Immersive learning

​When most people think of an immersive learning experience, they probably think of an internship or a field trip or maybe learning a foreign language via immersion (I.e., in the country of origin). While these experiences are immersive, students can also have immersive experiences without leaving the classroom.

At WPU, we use the term “immersive learning” a little differently. A teaching strategy or experience can be considered immersive whenever the student is connected to the “real world.” This can be through reflection, collaboration, mentorship, or learning by doing. The specific ways this could be accomplished can vary by discipline, but here are a few generic examples:

• Undergraduate research
• Peer and mentor collaboration
• Intentional group work
• Expert feedback
• Community partnerships
• Hands-on, experiential or service-learning
• Study-away
• Simulated or actual professional experiences
• Internships

 
The discipline of psychology nicely lends itself to these immersive practices. These can be implemented in the classroom during class time or as out-of-class assignments. Here are some ways we (my department and myself) do this:

• Class activities
  • Demonstrations – In Learning, I bring my dogs to demonstrate classical and operant conditioning.
  • Case studies
  • In-depth discussions – In Learning, I set aside entire days to discuss relevant topics such as punishment and technology use in the classroom.
  • Reflection
  • Guest speakers
  • Role playing – Our students get to practice therapeutic techniques in the Counseling Theories course.
  • Reading/discussing journal articles
  • Learning new software – Our students learn SPSS in the Research Methods lab.
• Assignments
  • Presentations
  • Projects – In Health Psych, students engage in behavior change project.
  • Papers – This could be a literature review, reflection essay, or an APA style research paper.
  • Conducting research – Research is conducted by students in PSY 101, research methods, independent study, and honors thesis.

 
These are just some of the ways we try to be immersive in the psychology department at WPU. What are some things that you do that could be considered immersive?
 
written by Jen Blush