Curriculum Enrichment

Enrichment describes activities which the institutions provide to extend students’ education beyond their main course of study. Most of the institutions provide a wide range of enrichment activities. These include study tours, foreign exchanges, health education, personal and social education, religious education, languages, information technology, group projects, outdoor pursuits, clubs and societies, and leisure interests.

1.1 Internshipsnbsp;

A more broad term used to describe experience based learning activities that often a credit-bearing, free-standing activity in a student’s field of interest. The student may work with industry, practicing professionals, complete a project, attend public events, interview and observe constituents and employees.?

1.2 Field work

Supervised student research or practice carried out away from the institution and in direct contact with the people, natural phenomena, or other entities being studied.

1.3 VAC for Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are proficiencies that are useful in a variety of jobs and industries. Transferable skills can be used to position your past experience when applying for a new job—especially if it’s in a different industry. Transferable skills may be grouped under:

§? Communication skills

§? Initiative skills include: Self-motivation, High-achiever, Process improvement, Eagerness, Goal setting

§? Empathy skills include: Listening skills, Mediation, Perspective taking, Curiosity

§? Teamwork skills include: Relationship building, Active listening, Collaboration, Self-awareness, Conflict resolution

§? Adaptability skills include: Creativity, Positive attitude, Flexibility, Patience

§? Decision-making skills include: Problem-solving, Creativity, Critical thinking, Analytical

§? Organization skills include: Time management, Attention to detail, Analytical thinking, Prioritization

§? Dependability skills include: Punctuality, Integrity, Work ethic, High-achiever, Meets deadlines, Honesty

§? Leadership skills include: Delegation, Interpersonal skills, Conflict resolution, Project management, Team building, Risk-taking, Goal setting

1.4 Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is an engaged learning process whereby students “learn by doing” and by reflecting on the experience. Experiential learning activities can include, but are not limited to, hands-on laboratory experiments, internships, practicums, field exercises, study abroad, undergraduate research and studio performances. Well-planned, supervised and assessed experiential learning programs can stimulate academic inquiry by promoting interdisciplinary learning, civic engagement, career development, cultural awareness, leadership, and other professional and intellectual skills.

Learning that is considered “experiential” contain all the following elements:

§? Reflection, critical analysis and synthesis.

§? Opportunities for students to take initiative, make decisions, and be accountable for the results.

§? Opportunities for students to engage intellectually, creatively, emotionally, socially, or physically.

§? A designed learning experience that includes the possibility to learn from natural consequences, mistakes, and successes.

Throughout the experiential learning process, the learner is actively engaged in posing questions, investigating, experimenting, being curious, solving problems, assuming responsibility, being creative, and constructing meaning, and is challenged to take initiative, make decisions and be accountable for results.

During experiential learning,?the facilitators role is to:

§? Select suitable experiences that meet the criteria above.

§? Pose problems, set boundaries, support learners, provide suitable resource, ensure physical and emotional safety, and facilitate the learning process.

§? Recognize and encourage spontaneous opportunities for learning, engagement with challenging situations, experimentation (that does not jeopardize the wellbeing of others) and discovery of solutions.

Help the learner notice the connections between one context and another, between theory and the experience and encouraging this examination repeatedly.