The creation of an endowment that provides stable, robust levels of support for experiential learning in all of its forms has been a high priority for our college for many years. This endowment recognizes just how central experiential learning is to a Duffield Engineering education. It also signals our intention to continually invest in developing new frameworks that facilitate learning for future students.
One of my favorite movies is Good Will Hunting. Will Hunting (played by Matt Damon) is a 20-year-old janitor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Although he works a blue-collar job, he is secretly a self-taught genius with an extraordinary gift for mathematics and an exceptional memory. One day, he anonymously solves a complex math problem left on a chalkboard by Professor Gerald Lambeau, astonishing the faculty.
As the Class of 2026 prepares to enter the workforce this summer, they-like last year's graduates and those already in the job market-are facing what economists now call a "low hire, low fire" economy. Whether this is driven by AI or other economic factors remains hotly debated, but the causes are beside the point for new grads looking for jobs postgraduation in an economy marked by a pullback in early-career hiring.
In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, the need for innovation and entrepreneurial spirit has never been more critical. As we prepare the next generation of business leaders, fostering entrepreneurial passion among students is essential. Entrepreneurial passion not only drives individuals to pursue new ventures but also enhances their resilience and creativity, vital traits for success in any field. This article explores effective strategies for educators and institutions to cultivate entrepreneurial passion in business students, drawing insights from recent research on the subject.
Inside an unoccupied house, a student gingerly pushes open a creaky door and takes a wary step into a dark room-only to find the walls completely splattered with blood. It sounds like the cliché climax in a horror movie, but for students in the criminal justice program at Gwynedd Mercy University, it's a regular class assignment. This fall, Gwynedd Mercy unveiled a new Crime Scene House, a three-story home that features various staged rooms for experiential learning in forensic science.
A bright new playground has opened at Baoshan No. 2 Central Primary School in Shanghai, where the worlds of LEGO bricks and Nike sportswear collide to reshape how children experience recess. The project grew out of LEGO's "Build the Change" workshop, during which pupils used 2 × 3 LEGO bricks to sketch ideas for a playground that would feel like a giant building set. Those sketches became the blueprint for a vibrant, modular play space that blends sport, imagination and movement.
Employers emphasize skills learned in higher education over content, highlighting the need for students to adapt and respond to the evolving workplace. This shift often derives from degree inflation and the adjusting requirements of jobs that necessitate postsecondary education.
Experiential learning is a student-centered approach that emphasizes learning through doing. Instead of passively receiving information, learners actively engage in realistic tasks, reflect on their actions, and adapt their strategies.
For example, although my kids learned about the Holocaust in school, visiting museums and gas chambers in Auschwitz elevated their understanding of it and taught them even more about the horrific genocide.
