“It Does Not Do to Dwell on Teaching Notes and Forget to Live”: Instructor Perspectives on Integrating and Adapting Existing Experiential Exercises in Large Classes

Abstract

The vast majority of articles describing new experiential exercises are presented from the perspective of the creator(s) of the activity. It is notable, however, that less research has focused on understanding the experiences of instructors who later adopt these exercises in their classrooms. We contribute to the literature on experiential learning in large classes by placing our focus squarely on the user—examining the perceptions, motivations, reflections, and experiences of instructors who integrate existing experiential exercises in large groups. Using a qualitative methodology, we interviewed 12 instructors of a large, multisection undergraduate course at a large Canadian university, in which a common experiential exercise is run across all sections. Two main themes emerged. The first captures the importance of making an exercise one’s own and reflects the variety of strategies that instructors use when preparing to adopt an existing exercise—including active strategies through which the instructors become codesigners of the activity itself. The second reflects different perceptions, ranging from enthusiasm to skepticism, with respect to the value of using experiential exercises. Both themes point to the importance of, as well as strategies designed to enhance, instructor perceptions of self-efficacy in relation to running existing experiential exercises in one’s courses.