Experiential Learning: Benefits for Hispanic and First-Generation College Students

Abstract

Experiential learning continues to gain in popularity within higher education in the United States. Consideration of the effects experiential learning has on different groups of student populations, however, is quite limited. Accordingly, this article examines several different examples of experiential learning assignments and projects in two specific courses at a Hispanic and Asian-serving institution to better understand the outcomes for underrepresented student populations. The analysis utilizes qualitative data collected from student reflections and assignments, as well as faculty observations, from six sections of two classes that were comprised of 50% to 65% Hispanic students. The findings highlight the benefits experiential learning offers for Hispanic, first-generation students by highlighting the strengths of learning through facilitating students’ connections between their lived experiences and their educational experiences. The paper also addresses how such experiences help to scaffold learning and promote more democratic classroom environments, in turn increasing student perceptions of their own learning.