Experience as Teacher: Two Techniques for Incorporating Student Experiences into a Course

Abstract

How can learning situations build on students’ lived experiences? Two techniques, the experience paper and the dialogue paper, enable students to connect their experiences with an organizational behavior course. In the experience paper, students write about their experiences of leading, being motivated, working in groups, being empowered, and acting in situations of power and change. The effects of the technique on the professor, the students, and the dynamics of the class learning are detailed. In the dialogue paper, students use relevant theorists to illuminate their experience. The two techniques build on each other. Adaptations for use with large classes are described.