- Project Types
- Eligibility
- Eligible Expenses
- Application Process, Timing and Adjudication
- Reporting
- Appendix 1: Guidelines for Experiential Learning Opportunities
Experiential learning is the application of theory and academic content to real-world experiences, either within the classroom, the community, or the workplace, which advances program or course-based learning outcomes that are specifically focused on employability skills. Recognizing that the development of experiential learning opportunities in academic courses and programs requires support, the Provost has established an Experiential Learning Fund.
The goals of the Fund are to:
- Increase the number of experiential learning opportunities for Carleton students, particularly in programs which may not have many EL opportunities;
- Enhance and/or expand existing experiential learning opportunities;
- Build awareness of experiential learning at Carleton; and
- Support the articulation of employability skills for Carleton’s students within the institution’s academic programming.
See previously named fund recipients.
Project Types
The Fund supports two types of projects:
Course Projects
Financial support in the range of $1,000 – $2,500 per project is available for initiatives that integrate experiential learning opportunities as part of a student’s course work requirements in a credit course. Suitable projects include both new experiential learning initiatives and projects which enhance/expand existing experiential learning opportunities. Proposed projects need to indicate how the experiential learning activity aligns with the course’s learning outcomes. Refer to Appendix 1 for Carleton’s guidelines and to the Provost’s Experiential Learning webpage.
Program Level Projects
Financial support in the range of $2,500 – $10,000 is available for initiatives that build and integrate new experiential learning opportunities within an undergraduate program via collaborative efforts between multiple faculty members and across multiple courses. Proposed projects need to clearly indicate how the experiential learning activities align across multiple courses and with the program’s overall goals and learning outcomes. See Appendix 1 for examples of experiential learning and Carleton guidelines.
For both the individual course projects and the program level projects, special consideration will be given to initiatives that support under-represented student populations and communities.
Note: Department heads need to confirm that their department agrees to be the administrator of the funds.
Eligibility
Course Projects
Carleton University instructors and faculty members are eligible. Learning support staff and contract instructors are eligible to apply for this fund only if they have support of their department head.
Program Level Experiential Learning Projects
Collaborative teams consisting of Carleton University instructors, faculty members, contract instructors, and learning support staff are eligible. The application and project must have the support of the department head.
Eligible Expenses
The Fund has been established to provide one-time funds to encourage new or expanded experiential learning opportunities. Eligible expenses could include hiring teaching or research assistants, student travel costs for off-campus activities, event costs, technology to support the project, professional development, support and honoraria for community/industry partners.
Ineligible expenses include (but are not limited to) reimbursement to instructors, faculty members, and contract instructors, memberships, conference travel costs – including registration, accommodation and food expenses.
Application Process, Timing and Adjudication
There are two funding opportunities:
Competition 1
Application deadline: Oct. 13, 2023
Applicants notified: Nov. 3, 2023
Competition 2
Application deadline: Jan. 19, 2024
Applicants notified: Feb. 9, 2024
Note – Program Level Experiential Learning Projects implementation dates may be negotiated to ensure sufficient time to implement.
Projects will be evaluated based on their alignment with the Funds goals in integrating experiential learning opportunities in Carleton courses and programs, feasibility and sustainability in consultation with Carleton’s Experiential Learning Steering Committee.
Preference will be given to projects related to required program elements. All recipients will be expected to share results of their projects through a brief report and short presentation to Carleton’s community.
Interested Carleton community members should complete the Experiential Learning Fund application and email it to tls@carleton.ca.
Reporting
A key aspect of building awareness and capacity of experiential learning is the sharing back to the Carleton community the results and experiential learning projects. To support this aspect, all recipients will be expected to share results of their projects through a brief report (a template will be provided) and a short presentation to Carleton’s community. This presentation could take place at a future TLS symposium, workshop, or some other suitable forum.
Appendix 1: Guidelines for Experiential Learning Opportunities
The following Carleton guidelines have been developed in order to identify which Carleton courses include experiential learning. In order to be considered as experiential learning, course activities must satisfy the following criteria:
- The activity must meet the requirements of MTCU’s Experiential Learning Guiding Principles (see below).
- The experiential learning activity must be significant. This means that the activity is an integral part of the course but the course may also have elements that are more traditional. A portion of the student’s assessment in the course relies on engagement in the experiential learning activity.
- The experiential learning activity is intended to be a continuing element of the course. For course projects, this means that the project is designed and implemented in such a way that it can be repeated and/or shared with other faculty teaching the course. For program level projects, this means that the experiential learning activity is built into the course and is not dependent on which instructor teaches the course.
- The experiential learning activity can be categorized into one of the 12 types.
MTCU Guiding Principles for Experiential Learning Projects
To count as experiential learning, an activity must satisfy all of the following criteria:
- The student is in a workplace or simulated workplace.
- The student is exposed to authentic demands that improve their employability, interpersonal skills, and transition to the workforce.
- The experience is structured with purposeful and meaningful activities.
- The student applies university or college program knowledge and/or essential employability skills.
- The experience includes student self-assessment and evaluation of the student’s performance and learning outcomes by the employer and/or university/college.
- The experience counts towards course credit or credential completion OR is formally recognized by the college or university as meeting the five criteria above.