Policy Title: Experiential Learning
Policy Area: Academic Policy
Owner: Policy Office
Approved by: UM6P President
Effective Date: September 30, 2024
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Entrepreneurship Education Policy, Internship Agreement, Sustainable Development
Institutional Policy.
SECTION 1 POLICY STATEMENT
1.1. Experiential learning is an integral component of the learning journey at the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P); thus, UM6P is committed to innovative pedagogical approaches that place learning by experimentation and practice at the heart of training and research.
1.2. UM6P believes that experiential learning is a necessary and vital component of formal instruction that positively transforms people and society.
1.3. All experiential learning offered at UM6P maintains the highest academic standards and provides for a quality education and research experience and provides valuable skills to meet job market’s expectations.
1.4. UM6P aligns its experiential learning initiatives with the principles of sustainable development by promoting initiatives and projects that contribute positively to environmental, social and economic sustainability.
SECTION 2 SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY
2.1. This policy document applies to all experiential learning opportunities offered through the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic, whether as part of a degree program or as an extramural opportunity.
SECTION 3 PURPOSE
3.1. This policy document establishes and communicates standard expectations, principles and processes for experiential learning for all schools, faculties, institutes, centers and programs of the university.
3.2. This policy document serves as framework for continuous improvement and excellence in the execution of experiential learning initiatives across the university.
SECTION 4 DEFINITIONS
4.1. Experiential Learning: Experiential learning, also referred to as learning by doing or learning through action, is a teaching philosophy and methodologies in which educators purposefully engage with learners in 1) direct experience and 2) focused reflection to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people’s capacity to contribute to their communities. Forms of experiential learning include internships, service learning, community engagement, clinical education, practicums, undergraduate research experiences, fieldwork and students’ mobility, Co-curricular Learning programs and student jobs including external and internal missions.
4.2. Internships: A broad term used to describe experience-based learning activities that often subsume other terms such as cooperative education, service-learning or field experiences. Most often a credit-bearing, free-standing activity in a student’s field of interest not connected to a theoretical course. It is usually assessed by a faculty member ‘and supervised by an employer who is not a faculty member.
4.3. Service learning: This term is used to denote required or optional out-of-classroom community service experiences/projects attached to courses or as a separate credit bearing experience. The location may be the broader community outside the university or one embedded in co-curricular activities.
4.4. Clinical education: This is a more specifically defined internship experience in which students practice learned didactic and experiential skills, most frequently in health care and legal settings, under the supervision of a credentialed practitioner. It is often a separate credit-bearing course tied to a related theoretical course or a culminating experience after a sequence of theoretical courses.
4.5. Student teaching: This experience is specific to students in pre-professional and pre-service teacher education or graduate students who are gaining required and evaluated experience in supervised teaching.
4.6. Practicum: A relative of the internship, this form of experiential learning usually is a course or student exercise involving practical experience in a work setting (whether paid or unpaid) as well as theoretical study, including supervised experience as part of professional pre-service education.
4.7. Undergraduate research experience: Students function as research assistants and collaborators on faculty projects.
4.8. Community-based research: Faculty and students cooperate with local organizations to conduct studies to meet the needs of a particular community. Students gain direct experience in the research process.
4.9. 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. Field work is especially frequent in fields including anthropology, archaeology, sociology, social work, earth sciences, and environmental studies.
4.10. Study abroad: Students usually engage in courses at higher education institutions in another country. The experiential learning component is the cultural immersion which provides novel challenges for navigating living in a new place. The coursework connected to a study abroad can also include internships and service-learning experiences.
4.11. Student Jobs: A student job opportunity within UM6P, managed by the Student Development Office as part of UM6P Student Affairs, offers part-time positions for students. These roles involve a variety of missions across diverse areas and disciplines, providing valuable learning experiences, leadership development, and practical skill acquisition. The positions include both internal and external assignments and offer fair compensation to support students’ efforts and commitment. The recruitment process is designed to be equitable and inclusive, beginning with a call for participation, followed by a selection process, interviews, and a one-on-one follow-up to ensure a thorough and impartial hiring experience. (See. Student Jobs Procedure.)
4.12. Co-Curricular Learning: Co-curricular programs organized by UM6P Student Affairs are designed to complement academic learning and enhance students’ overall university experience. These programs offer diverse opportunities for personal and professional growth, including leadership development, community service, and skill-building. Through various workshops, events, and activities, students can engage in meaningful experiences that foster their development, support their academic pursuits, and prepare them for future challenges. These programs play a vital role in helping students build a well-rounded skill set and connect with the broader university community.
SECTION 5 PROVISIONS AND GUIDELINES
GENERAL PROVISIONS
5.1. University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) students are active participants in their learning, undertaking hands-on activities, projects, internships, and research opportunities that foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.
5.2. UM6P degree programs have experiential learning as a core component of their curricula, with experiential learning opportunities integrated into the curriculum across disciplines. Experiential learning is a dynamic approach of learning that engages students in direct experience and focused reflection to develop skills, knowledge, and values.
5.3. Partners:UM6P collaborates with industry partners, community organizations, and research institutions to provide students with diverse experiential learning opportunities that align with their academic and career goals.
5.4. Learning environments: UM6P provides a range of experiential learning environments, including “Living Labs”, incubators, studios, maker spaces, simulation centers, and digital labs, to accommodate diverse learning styles and preferences.
