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Empowering Students Through Experiential Learning: �Enhancing EL Projects with Faculty and Coordinator Support

Dan Lonergan, Manager Experiential Learning &

Olivia Lum, Experiential Learning Coordinator

Teaching and Learning Day – Spring 2025

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Agenda

Introducing the EL Team
How the EL Team Supports Faculty
EL Success Story
Introducing Riipen and Workshop

Teaching and Learning Day – Spring 2025

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Experiential Learning Team

Meeting strategic goals of experiential learning for all and human skills for workplace and life
Providing centralized curricular EL support across all Seneca programs
Ensuring high-quality experiential learning supports for faculty, students and industry

Amanda Brown

Director, Experiential Education

Dan Lonergan

Manager, Experiential Learning

Alessandra Germani

Experiential Learning Coordinator

Olivia Lum

Experiential Learning Coordinator

EL Team, Seneca Works

Teaching and Learning Day – Spring 2025

Dan

Experiential learning (EL) is the philosophy of “learning by doing” and is an engaged learning process that helps students to develop skills, knowledge, and values through authentic practice and guided reflection on their experiences.

Why is it important for Seneca?
Experiential Learning is transforming education at Seneca by empowering students to tackle real-world challenges while honing the critical skills employers value most.
It is directly linked to our strategic goals:

Experiential learning for all
Human skills for the workplace and life
Our work in educating students is driven by employer demand
Expanded career and employment services

What we do - a centralized support system to ensure high-quality experiential learning supports for faculty, students and industry partners across all Seneca programs, faculties and schools.

Who we are , our backgrounds (credibility)

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EL Team Supports

We offer a variety of ways to support your experiential learning needs

EL Team Supports

EL course integration / design

Industry / project sourcing

Best practice guidelines

Reflection practices

Funding sources

Other resources

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EL Success Story Business Development Course: Consultation & Scoping

Consultation and Scoping

Project Partner Sourcing & Outreach

Liaison and Logistical Support

Understanding context and requirements:

MRK 335 Business Development Management course Hospitality program in Hotel & Restaurant Services Management
Winter term, 4^th semester students for Ontario College Diploma, 2 classes of 40 students each, each class has 8 teams of 5 students
Student learning objectives and deliverables

The Ask:

Seeking 2 hotel industry partners to work with teams of students developing B2B corporate sales strategy with niche requirements

Teaching and Learning Day – Spring 2025

Olivia

Through a real example, I will walk you through how the team provided full cycle faculty support to integrate experiential learning into a current course that just wrapped up this winter term.

Our goal is to spark ideas of how you innovate and collaborate with us by integrating experiential learning into your courses

To provide you with background, Professor Reza Alavie first reached out to our team with an interest in finding project partners for his MRK 355 Business Development course which was running in the winter term. This two-year diploma program is designed to prepare you for a career in the vibrant global hotel and hospitality industry

Consultation

We consulted with him to learn about the program, project specifications such as the learning objectives, type of project challenge to be solved, timelines, expected deliverables. number of students. Since he specifically was seeking out project partners, we asked about the type and number of industry partners needed, project partner expectations and requirements

Student learning objectives:

Develop a supportive partnering relationship with a prospective client.
Discover the client's needs through research, active listening and questioning techniques.
Plan and deliver a sales presentation that effectively communicates sales strategy recommendations.
Overcome sales objections in order to persuade the client to commit to purchase.

Reza had quite specific niche requirements:

Finding project partners to work with teams of students developing a B2B corporate sales strategy (research, analysis, presentation pitch)
2 hotels of same stature (e.g. 5 star, 4 star, boutique, etc.)
1 partner for morning class, 1 partner for afternoon class
TTC accessible

Partner Requirements

Available to partner January to April
Be available for quick call / Zoom meet to chat about the project in more detail
Attend In person briefing: Project partner provides an objective (Monday, January 13 or 20 (11am or 2 pm))
Facilitate student hotel tour: Questions – Feb 17 or Mar 3
Attend live final pitch presentations: April 14 (9:45 am or 1:30 pm)

Deliverables include practical insights to enhance your B2B sales operations:

Comprehensive B2B Sales Strategy Report: Includes findings from research, detailed analysis, and actionable recommendations.
Pitch Deck: A professional presentation ready for client-facing engagements.
Final Presentation: A live presentation where learners share their findings and address any questions.

