particular support to Barber's (2014) first and third points. We found that often students were unable to integrate learning across very different contexts because they were unable to see the similarities between or among those contexts.…”

“…In discussing some of the reasons why students might not engage in integration, Barber (2014) explained, "Three of the key issues facing students in regard to learning are (a) compartmentalization, (b) the ever-increasing collection of digital tools available, and (c) a lack of opportunities for reflection" (p. 12). Our findings lend particular support to Barber's (2014) first and third points.…”

“…Despite the importance of facilitating students' ability to engage in integrative learning and evidence that integration is associated with other desirable outcomes, little research has explored how students engage in integration and how particular educational contexts facilitate students' ability to do so (Barber, 2012(Barber, , 2014. This lack of research is particularly concerning, as there is evidence that educators are failing to fully capitalize on students in-classroom and outof-classroom experiences to promote integrative learning (Barber, 2012).…”

“…This lack of research is particularly concerning, as there is evidence that educators are failing to fully capitalize on students in-classroom and outof-classroom experiences to promote integrative learning (Barber, 2012). Barber (2014) and Wawrzynski and Baldwin (2014) argued that high-impact practices such as service-learning may be particularly well suited to promote the integration of learning. The very nature of service-learning is about connecting community service with academic learning, either in or out of the classroom.…”

Bringing It All Together Through Group Learning

“…Typical deficits in learning at this level include: failure to learn from experience (Kolb, 1984(Kolb, , 1998Presley & Leslie, 1999;Rowley, Lujan, & Dolence, 1997); failure to pool knowledge across disciplines, departments, and administrative units (Barber, 2014;Lauer, 2006); and failure to monitor plans and tweak performance (Holcomb, 2001;Wilson, 1997). As evidenced in the chapters of this volume, a lack of support for making connections and integrating topics hinders learning at all levels.…”