Mindset in Motion (MIM)

• Design thinking is about designing "with" rather than "for" people - bringing stakeholders into the creative problem-solving process 
• Students must unlearn traditional academic approaches and embrace ambiguity, failure, and uncertainty as part of the learning process 
• Design thinking transforms both mindset and practice, creating lasting change in how participants approach problems in education and life 

Guests  

Dr. Stacy Neier Beran, Senior Ignatian lecturer and faculty director of experiential learning at Loyola University Chicago  

Julia Allworth, Manager of innovation projects at the University of Toronto  

Brian LeDuc, Principal Design Strategist at Learning, Designed and Designer-in-Residence at UC San Diego Design Lab

This episode explores how design thinking functions as both a method and mindset in higher education. The panelists discuss how they implement design thinking in various contexts: from student-led redesign projects of university spaces and experiences, to faculty development, to community engagement. They highlight tensions between academic culture and design thinking approaches, noting how the process builds crucial workplace skills like creativity, empathy, and comfort with uncertainty. All panelists observed that design thinking fundamentally changes participants, creating confidence and empowerment as they learn to embrace failure as learning and develop solutions through collaborative, human-centered processes. 

Links 

Think by Design: Celebrating Design Thinking and Experiential Learning. 

https://www.businessexpertpress.com/books/think-by-design-celebrating-design-thinking-and-experiential-learning/ 

Design Thinking in Student Affairs: A Primer 

https://www.routledge.com/Design-Thinking-in-Student-Affairs-A-Primer/Allworth-DSouza-Henning/p/book/9781642670332?source=shoppingads&locale=en-USD&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=P7696357662_ECOMMC_US-SALE_cross-network&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAACWuhHWJuk80YrFzX0irInIyWqOq6&gclid=Cj0KCQjwzrzABhD8ARIsANlSWNNzkzkFPlVI3dEUnQcCszHg6_JWsjjGgwjOUxBCzzmE364KRti1LTUaAi0tEALw_wcB 

Learning, Designed newsletter  

https://brianfleduc.substack.com/ 

Hidden Potential, by Adam Grant 

https://adamgrant.net/book/hidden-potential/

Design for a Better World, Don Norman

https://jnd.org/books/design-for-a-better-world/

Highlights 

• Skills can be translated and so must the context. Having learners imagine and practice in context is highly valuable through project-based learning, internships, and other practical placements. 
•  Generative AI is part of the solution, but should help humans, not add unnecessary steps 
• Institutions and industries can and should work together to identify skills and update their program offerings to match one another. 

Guests

Cam Ballantyne, President at Orbis Communications, an education technology company. 

Dr. Tatjana Titareva, Staff scientist at Department of Computing Science at Umeå universitet, Sweden, and  

Dr. Nick Swayne, President of North Idaho College, a comprehensive community college in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 

Skills validation is a series of efforts that are both technical and social-in that data needs to be linked together in trustworthy ways. A learner learns or develops a skill or competency. That learning is then validated through a grade or competency assessment. The validated skill or competency is then recognized by an individual, institution, employer or other party. In this chain of events, we’ve generally determined that there is value for everyone. In recent years, efforts to make skills more accessible involved disaggregating and re arranging with learners and economic mobility in mind. Many campuses have entered this space with micro credentials and badges, and several organizations like C-BEN, Education Design Lab, e-campus Ontario, the US Chamber’s T3 Innovation Network, and One Ed-Tech have encouraged both public and private sector growth. Our three panelists each work in different parts of that system.  

Links 

C-BEN: https://www.c-ben.org/ 

Education Design Lab: https://eddesignlab.org/ 

eCampus Ontario: https://ecampusontario.ca/ 

US Chamber’s T3 Innovation Network: https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/solutions/workforce-development-and-training/t3-innovation-network 

 1Ed-Tech: https://www.1edtech.org/ 

• Creating a definition is a dynamic, engaged, and rich process to capture and propel the big idea of Experiential Learning as understood and practiced on this campus. 
• A simple definition facilitates use and creates a floor for campus-wide practice 
• Coordinating information across many departments is a key role of an EL Leader 
• Educators are excited to be included in a community of practice 
• The ideas for grounding EL are co-emerging in multiple places in North America. 

Show notes 

SEE’s 8 principles of Experiential Education: https://www.societyforee.org/standards-and-practice 

University of Calgary’s episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-land-and-the-a-i/id1569680457?i=1000683305672 

Jennifer Dobbs-Oates, Ph.D. is the Associate Vice Provost for World Readiness & Clinical Professor, Dept. of Human Development & Family Science, Purdue University and the Vice President, Society for Experiential Education. Her research interests bridge the disciplines of psychology and education, and initially focused on the learning and behavior of preschool-aged children. Her focus now is on work that examines university teaching and learning. She is particularly interested in experiential education practices – pedagogical approaches that get students actively involved in authentic learning experiences in the classroom and beyond. Dr. Dobbs-Oates' research, writing, and teaching focus on using these practices to continuously improve the value of education. She places great value on access and equity across all levels of education, and strives to contribute to inclusive and equitable educational practices and policies. 

