Experiential Learning Curriculum Certification
Courses certified as Experiential Learning (EL) will meet the EL curricular requirement of all UNL students following the 2022 Catalog Year forward. All offerings of the course must meet the guidelines for EL, regardless of section or instructor. Special Topics and Independent Study courses will not be approved due to their inherent variability.
In addition to a detailed syllabus and other supporting documents, departments should complete one of the following forms to seek the EL certification for a course:
- CAS8 – For permanent, group courses where all students are engaging in a similar experience led by the instructor of record.
- CAS9 – For internship or individualized research courses where each student establishes an individual learning agreement prior to obtaining permission to enroll.
Categories for EL-Certified Courses
Each EL-Certified course must be categorized as:
Case/Project Based Learning
Students' engagement and application of course materials to complex, ambiguous, real- world problems or scenarios make up a substantial portion of the course. Best practices include group discussion to ensure multi-faceted consideration of the problem or issue at hand, questions from instructors to move discussion to more complex levels, and often include community partners or client participation. Students articulate reasoning in support of decisions/solutions.
Creative Activity
Students create/produce and present their creative activities or products to audiences external to the course for opportunities to develop skills and talents in a real-world setting.
Community Engagement
Students and community partners collaborate to exchange knowledge and resources to the benefit of both.
Education Abroad
Students participate in educational experiences that foster global awareness, led by instructors, that take place in countries and territories outside the 50 United States.
Fieldwork
Students practice skills, conduct research, and/or explore academic content in an instructor-led setting outside of a classroom or lab, on location.
Internship/Co-op
Students integrate knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting (adapted from NACE, 2018). These experiences involve three entities: the student, a University representative (faculty or staff) and an onsite supervisor/employer.
Leadership
Students influence, motivate, and guide others toward the achievement of a goal through an elected or appointed position of leadership and serve for a minimum of one academic term.
Research
Students work under the guidance of an instructor to gain discipline-based research skills that may include identifying research questions; writing a grant proposal, practicing and/or developing methods to answer the questions; collecting, managing, and analyzing data; and/or disseminating the findings and implications.
Student Teaching/Education Practicum
Students engage in in-person teaching experiences with children/students in community placements or school settings.
Other
Students engage in experiential learning that does not fall under one of the above categories or that spans multiple categories.