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EL Success Story Business Development Course: Project Partner Sourcing & Outreach

Consultation and Scoping

Project Partner Sourcing & Outreach

Liaison and Logistical Support

Challenges:

Tight timing and turnaround, busy time for hotels, upcoming winter break

The Power of Collaboration:

Initial outreach: Collaborating internally with the hospitality field placement team for existing contacts
Further outreach: Collaborating with the Greater Toronto Hotel Association
Partners we worked with had existing relationships with Seneca (PAC member, alumni, previous project partner)

Teaching and Learning Day – Spring 2025

Olivia

Project Partner Sourcing

One of the challenges was that it was December which was the busiest time for the hospitality industry, and there wasn’t a lot of time due to the winter break. We needed to find partners quickly for a January start.

While sourcing, initially worked closely with a field placement assistant in Seneca’s hospitality department to source partners. She had a contact list of 20 hotel partners and how we had engaged with them in the past – PAC member, placements, career fairs, guest speakers. She sent out emails to connect and we immediately received interest from the Sutton Group hotel general manager, who is current a hospitality PAC member and former Seneca alum.

We were running out of time, and so I outreached to the Greater Toronto Hotel Association, and met with the CEO of the organization to explained our situation. She was happy to collaborate and sent out personal emails to a few more hotels. Delta Marriott responded and mentioned they had supported past hospitality projects and also hosted the hospitality winter party.

Together, Reza and I met with each of the partners and explained what we were seeking, how the project would work and the requirements.

We ask employers to engage in regular communication with learners, provide necessary project information, attend the final presentation, and deliver constructive feedback on

Partner Requirements

Available to partner January to April
Be available for quick call / Zoom meet to chat about the project in more detail
Attend In person briefing: Project partner provides an objective (Monday, January 13 or 20 (11am or 2 pm))
Facilitate student hotel tour: Questions – Feb 17 or Mar 3
Attend live final pitch presentations: April 14 (9:45 am or 1:30 pm)

Deliverables include practical insights to enhance your B2B sales operations:

Comprehensive B2B Sales Strategy Report: Includes findings from research, detailed analysis, and actionable recommendations.
Pitch Deck: A professional presentation ready for client-facing engagements.
Final Presentation: A live presentation where learners share their findings and address any questions.

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EL Success Story Business Development Course: Liaison and Logistical Support�

Consultation and Scoping

Project Partner Sourcing & Outreach

Liaison and Logistical Support

Types of Support:

Arranging meeting calls and partnering with faculty on discussions as needed (initial outreach, target market scoping)
Check-ins with faculty and project partners
Resolving issues
Attending hotel briefings and pitch presentations
Connecting project partners to wider Seneca Works for engagement opportunities (hiring, career fairs, PAC member)
EL surveys

Teaching and Learning Day – Spring 2025

Olivia

Liason and Logistical Support:

Check-ins with the faculty and partners to ensure projects were running smoothly

Resolving issues: e.g. contacting partners who were slow to respond; setting up meeting sto discuss target markets in more detail, booking the rooms and meetings in calendars,

Attending the sessions to provide any support needed (liaising with employers, introducing them to Seneca’s industry outreach coordinators, connecting them to WIL for placements, )

Partner Requirements

Available to partner January to April
Be available for quick call / Zoom meet to chat about the project in more detail
Attend In person briefing: Project partner provides an objective (Monday, January 13 or 20 (11am or 2 pm))
Facilitate student hotel tour: Questions – Feb 17 or Mar 3
Attend live final pitch presentations: April 14 (9:45 am or 1:30 pm)

the MRK 355 Business Development course.