Beyond Purdue, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Society for Experiential Education. She received the Experiential Education Rising Leader Award from the Society in 2019. 

• Transformative learning outcomes are positioned as an invitation to students to consider who they will become.  
• Reflections in this Study Abroad program were multimodal, including both individual written (private) reflections and communal, shared reflections (public).  
• The role of course (re)design and instruction were essential to reconceptualizing the program and the goal of students learning through reflection about who they might become. 
• Opening up reflection means creating space for students to share their concerns and insecurities as well, and the instructors worked hard to balance care and learning 
• These ideas can scale to different size courses. Taking the lessons learned into on-campus courses has been successful since the program took place. 

Guests

Jonathan Balzotti is an Associate Professor of English at Brigham Young University, where he specializes in rhetoric, professional writing theory, and the intersection of technology and writing instruction. His research interests include the use of immersive learning technologies, such as playable case studies, to enhance communication, cultural competence, and career interest in technical fields. 

Jamin Rowan is an associate professor of English and the American Studies program coordinator at Brigham Young University. In addition to his work in urban studies and the environmental humanities, Jamin researches and publishes work about experiential and transformative education as well as the neuroscience of storytelling and social connection. 

Mat Duerden is the Department Chair of Experience Design and Management in the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University. His experience design research focuses on memorable, meaningful, and transformative experiences. 

• We present three new prototype definitions of Experiential Learning, for use across your campus. 
• Definitions aim to capture high level planning and values as well as day-to-day operations and activities 
• We promote an ecosystem approach to Experiential Learning, including a broad swath of educators, their deans/directors/chairs, Associate Provosts & Vice Presidents, and Campus Executives.  
• Community partners—from employers, to alumni, to legislatures, to internship and community placement site-hosts—play a key part in all the definitions.  
• We advocate for participation in an EL Ecosystem through both expert education and awareness of the need to promote EL at all levels of an institution. 

Show Notes: 

Feedback on Definitions, survey link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1CzinS1gESe6opJJ_91udr1PZBz-ZIcu7G7ZeWqZmROA/ 

Dartmouth’s Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, site of the 2018 Delta Summit on Experiential Learning https://outdoors.dartmouth.edu/facilities/moosilauke-ravine-lodge

Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship at Loyola University, Chicago https://www.luc.edu/celts/ 

Inquiry based experiences podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inquiry-based-experiences-across-the-biology/id1569680457?i=1000650773589 

NACE https://naceweb.org/ 

CEWIL https://cewilcanada.ca/ 

SEE https://www.societyforee.org/ 

Future U. Podcast https://www.futureupodcast.com/episodes/a-new-era-for-higher-ed/ 

International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE): https://www.iarslce.org/ 

Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU): https://www.cumuonline.org/ 

On Campus Partnerships: https://www.luc.edu/celts/resources/forcommunitypartners/ 

Rebekah Harriger is the Senior Director of Career Services and Experiential Learning at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. A dedicated leader in career readiness and workforce development, her efforts focus on empowering learners to cultivate the skills and confidence needed to excel in internships, applied research, and other experiential learning activities. She is passionate about bridging education and industry to equip learners for success in their future careers. Rebekah was a Society for Experiential Education Research Fellow (2022-2024) and was recognized as a Rising Leader by the Society for Experiential Education in 2021.   

Patrick M. Green, EdD is the Executive Director of the Center for Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship (CELTS), and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago. He teaches experiential learning courses, including community-based learning, academic internships, global service-learning, and undergraduate research, as well as graduate courses in the Higher Education Program. 

Dr. Zoë MacLeod is a certified executive coach, change agent, and educational advisor specializing in leadership, executive coaching, and organizational development. As Associate Vice-President, Professional and Continuing Studies at Royal Roads University, she leads a dynamic team dedicated to lifelong learning. She designs programs that bridge education and industry, from leadership development to micro-credentials, ensuring workforce relevance. Passionate about lifelong learning, she takes an intrapreneurial approach to building partnerships that drive impact locally and globally. Zoë consults internationally, creating award-winning leadership programs, and has served as Chair of the International Coaching Federation’s Coaching Education Board. 

Highlights: 

• Professional & Continuing Studies at Royal Roads University follows long traditions of extension education into the modern learning ecosystem, providing skills and short programs for adult learners, industry/sector leaders, and career transitions 
• Maintaining good programs is a continual process of understanding industry and sector needs and finding ways to deliver that education quickly and affordably. 
• Leveraging strong faculty networks is a key tool for supporting courses and creating space for faculty to explore their interests. 
• Royal Roads University an applied learning institution focused on delivering good teaching and sees Professional and Continuing Studies as essential to this mission 
• Dynamic leadership, organizational understanding, and risk tolerances make Dr. MacLeod a unique fit for leading this portfolio. 