5.5. Principles: Experiential learning at UM6P is guided by the following principles:
5.5.1. Experiential learning occurs when carefully chosen experiences are supported by reflection, critical analysis and synthesis;
5.5.2. Experiences are structured to require the learner to take initiative, make decisions and be accountable for results;
5.5.3. Throughout the experiential learning process, the learner is actively engaged imposing questions, investigating, experimenting, being curious, solving problems, assuming responsibility, being creative, and constructing meaning;
5.5.4. Experiential learning experiences should prioritize ethical considerations to promote responsible decision-making that respects environmental, social and economic dimensions;
5.5.5. Learners are engaged intellectually, emotionally, socially, soulfully and/or physically. This involvement produces a perception that the learning task is authentic;
5.5.6. The results of the learning are personal and form the basis for future experience and learning;
5.5.7. Relationships are developed and nurtured: learner to self, learner to others and learner to the world at large; and
5.5.8. Opportunities are nurtured for learners and educators to explore and examine their own values
5.6. Roles and responsibilities of the educator during experiential learning:
5.6.1. The educator’s primary roles include setting suitable experiences, posing
problems, setting boundaries, supporting learners, insuring physical and
emotional safety, and facilitating the learning process;
5.6.2. The educator recognizes and encourages spontaneous opportunities for learning;
5.6.3. Educators strive to be aware of their biases, judgments and pre-conceptions, and how these influence the learner; and
5.6.4. The design of the learning experience includes the possibility to learn from natural consequences, mistakes and successes.
5.7. 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.
5.8. Assessment: Experiential learning activities are assessed using a variety of methods, including self-assessment, peer evaluation, supervisor feedback, and faculty assessment, with criteria aligned with learning outcomes and program requirements.
5.9. Continuous Improvement: Experiential learning opportunities at UM6P undergo rigorous evaluation to ensure alignment with academic standards, learning outcomes, and industry expectations, with continuous improvement based on feedback from stakeholder.
5.10. For UM6P courses that include an experiential learning component, the following requirements apply:
5.10.1. Course Learning Outcomes: Experiential learning (course) learning outcomes are articulated and stated in writing in the course syllabus.
5.10.2. Credit Hours: To be determined by each academic program.
5.10.3. Course Duration: The course must be of sufficient duration to allow a student to meet the (course) learning outcomes.
5.11. UM6P is championing the use of experiential learning to stimulate a sense of communal responsibility and innovation and embraces it as a key tool to instill sustainable development principles in its students and help them develop a deeper understanding of sustainability challenges.
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIPS
5.12. Programs offering an internship component ensure that the following guidelines are met, as appropriate:
5.12.1. The student is assigned to an appropriate and reputable venue that provides safe on-the-job training and work experiences relevant to the student’s program of study. Specific arrangements for each student’s internship are governed by an internship agreement between UM6P and the employer.
5.12.1.1. The Career Center is responsible for maintaining administrative
records.
5.13. Prior to commencement of an internship experience the student must be provided with an orientation to the skills, behaviors, competencies and knowledge needed to succeed in the work environment. In addition, the student also must receive an internship agreement detailing the objectives, learning outcomes, procedures and requirements of the internship program.
5.14. A faculty member from the student’s academic degree program is appointed as an academic coordinator to oversee the student’s progress during the internship period and monitor his/her wellbeing through regular feedback from both the student and employer.
5.15. At the end of the internship period students are required to submit a report related to their program of study (See. Internship Agreement). The report provides an opportunity for the student to reflect, in writing and/or through an oral presentation, on their achievement of the specified course learning outcomes for the internship. An appropriate grade calculated in accordance with the published syllabus is assigned.
5.16. Internship arrangements are regularly reviewed to determine their suitability in terms of both student experience and employer satisfaction so that the results of these evaluations may be used in an ongoing and documented process of continuous quality improvement.
SERVICE LEARNING
5.18. Course-based service learning is encouraged for all UM6P degree programs as a means
of engendering awareness of and solutions to problems faced locally, regionally or globally.
5.19. Community engagement/service-learning opportunities are designed to provide unique experiences that connect skills, knowledge, and attitudes gained in the classrooms and laboratories with the needs of the broader community and society. Opportunities for community engagement are available through the Social Experience Program.
5.20. UM6P promotes community engagement and service learning that involves students in activities related to their career goals and immediate needs of community and society.
5.21. Upon the completion of a community engagement or service-learning experience, the student is required to provide documentation of the community service to the Academic Services Office.
5.21.1. A signed evaluation report or signed document from an employer / community/ agency / organization must be presented as evidence of the service provided.The nature of the work, the service performed, and the dates and hours must be included in the report.
STUDY ABROAD
5.22. UM6P encourages students to take part in courses and programs at partner universities,
providing them with the opportunity to gain international experiences.
5.23. Eligibility criteria for student exchange and study abroad programs are reviewed, updated and published prior to the first day of each regular semester by the Career Center.
5.24. The following people and offices have designated responsibilities with relation to study
abroad programs:
5.24.1. The respective schools and departments suggest appropriate universities for student exchange and study abroad programs and assess the course/ program relevance.
5.25. The Career Center processes all applications, coordinates with universities, and liaises
between various UM6P stakeholders.
5.26. The Career center manages relationships with exchange partners, negotiate new MOUs
and updates existing one and provide an updated and centralized list of active partnerships of Academic Services, schools and universities to access.
SECTION 6 REVIEW AND MONITORING STATEMENT
6.1. This policy document is reviewed once every four (4) years, or more frequently when
requested by the President or subsequent changes in regulations or accreditation
requirements.