Experiential Learning at the University of Toronto

Co-curricular community-engaged learning consists of a structured learning experience that takes place outside of a course, in partnership with community for the purpose of supporting priorities identified by the community, enhancing students’ disciplinary knowledge, and sense of social and civic responsibility. It occurs in non-profit, community and/or public organizations.

Pedagogical Rationale: Why Co-curricular Community-Engaged Learning?

• Community-engaged learning experiences allow students to integrate the theoretical and the practical by using their disciplinary skills and knowledge in an applied setting.
• Community-engaged learning encourages students to consider the public role of their discipline as well as how their field can learn from, and contribute to, the work of communities and community organizations.
• In community-engaged learning placements and projects, students learn new knowledge and skills while also offering fresh insight to community organizations through a context of partnership and reciprocity.
• Community-engaged learning provides students with opportunities for development in a range of areas including personal, career, and civic development.

Community-engaged research provides students with a structured research experience within the context of a course that equitably involves active engagement with community in the research process for the purpose of supporting priorities identified by the community.

Pedagogical Rationale: Why Community-Engaged Research?

• Community-engaged research encourages students to consider the public role of their discipline as well as how their field can learn from, and contribute to, the work communities and community organizations.
• In community-engaged research, students consider their projects and placements through a disciplinary lens which may support them in understanding the applicability of their degree.
• In community-engaged research placements and projects, students develop their applied research skills while also offering fresh insight to community organizations through a context of partnership and reciprocity.

Next Steps and Resources

• Reach out to your divisional experiential learning or community outreach office (if applicable) or the Centre for Community Partnerships.
• Continue or begin conversations with any of your existing community partners; ask what shape a mutually beneficial partnership might take.
• Review the Guidelines & Procedures section to understand issues related to intellectual property, confidentiality, and research ethics.

Curricular community-engaged learning consists of a structured learning experience, embedded in a course, in partnership with community for the purpose of supporting priorities identified by the community, enhancing students’ disciplinary knowledge, and sense of social and civic responsibility. It occurs in non-profit, community, and/or public organizations.

Pedagogical Rationale: Why Curricular Community-Engaged Learning?

• Community-engaged learning experiences allow students to integrate the theoretical and the practical by using their disciplinary skills and knowledge in an applied community setting.
• Community-engaged learning encourages students to consider the public role of their discipline as well as how their field can learn from, and contribute to, the work of communities and community organizations.
• In community-engaged learning placements and projects, students learn new knowledge and skills while also offering fresh insight to community organizations through a context of partnership and reciprocity.
• Community-engaged learning provides students with opportunities for development in a range of areas including personal, career, and civic development.

Faculty-led research opportunities allow students to work directly with faculty members on research. These opportunities may be funded or supported in various ways, including, but not limited to: grants, the Work Study program, summer studentship programs, Tri-council and / or USRA awards, the University of Toronto Excellence Award Program, the Jackman Scholars-in-Residence program, Engineering Sciences Theses, or the research abroad program.

Pedagogical Rationale: Why Faculty-Led Research?

• Engaging in research with a faculty member contributes to increased rates of student retention and student engagement.
• Students learn new skills in research and practice through supporting faculty research.
• Faculty can identify students with potential for future positions (e.g. work-study or research assistantships) or study opportunities (e.g. graduate or post-doctoral work).

The Work Study program allows faculty and staff to hire students into on-campus positions that provide students with an opportunity to gain practical work experience. Approved Work Study positions receive central funding to cover 70% of the pay to a maximum per-cycle. Students do not have to be OSAP eligible to participate in the Work Study program and all students are able to participate (including graduate and international students).

Pedagogical Rationale

• Through the Work Study program, students develop their knowledge and skills in areas of interest.
• The work experience students gain through the program allows them to explore how their academic studies translate into career pathways.

Entrepreneurship opportunities allow students to create, organize, and manage a product development or business venture for the purpose of fostering innovation, social impact, and / or contribution to the local and global marketplace. This may take the form of partnership with a startup or offering students the opportunity to work on the development of their own business idea. These opportunities can be curricular or co-curricular.

Pedagogical Rationale: Why Entrepreneurship?

• Students consider the challenges and opportunities of starting and scaling a business through the lens of their area of study, helping them understand the applicability of their degree.
• Provides students with opportunities to gain experience in the world of social enterprises and tech startups and to develop their professional skills.
• Students will gain innovation skills that will support them in any future pathway.