🎙️What happens in a maturing experiential learning landscape where a community comes together to make their own definition more user-friendly, and centers around Indigenous community needs? In our latest podcast episode of Mindset in Motion, Christine Martineau, Lisa Stowe, Erin Kaipainen, and Kyla Flanagan from the University of Calgary sit down with Bill Heinrich to discuss. 

Our latest episode features a powerful discussion with Dr. Madhumita Banerjee and Kaila Bingen from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. They dive deep into their groundbreaking research on equity in experiential education, specifically their paper, "A Case for Equity: Work-Based Learning as a Viable Alternative to Internships." This episode explores how work-based learning can serve as a transformative, equitable alternative to traditional internships, breaking down barriers like unpaid opportunities, lack of access, and cultural capital disparities. Dr. Madhumita Banerjee and Kaila Bingen emphasize aligning real-world work experiences with career competencies and general education outcomes, showcasing how this approach empowers underserved students to thrive in their educational and professional journeys.  

This podcast is in partnership with the ELTHE Journal, which captures the best current scholarship in experiential learning: how it can be defined, strengthened, promoted, and assessed for the sake of educational effectiveness and equity. 

Show notes and references:

https://www.routledge.com/A-Good-Job-Campus-Employment-as-a-High-Impact-Practice/McClellan-Creager-Savoca/p/book/9781620364727?srsltid=AfmBOor3qCvsOG0rbwp4ydyjSFpBbnIzsCcb4shoTFRTOXRNs-FFzx03

Discover how high-impact practices (HIPs) are transforming the educational journey for adult learners in this insightful episode featuring Dr. Alaa Alasarhan, an expert in experiential learning and author of “High Impact Practices: Evaluating Impact on Adult Learners Retention for ELTHE journal. Drawing from his extensive research and experience, Dr. Alasarhan delves into the unique challenges and opportunities facing adult learners, highlighting practical strategies to foster engagement, persistence, and success. This episode explores the role of experiential learning has in bridging education and workforce readiness, the importance of tailored support systems for non-traditional students, and the innovative approaches being used to address equity gaps in higher education. Whether you're an educator, policymaker, or lifelong learner, this conversation offers actionable insights to help reimagine the future of adult education. 
 

Join Dr. Bill Heinrich and Dr. Alsarhan to uncover how HIPs create meaningful, transformative experiences that empower adult learners to achieve their goals and thrive in an ever-changing world. 
 
This podcast is in partnership with the ELTHE Journal, which captures the best current scholarship in experiential learning: how it can be defined, strengthened, promoted, and assessed for the sake of educational effectiveness and equity.

Show Notes & References:
The guest's paper: https://journals.calstate.edu/elthe

Ashley Finley, A Comprehensive Approach to Assessment of High Impact Practices
https://www.learningoutcomesassessment.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Occasional-Paper-41.pdf

George Kuh, High-Impact Practices
https://www.aacu.org/trending-topics/high-impact 

Utah Valley University's Engagement Indicators
https://www.uvu.edu/birs/docs/research/survey_research/2022nsse-snapshot.pdf 

In this episode of Mindset in Motion, host Bill Heinrich welcomes Dr. Monika Stelzl, a social psychologist and professor at St. Thomas University, and recent graduate Lynnee Pevie to discuss their transformative work and experiences in experiential education. Together, they delve into the themes of reciprocity and connectedness as central pillars of a groundbreaking course, Psychology of Human-Nature Connection.

Dr. Stelzl shares her journey from traditional teaching methods to embracing nature-based experiential learning, inspired by her own reflections and seminal works. She reveals how integrating intentionality, nature, and active student engagement reshaped her pedagogy and created meaningful, holistic educational experiences. Lynnee, a former student and co-author of the article Reciprocity and Connectedness: Professor and Student Reflections on an Experiential Nature-Based Psychology Course, offers an intimate perspective on how the course redefined her view of education, fostering a deeper sense of responsibility, community, and connection to the world around her.

This podcast is in partnership with the ELTHE Journal, which captures the best current scholarship in experiential learning: how it can be defined, strengthened, promoted, and assessed for the sake of educational effectiveness and equity.

References from the Show:
The guest's paper: https://journals.calstate.edu/elthe

Schoem et al. (2017) - Teaching the whole student.
https://www.routledge.com/Teaching-the-Whole-Student-Engaged-Learning-With-Heart-Mind-and-Spirit/Schoem-Modey-StJohn/p/book/9781620363041?srsltid=AfmBOopl3Z61fDLqm73tKSS_l741kKunUDiXfE2Yzs17t_1yFW6NZ9H4

Zajonc et al. (2010) - The heart of higher education: A call to renewal.
https://www.wiley.com/en-ca/The+Heart+of+Higher+Education%3A+A+Call+to+Renewal-p-9780470487907

To become a certified forest therapy guide, I trained with the two following organizations - ANFT (based in the US) and GIFT (based in Canada) https://anft.earth/

Gift of the Forest https://giftoftheforest.com/