Join Today!
The University of Pittsburgh's Experiential Learning Community of Practice (CoP) brings together faculty and staff from across the University to advance experiential learning for students. Through collaboration, resource sharing, and the exchange of effective practices, the Community of Practice supports the development of meaningful learning experiences that connect academic knowledge with real-world application.
The Community of Practice serves as a collaborative space for colleagues to explore approaches to experiential learning, address common challenges, and strengthen connections among the people and programs that support hands-on learning at Pitt. This work supports the University's broader commitment to expanding experiential learning opportunities and integrating these experiences into the undergraduate student experience through the General Education Curriculum.
Purpose and Goals
The Experiential Learning Community of Practice supports the continued development of experiential learning at Pitt by bringing together practitioners, sharing expertise, and identifying opportunities for collaboration and improvement.
Through its work, the Community of Practice aims to:
- Strengthen experiential learning in the curriculum: Support faculty and academic departments in designing and identifying courses that incorporate active engagement, clearly defined learning outcomes, and structured reflection.
- Build meaningful partnerships: Strengthen connections among the University, community organizations, and industry partners to expand opportunities for students to apply their learning in real-world settings.
- Support faculty development: Share effective practices, resources, and strategies for designing and facilitating high-quality experiential learning.
- Advance student recognition: Contribute to initiatives that help students document, reflect on, and communicate the knowledge and skills they develop through experiential learning.
- Develop a shared vision for experiential learning: Bring together perspectives from across Pitt to inform the University's ongoing strategy for supporting experiential learning.
Areas of Focus
The Community of Practice's work is organized around four interconnected pillars that guide the University's approach to experiential learning.
Curricular Innovation
The Community of Practice supports faculty and academic departments in integrating experiential learning into undergraduate courses and programs. Participants share approaches to course design, discuss how to incorporate active learning and structured reflection, and explore ways to align experiential activities with clearly articulated learning outcomes.
The group also helps identify existing courses that may meet Pitt's experiential learning standards but have not yet received formal designation. By sharing practical resources and experiences, members can help departments navigate course development and designation processes and contribute feedback to inform the continued refinement of experiential learning standards.
Partner Engagement
Strong partnerships create opportunities for students to apply their learning while contributing to organizations and communities beyond the classroom. The Community of Practice helps identify existing partnerships, share information about opportunities, and explore where additional connections could expand student access to experiential learning.
This work includes considering how the University can strengthen relationships with community and industry partners, identify areas where additional opportunities are needed, and support collaborative experiences that are mutually beneficial to students, Pitt, and its partners.
Faculty Development and Support
Faculty are essential to designing experiential learning opportunities that connect academic content with meaningful application. The Community of Practice provides a forum for faculty and staff to exchange ideas, share effective practices, and identify resources that support experiential course design.
Potential areas of collaboration include professional development workshops, peer mentoring, course design resources, and approaches to assessing student learning through structured reflection. These efforts aim to make it easier for faculty to incorporate experiential learning into their teaching and to learn from colleagues who have experience designing and facilitating these opportunities.
Academic Advising and Student Success
Academic advisors and student support professionals help students identify opportunities that complement their academic goals and make connections between their experiences and future aspirations.
The Community of Practice brings advising and student success perspectives into conversations about experiential learning, including how students discover opportunities, reflect on their experiences, and communicate what they have learned. Through collaboration across academic and student support units, members can explore ways to help students pursue experiential learning intentionally throughout their undergraduate careers.
Get Involved
Faculty and staff across the University of Pittsburgh who are interested in experiential learning are encouraged to participate in the Community of Practice.
Whether you design experiential learning courses, support students through advising and mentoring, coordinate partnerships, or contribute to student engagement initiatives, the Community of Practice offers an opportunity to connect with colleagues and help advance experiential learning at Pitt.
Join the Microsoft Teams environment here.
Additional Questions or Concerns?
Contact Brett Soltysiak, Curricular Innovation Manager, Office of the Provost