What Dr. Kutulas so wonderfully describes in her writing is what a really good class should be (and hopefully often is) like: an immersive journey into the subject matter of the course. 

Immersion is a Structure, and a Construct

The coronavirus pandemic has slowed, but not stopped, my investigation of immersive learning practices in higher education. In particular, my plans to conduct in-person interviews of university teaching faculty about their experiences with immersive learning have been delayed. However, due…

Defining the Characteristics of Immersive Learning

Attempting to fully define the characteristics of immersive learning is a distinct challenge. What pedagogies count and which ones don’t? Is there a specific line in the sand that demarcates what is and isn’t immersive learning, and if so, where…

Immersive learning isn’t one pedagogy or intervention; instead, it represents a wide range of approaches to teaching and learning that share certain characteristics such as direct engagement with impacted communities, practice and application of disciplinary knowledge by inhabiting professional roles, or chances to work and learn in authentic environments.

Immersive Learning at ISSOTL

by Phillip Motley My previous two blog posts on immersive learning have touched on experiences that I am directly involved with at Elon University. While I feel strongly that both approaches to teaching and learning are clear examples of immersive…

The Design Thinking Studio in Social Innovation

by Phillip Motley In the spring semester of 2017, four faculty members and fourteen students at Elon University embarked on an immersive semester exploration of using design thinking tools and processes to address social challenges in the community surrounding the…

adding a service-learning aspect to study abroad programs appears to be an excellent way to amplify and maximize the immersive learning potential of the existing experience.

International Service-Learning

Imagine a group of college students, under the guidance of a professor, working on a community-driven project where the lived experience of members of that community and the problems they would like to solve are the driving force behind the…

What is Immersive Learning?

by Phillip Motley As Elon University’s newest Center for Engaged Learning Scholar, I am embarking on a two-year study of what constitutes “immersive learning” in higher education. I have been interested in this topic for quite a while, although I…