Key Takeaways:

a) creating meaningful experiential learning opportunities through the power of partnerships and collaboration

b) demonstrating the successful integration of meaningful human and employability skills.

c) Positive impacts on all parties involved

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EL Success Story MRK 355 Business Development: Key Benefits & Impacts of Integrated EL

Students

Improved student outcomes through human skills development

Can confidently apply skills learned to real-life situations

Opportunity to showcase skills to potential employers

Faculty

Enhanced teaching and learning by integrating real-world experiences into curriculum

Increased student engagement and motivation

Professional development through exposure to current industry practices and trends

Industry Partners

Employers receive innovative new ideas improve their business

Access to a future talent hiring pool

Opportunities to engage with Seneca further through interest in hiring, PAC Committees, employer training courses

Successful outcomes and benefits for all

Teaching and Learning Day – Spring 2025

We conducted post surveys with students, faculty and industry partners.

Student: Confidence in communicataion, collaboration and critical thinking skills: communication, team work and sales skills (many commented on being shy and gaining confidence to present in front of large groups and employers)

Student: This project helped prepare me for my future real-world career by boosting my confidence and teaching me how to carry myself professionally.

Student: Doing this presentation really helped me build my confidence in speaking in front of others. Before, I would get nervous or shy, but this experience allowed me to practice organizing my thoughts, speaking clearly, and presenting as a team. It also taught me how important preparation is—it really helped me feel more comfortable while speaking. I also learned a lot from Reza, especially when it comes to sales. He shared valuable tips about how to understand customer needs, build relationships, and present products in a way that adds value. His insights helped me see how strong communication and confidence are key in both presentations and real-life business situations like sales

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Reza:

The students are extremely excited and motivated, especially since the winning team has a chance to win a night’s stay at the hotel

Learned about trends from hotel industry Q&A session at their site

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Industry partner: One group presented an idea for sales outreach at an event, we hadn’t considered that before

Seeking front desk manager and rotating coop roles position

Interest in joining as a PAC member, employer training courses

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EL Success Story MRK 355 Business Development: Testimonials

Student

I had a great experience with the Experiential Learning program. It helped me gain real-world knowledge, build my confidence, and prepare for my future career. I truly appreciate the support and guidance from the team throughout the process.

Industry Partner

Thank you for the opportunity to support Seneca’s students. It was a pleasure to participate and connect with such passionate future leaders in our industry. We truly value this partnership and look forward to continuing our collaboration. I appreciate the introduction to your Seneca Works team—looking forward to exploring ways we can support your placement and hiring.

Faculty

Dan Lonergan and Olivia Lum are detailed, thorough and diligent. They understand that experiential learning benefits all parties and they work hard to help faculty deliver the best possible experience.

Teaching and Learning Day – Spring 2025

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Introduction to Riipen

An online work-integrated learning marketplace that connects educators, learners and organizations to collaborate on real industry projects to bridge the gap between education and employment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvvUg5fpRf8

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Riipen Workshop: Innovate and Collaborate with Riipen and Seneca’s EL Team

What you will learn:

How to join Riipen’s platform.
How to easily create an experiential assignment or capstone for your students using this tool across various subject areas.

Register at Seneca’s My PD Course Catalogue or go to this link:

https://forms.gle/Jgwh1UnwWnPPvr576

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Connect with the EL Team

General EL Team Email: experiential@senecapolytechnic.ca

Amanda Brown

Director, Experiential Education

Dan Lonergan

Manager, Experiential Learning

Alessandra Germani

Experiential Learning Coordinator

Olivia Lum

Experiential Learning Coordinator

EL Team, Seneca Works

Teaching and Learning Day – Spring 2025

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Apply for a Microcredential

Visit event website: bit.ly/TLday-spring

This microcredential is part of the �2024-25 Conferencer series.

Learn about the milestone badge�on our event website.

Teaching and Learning Day – Spring 2025