Much like how EC educators design learning environments for young children, college professors must create engaging learning environments for adult learners that inspire creativity, encourage critical thinking, and empower learners to take ownership of their academic goals. Educational research identifies that students who feel belonging and are empowered to co-create their learning experiences with instructors are more engaged and are more likely to succeed academically.

So, how do we create a learning environment that engages students and allows them to co-create their learning experiences? Based on my experience, there are a few strategies that I've found are great ways to support students in co-creating learning experiences:

1.      Design Thinking. Design thinking is an approach that involves understanding users, defining problems, ideating solutions, prototyping, and testing. I use this process to support my project-based learning (PBL) assignments and have had fantastic success. PBLs are challenging and rigorous but include lots of choices and opportunities for students to design their own learning experiences on topics that are relevant to them. Using design thinking to support students' problem-solving skills, foster divergent thinking, creativity, and collaboration is a great way to co-create student learning experiences. Design thinking can be used in multiple disciplines and is not only for STEM-focused instructors. However, don't forget to scaffold these types of projects. I've found that students need low-stakes opportunities to check in with you, learn with you, and get your guidance.

2.      Social Emotional Learning Strategies. Social-emotional learning is an approach that emphasizes the importance of interactions and relationships among learners. This is a foundational element in my community builder activity. I start each class with one of these. These are generally fun and engaging for students and help me get to know them beyond a purely academic focus. Using social-emotional learning strategies to build a classroom community is a wonderful way to create a sense of belonging among students. I recommend making a community-building activity a ritual in your classroom to encourage students to share perspectives and experiences and provide feedback to you and each other. This enhances internal motivation and engagement and supports understanding diverse perspectives. Plus, it only takes about 5 – 10 minutes of class time.

3.      Experiential Learning. Experiential learning is one of my favorite strategies! The theory of experiential learning is based on David Kolb's work. It is an approach that involves learning by doing and reflecting on the experience. Kolb proposed a four-stage learning cycle involving concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Doesn't that sound FUN? Experiential learning allows students to learn knowledge and skills in a real world. It helps them connect the why, the how, and the what of learning. But don't forget about the reflection...it is key! As John Dewey, a famous American educator and philosopher, stated, "We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience." Allowing students to reflect on their experience and what they learned helps scaffold their learning and creates a substantial learning experience. This is a critical aspect of experiential learning.