Skill growth and development in an honors experiential learning course

Problem-solving skills are crucial for students in both schoolwork and the workforce as they help individuals and groups work through obstacles and come up with solutions to a problem. To help prepare students, the Innovation in Honors Lab at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a hands-on, interdisciplinary course that provides an experiential learning opportunity to practice skills while working directly with community partners to find and solve a local issue. This research tracks the development of six specific skills that students use throughout the class. The skills included communication, creative thinking, decision making, problem solving, conflict resolution, and collaboration. While the literature describes the importance of skill growth, few studies focus on which specific skills were being developed and how. To address this gap, this research looked at how experiential learning can help students develop specific skills and the factors that shape these outcomes. Data was collected through surveys throughout the semester which had students reflect on each skill and their experience in practicing it through the course. The information gathered allowed for quantitative and qualitative analysis which identified the level of development across each skill and developed themes for the factors and challenges leading to skill development. Results show that there is certain skill growth when comparing students from the beginning of the semester to the end. There is also certain skills that are emphasized throughout the semester that link to others in terms of development. By finding out which skills develop and how, higher education institutions can shift their teaching styles to better meet the students and prepare them for future research projects and the workforce. This shift can allow students to better develop the skills that they need. With hands-on learning, students have the opportunity to experience skill development and use these skills in their future academic and professional careers.