- Project Types
- Eligibility
- Eligible Expenses
- Application Process and Evaluation Criteria
- Reporting
- Appendix A
Experiential learning happens when a learner makes meaningful connections (reflection) between their experiences (action) and conceptual understandings (theory). Experiences can take place in the classroom, the community, a real or simulated workplace, or a combination of these. Conceptual understandings can be related to academic content, personal or professional growth, civic impact, and more.
Learn more about the 12 types of experiential learning activities.
At TLS, we recognize that the development of experiential learning opportunities in academic courses and programs requires support. The goals of the Carleton University Experiential Learning Fund (CUELF) are to:
- Increase the number of experiential learning opportunities for Carleton students, particularly in programs that may not have many experiential learning opportunities;
- Enhance and/or expand existing experiential learning opportunities; and
- Build awareness of experiential learning at Carleton.
See previously named fund recipients.
Project Types
The CUELF supports two types of projects:
Course-Level Projects
We can provide financial support of up to $2,500 for new or enhanced experiential learning projects within a credit course.
Program Level Projects
We can provide financial support of up to $10,000 for new or enhanced experiential learning projects within multiple credit courses or a program. Program-level projects are collaborative efforts between multiple faculty members and across multiple courses.
Note: If your request is for less than $500, we recommend that you contact your department chair as a first step to inquire about the availability of departmental funds.
Eligibility
Course-Level Projects
Instructors and faculty members are eligible to apply. A letter of support from your department head is not required.
Learning support staff and contract instructors are eligible to apply. A letter of support from your department head is required, as the department head will be designated as the administrator of the funds.
Program-Level Projects
Teams consisting of instructors, faculty members, contract instructors, and learning support staff are eligible to apply. A letter of support from the department head of all involved programs is required. If your team does not include an instructor or faculty member, the department head of the project lead will be designated as the administrator of the funds.
Eligible Expenses
Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to: hiring research assistants (RAs)*, support for off-campus activities (e.g., travel costs, admission feeds), events, technology or equipment, support and honoraria for community/industry partners.
Ineligible expenses include, but are not limited to: reimbursement or honoraria to Carleton instructors/faculty members/contract instructors, memberships, conference costs (e.g., registration, travel, accommodation, food expenses), honoraria for guest speakers.
Please reach out to tls@carleton.ca or submit a support request to the TLS support portal with any questions about eligible expenses.
*Refer to the latest CUPE 4600 (Unit 1) collective agreement for current salaries, regulations, and restrictions regarding RAships.
Application Process and Evaluation Criteria
To apply, please complete the Experiential Learning Fund Application Form and submit it along with any additional documents here.
Competition 1
Application deadline: October 2024
Competition 2
Application deadline: January 2025
We will notify applicants within four weeks of the deadline whether their application has been successful.
We will evaluate projects based on their alignment with the following criteria:
- Aligns with the goals of the CUELF
- Includes all elements of the experiential learning cycle (see Fig. 1 for a simplified adaptation of Kolb & Kolb’s (2017) experiential learning cycle)
- Meets Carleton’s guidelines for experiential learning opportunities and MCTU’s guiding principles for experiential learning projects (see Appendix A)
- Reflects the course/program learning outcomes
- Ensures inclusive and accessible opportunities that encourage the participation and inclusion of all students
Please reach out to tls@carleton.ca or submit a support request to the TLS support portal with any questions about the application process or evaluation criteria.
Reporting
One of the aims of the CUELF is to build awareness and capacity around experiential learning at Carleton. To support this aspect, all CUELF recipients are expected to share back the results of their project with the Carleton teaching and learning community. The share-back can take many forms and will be decided in consultation with TLS.
For example:
- Story for the TLS newsletter
- Blog post for the TLS blog
- Participation in a future TLS symposium (e.g., InspirED 2024: CU Teaching Innovation Symposium)
- Participation in a workshop, panel discussion, or other type of TLS event
- New/revised resource about experiential learning (e.g., for the Experiential Education website)
In your application, you will be asked to identify possible ways you can envision sharing back. We will reach out to successful applicants to discuss the details of the share-back.
Appendix A
Goals of the Carleton University Experiential Learning Fund (CUELF)
- Increase the number of experiential learning opportunities for Carleton students, particularly in programs that may not have many experiential learning opportunities;
- Enhance and/or expand existing experiential learning opportunities; and
- Build awareness of experiential learning at Carleton.
Carleton Guidelines for Experiential Learning Opportunities
The following Carleton guidelines have been developed in order to identify which Carleton courses include experiential learning. In order to be considered as experiential learning, course activities must satisfy the following criteria:
- The activity must meet the requirements of MTCU’s Experiential Learning Guiding Principles (see below).
- The experiential learning activity must be significant. This means that the activity is an integral part of the course but the course may also have elements that are more traditional. A portion of the student’s assessment in the course relies on engagement in the experiential learning activity.
- The experiential learning activity is intended to be a continuing element of the course. For course projects, this means that the project is designed and implemented in such a way that it can be repeated and/or shared with other faculty teaching the course. For program level projects, this means that the experiential learning activity is built into the course and is not dependent on which instructor teaches the course.
- The experiential learning activity can be categorized into one of the 12 types.
MTCU Guiding Principles for Experiential Learning Projects
To count as experiential learning, an activity must satisfy all of the following criteria:
- The student is in a workplace or simulated workplace.
- The student is exposed to authentic demands that improve their employability, interpersonal skills, and transition to the workforce.
- The experience is structured with purposeful and meaningful activities.
- The student applies university or college program knowledge and/or essential employability skills.
- The experience includes student self-assessment and evaluation of the student’s performance and learning outcomes by the employer and/or university/college.
- The experience counts towards course credit or credential completion OR is formally recognized by the college or university as meeting the five criteria above.