Psych 210 Welcome

Welcome

Welcome to PSYC 210 Experiential Learning in the Celebration of Diversity. My name is Bob Brandes and I am the course coordinator and tutor for this course. You can learn more about me in the Introduction - Coordinators and Tutors page. This course is a new offering, as of March 2004, and the first fully on-line course in the Center for Psychology, Athabasca University. As you read through the Web site information, you will see that it provides a real-time experiential and self-directed learning opportunity for students, both in terms of content and process.
I hope you enjoy the course.

What is Experiential Learning in the Celebration of Diversity? It's about engaging in a rich tapestry of learning opportunities. It's about blending Experiential Learning Theory, Transformative Learning Theory, and principles of Adult Learning Theory to enable you to become a more active participant in your own learning.

What is Experiential Learning in the Celebration of Diversity? It's about uncovering, clarifying, and challenging your belief and value systems. It's about developing or enhancing yourself as a global citizen.

What is Experiential Learning in the Celebration of Diversity? It's about exploration, discovery, and (re)affirmation. It's about a journey into the past, how the past has impacted on the present, and how the past and present may influence your future.

What is Experiential Learning in the Celebration of Diversity? It's about you, your psychological and cultural make-up, and what shaped or influenced you along the way. It's not about your genetic disposition or unique DNA. It's not about whom you resemble or whom you take after. It's about your cultural roots: those cultural rites of passage that have withstood the test of time; those cultural events that have changed or evolved over time; and those cultural mores and folkways that have been lost over time, due to choice, design, or happenstance.

What is Experiential Learning in the Celebration of Diversity? It's about an opportunity to have a dialogue with and about yourself and with and about someone else. It's about a rare opportunity to engage in an "Ambassadorship" role to teach someone about your exploration, discovery, and (re)affirmation. It's about an even rarer opportunity to catch a glimpse of someone else's cultural journey and his or her exploration, discovery, and (re)affirmation.

What is Experiential Learning in the Celebration of Diversity? It's about discovering what elements that two seemingly unique and different cultures have that are the same or similar or in common. It's about affirming and celebrating their shared similarities and unique differences. It's about the sum of its parts being greater than the whole.

Click here to see What Students Are Saying About "Experiential Learning in the Celebration of Diversity".