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Experiential Education Kristin M. Lamoureux, Director International Institute of Tourism Studies The George Washington University klam@gwu.edu

Experiential Education

"Tell me and I will forget.

Show me and I may remember.

Involve me and I will understand." ~Chinese Proverb

Experiential Learning Experiential education is a philosophy and methodology in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills and clarify values.

Source: Association for Experiential Education

Experiential Learning Model

Source: David Kolb, http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn.htm

Sustainable Tourism Experiential Learning Examples • • • •

Outdoor Ed Programs Volunteer Research Programs University Programs Blackstone River Valley Sustainable Tourism Laboratory (professional development) • GW Consulting Practicum

Blackstone River Valley Sustainable Tourism Lab Goal • The goal of the Laboratory is to use the Blackstone Valley to educate community leaders in the application of practiced sustainable, place-making, tourism development principles. •

The Laboratory presents a learning initiative that prepares decision makers to thoughtfully develop and regenerate their communities using sustainable tourism principles.

Source and more info:

http://www.sustainabletourismlab.com

GW Consulting Practicum • Takes place in a host country and involves graduate students from one or several institutions teaming up with a local university to conduct fieldwork in a developing country. Possible areas of focus could include marketing strategies, product development, business plan creation, development of community-based tourism plans, etc.

GW Consulting Practicum Developed at GW linking a consulting process course with an international consulting experience In 2005 UN WTO adopted the program as a model for its TedQual Volunteers Program Linkage with collaborating university at the destination began in Morocco in 2004

Previous Practicum Bulgaria – 2001 Dominica – 2002 Honduras – 2003 Morocco 2004 Panama – 2005 Montenegro – 2006 West Virginia (adapted) - 2006 Turkey - 2007

Benefits • For Host Destination:

– Focused knowledge and capacity of a consulting team with diverse background and experience in business, management, marketing, sustainable tourism, etc.

– Intensive generation of creative and actionable ideas – solution-oriented approach – Average of 90-days worth of consulting input over a twoweek period – Building of local capacity through partnership with local academic institution (future industry leaders)

• For consulting team:

– Opportunity to experience working in a new socioeconomic reality – Contribution to a real-life situation with an opportunity for real impact – Opportunity to learn about a specific country

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The Consulting Process

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Key Milestones • Finalize Sponsorship & SoW (varied timeframe): – Identify scope and activities – Relationship with host academic institutions – Preparatory assessment & relationship building

Consulting Process Course & Background Research (6 weeks) – – – – – –

Individual research and team work Market research & benchmarking Identify stakeholders (individuals and organizations) Identify facilities, attractions and assets Look for priorities, low-hanging fruits and opportunities Communicate actively through Blackboard & SKYPE

• Fieldwork (2 weeks) – Individuals and organizations for meetings, interviews, focus groups – Product development or visioning workshops – Oral presentation of findings & recommendations • Conclusion – Final Report – Follow Up—Resources for implementation

Practicum Result Example: SAVE Market EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING S C I E N T I F I C

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Thank you!