Lecturer in Postgraduate Business Alessandro Ferrazza joined a panel discussion to talk about experiential learning in his work at the University. He was taking part in digital education provider Edumundo's ‘Experiential learning using management simulations’ webinar alongside Dr Keith Halcro of Glasgow Caledonian University.
Experiential learning can be thought of as the process of education by doing, a method that Alessandro has tested in his classes at the University.
“It’s a way of teaching that ensures the students learn by giving them practical experience of the theories they would otherwise just be reading about. Alessandro told us.
“You learn more through reflection and doing, so it can end up being very hands-on.”
He uses a type of business game called a ‘management simulation’ where teams of students run their own fictional companies and compete against each other to get ahead in the market.
“I’ve used experiential learning in my postgraduate professional management and leadership classes,” Alessandro explained.
“The interactions students get with their peers through this type of learning tends to give them a sense of emotional intelligence on top of the business concepts they’re finding out about.
Alessandro told us about experiential learning can create a constructive education experience for the University of Sunderland in London students.
“They learn to develop problem-solving and decision-making approaches which can be the basis for their personal and professional development,” he said.
Alessandro and Keith talked about how this method can be used in different ways to teach both undergraduate and postgraduate classes.
He was asked about how experiential learning can be built into a variety of university courses.
“I had the opportunity to talk about using the method for supporting the learning experience of our students,” Alessandro said.
“I think some of the most interesting questions were around how it can be used to increase motivation and student retention, something which is a big topic of discussion in higher education right now.
Academic Article - University of Sunderland
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