Learning by Doing: Experiential Learning in Criminal Justice

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Abstract

This paper highlights the efforts of colleagues in a criminal justice department to offer experiential learning experiences to undergraduate students. Operating within the framework of a liberal arts curriculum, we provide criminal justice majors with a range of opportunities that fall under the general rubric of “experiential learning,” including: service learning, field trips, research projects, and internships. Our goal is to combine the academic rigors of traditional, class-room based learning with exposure to hands-on, real-world, subject-based knowledge. Each type of experiential learning is discussed in terms of their pedagogical benefits and long-term, post-graduate advantages for students.

Sub Unit

• Area VIII: Roundtables

Individual Presentations

• Learning by Doing: Experiential Learning in Criminal Justice - Helen Ahn Lim, California Lutheran University; Robert Meadows, California Lutheran University; Schannae Lucas, California Lutheran University; Molly George, California Lutheran University