Faculty Immersive Learning Information
Opportunities for Immersive Learning & The Road Through Xavier
In 2017, the Signature Experience Task Force proposed a four-year “Road Through Xavier” where all students are directed toward multiple, year-specific, high-impact learning experiences that engage diverse communities and ideas in a discerning and reflective way. As part of this initiative, the Eigel Center supports faculty that want to integrate immersive learning into curriculum through individual course design, short term experiences, and enhanced student preparation and reflection.
Road Through Xavier Canvas Course
The Eigel Center has developed Canvas teaching tools that support the integration of immersive learning and vocational discernment into your existing course, internship, or immersive/vocational activity. Modules are utilized to prompt critical reflection of issues related to immersion and vocational discernment, including the terminology, identify, and self-awareness, and an overview of frameworks that reinforce inequity. A faculty guide is available as a resource for ease of integration and inclusion of this module in an existing course, as well as a pre- and post-assessment to provide an indirect measure of students' growth. Contact the Eigel Center for access to this resouce! Learn more about the modules below:
The Road Through Xavier Immersive Learning Canvas Module (Watch Webinar on this Module)
Learn how to enhance and enrich student learning prior to, during, and following your immersive learning experience. This program offers an overview of the modules, sample activities, and recommendations for their implementation with students.
The Road Through Xavier Vocational Discernment Canvas Module (Watch Webinar on this Modular)
The Vocational Discernment module introduces concepts about vocational discernment, activities to engage faculty and students, and resources for the classroom. Learn how components of the module can be integrated into your academic course with creativity and how to integrate vocational discernment with your student learning outcomes.
Suggested Guidelines for Faculty Designing, Developing, and Offering IL Courses
- Student preparation is an important element of the immersive learning experience. This preparation includes the historical, social, cultural, and linguistic contexts of the community with which students will interact. The Eigel Center can supply a general CANVAS module to prepare students for immersive learning.
- The immersive learning experience is most effective when integrated into course content as a critical curricular component.
- Course learning objectives include the four immersive learning outcomes.
- Opportunities for students to engage directly with populations facing systemic challenges and injustices, and learning the impact of such challenges from the perspectives of community members are invaluable components of immersive learning.
- Due to the critical component that immersive learning plays in the course, participation in the immersive learning experience is not an optional part of the course.
- Critical reflection affords students the opportunity to make sense of the cognitive dissonance experienced during the immersive learning experience. Support their growth and transformation by scheduling time before, during, and after the immersive learning experience for reflection in terms of personal insights, community issues, social justice issues and the academic objectives of the course. Challenge students to consider their plans for future actions following their immersive learning experiences.
- Student assessments address all learning outcomes, including those pertaining to the immersive learning experiences. Examples of assessment tools include oral and/or written reflections in the form of journals, written essays and research papers related directly to course content.
Suggested steps to integrate Immersive or Service Learning into an existing course
- Examine the student learning outcomes on your course syllabus.
- Identify a topic of the course that could align with a current event or issue of equality, equity, justice or social responsibility. Identify and integrate scholarly readings and support resources regarding the topic.
- Leverage the Eigel Center community partner database or contact the staff at the Eigel Center for more information and direct connections.
- Meet with a community partner with Eigel Center staff to discuss the outcomes of your course and alignment with their needs and opportunities.
- Include preparation for students and follow-up reflections.
- Include assignments and an assessment tool to assess students on the learning outcomes.
Course Attribute: Immersive Learning Experience
Course attributes that designate Immersive Learning and Service Learning integrated in courses are available for faculty. Attributes should primarily aid faculty who want to identify courses that leverage either of these high impact practices as specified in the current Academic and University Strategic Plans, making it easier for advisors and students to include these courses in their academic planning earlier and with more frequency. The attributes will also aid the Eigel Center's efforts to improve the University’s overall assessment of academic experiences, and identify opportunities to expand and better resource engaged learning at Xavier. Please consult with your department chair and the Eigel Center about adding an attribute.