An organization-partnered projects could incorporate project-based design, artistic projects and performance, or consultancy work supervised by an instructor or staff member from the University. Students liaise with an external partner organization and engage in processes authentic to professional practice in their field. This includes the exchange of ideas and consultation/critique from the partner.

Pedagogical Rationale: Why Organization-Partnered Projects?

• Students consider an organization’s challenge / project through the lens of their area of study, thereby allowing them to understand the applicability of their degree to potential future career pathways.
• Organization-partnered projects allow students insight into various types of organizations and industries.
• These projects provide students with opportunities to enhance their professional skills as they engage with professionals in a structured manner.

Organization-partnered research offers a structured learning experience whereby students work with an external partner organization on a research project sponsored or initiated by the partner. The research project addresses specific questions set with the partner and produces new knowledge relevant to the student’s field of study.

Pedagogical Rationale: Why Organization-Partnered Research?

• Organization-partnered research may expose students to methodologies, ideas, and resources (e.g. equipment, data, expertise) that are not available in other settings.
• These projects ask students to consider an organization’s research question through the lens of their area of study, thereby allowing them to understand the applicability of their degree.
• Organization-partnered research provides students with the opportunity to enhance their professional skills as they engage with professionals in a structured manner.

Simulated work experiences allow students to practice authentic learning activities that present most of the cognitive demands the student would encounter in the “real world”. The experiences occur within environmental circumstances and surroundings that mimic those present while engaged in the activities outside of the university. Common forms of simulated work experiences include hackathons, boot-camps, and job shadowing placements that incorporate a simulated hands-on experience. These opportunities can be curricular or co-curricular.

Pedagogical Rationale: Why a Simulated Work Experience?

• By working through a problem, whether real of simulated, students are able to apply their disciplinary knowledge and competencies to challenges that are faced by industry and community partners.
• Simulated work experiences provide insights into the perspectives and challenges faced by various types of organizations and industries.

A field experience is a practice-based experience where students participate in components of a discipline or profession through the hands-on application of disciplinary concepts. Field experiences typically occur under the direction or supervision of a faculty member or a non-licensed professional. This type of experience is primarily intended to support professional and discipline-based competency development, but is not required for professional licensure or accreditation. Experiences where students are only observing professional activities (e.g. field trips) are not considered field experiences in this context.

Pedagogical Rationale: Why Fieldwork?

• Field experiences provide students with an opportunity, often for the first time, to turn their theory into practice in more applied settings.
• Field experiences provide a direct link to program content while also preparing students for professional environments.

A professional practicum, also called a clinical placement, is a practice-based experience where students observe or assist a licensed or registered professional through the hands-on application of disciplinary concepts in a professional setting, typically off-campus. This type of experience is primarily intended to support professional and discipline-based competency development. Students do not have an independent workload while on placement.

Pedagogical Rationale: Why Professional Practica?

• Participation in a professional practicum can develop students’ skills in a particular profession.
• In many cases, a specific number of professional practica hours are required to meet graduation and / or accreditation requirements.
• Students do not typically take on their own case or work load, thereby allowing them to experience the workplace with direct supervision and support.

Pedagogical Rationale: Why Academic Internships?

• Students receive supervised guidance over an extended period of time, leading to deeper learning and skill development.
• Internships can be tailored to fit specific course expectations and benchmarks while being structured to provide specific learning-outcomes for students.
• Internships can provide students with realistic perspectives on specific industries and professional settings.

Pedagogical Rationale: Why Co-op?

Students receive supervised guidance over an extended period of time, leading to deeper learning and skill development.

Co-op placements can be tailored to fit specific disciplinary expectations and benchmarks and can enhance students’ understanding of the value and applicability of their degrees.
Co-ops support the development of students’ professional skills as well as their understanding of professional settings.

Next Steps and Resources

• There are specific administrative steps that must be followed if your academic unit would like to develop or launch a new co-op program. The Office of the Vice-Provost, Academic Programs can provide information related to the process for developing an entirely new program or completing a major modification to an existing program.
• Once the program is developed and approved by the University of Toronto, you may choose to seek accreditation from Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning (CEWIL) Canada. CEWIL also has a detailed manual for planning and implementing co-operative education programs.
• If you work with first entry undergraduate students, they may be eligible to participate in the Professional Experience Year Co-op Internship. Most other co-op programs require admission directly from secondary school or an undergraduate degree program (for graduate-programs).

Profiles / Examples