What is Experiential Learning?
Experiential learning is a learning approach that involves learning through experience and active participation. As Bartle (2015) describes it, experiential learning is a shift in learning design from students receiving transmissive teachings from an instructor to students cooperating and learning through direct experiences with real-world problems in a semi-structured approach. In other words, experiential learning is “learning by doing … an active, hands-on process where learners apply their knowledge and practise their skills, while also engaging in reflection” (Concordia University, n.d.). Reflection is important in experiential learning, as it helps learners to assess their new knowledge, skills and experiences to gain better understanding and get a grasp on how they can apply this new knowledge.
How Experiential Learning Aligns with Understanding Privacy and Security of Healthcare Data
The concept of experiential learning aligns with the topic of privacy and security of patient and healthcare data, a project topic my group and I are exploring for our class, Learning Design for Technology-Mediated Environments. Our group aims to teach the importance of protecting patient and personal health information along with other healthcare data, identifying security risks, and understanding ways in which this data and information can be protected. Experiential learning aligns with our topic because protecting healthcare data requires practical skills and real-world decisions, as the consequences for insufficient protection of this data is significant in the real world. It does not solely rely on learning concepts or policies regarding privacy and confidentiality.
While our learning resource will be delivered in a technology-mediated environment online (through WordPress and quizzes on Quizziz or Quizlet), experiential learning can still be tied into this learning experience. This can be done through learners actively participating in realistic (but hypothetical) scenarios, instead of just reading or listening about cybersecurity or privacy and confidentiality. For example, learners analyzing phishing emails or scenarios on healthcare privacy breaches, while making decisions about what to do in these scenarios. Our group can also provide learners a chance to reflect on these decisions. This will allow learners to apply their learnings to different healthcare privacy and security situations and reflect on their understandings and applications.
This also aligns with course concepts, such as authentic learning. Conrad and Openo (2018) state that authentic assessment involves learners providing evidence that they meaningfully applied their learning. In this case, learners will apply their learning within privacy situations and decisions in healthcare. This also aligns with the concept that “learning happens because of what learners do” (EdTech Admin, 2023), as learners will have the opportunity to actively participate in realistic practices.
Comments on Posts of Peer(s)
If you are curious to learn more about learning approaches in the context of patient and healthcare data privacy and security, please see my peer’s post along with my comment on Zack D.’s Blog Post 2!
References
Bartle, E. (2015). Experiential learning: An overview [Discussion paper]. Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation, The University of Queensland. https://itali.uq.edu.au/files/1264/Discussion-paper-Experiential_learning_an_overview.pdf
Concordia University. (n.d.). What is experiential learning? https://www.concordia.ca/academics/experiential-learning/introduction.html
Conrad, D. L., & Openo, J. (2018). Assessment strategies for online learning: Engagement and authenticity. AU Press. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781771992329.01
EdTech Admin. (2023, May 1). Constructive alignment. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci335/constructive-alignment/
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