Experiential Learning WrapAround

Are you a supervisor looking for productive and engaged student staff? Want to help your students gain more from the work they do for your department?

Are you a student and want to be able to articulate the skills you are gaining and how they relate to your future?

The EL WrapAround will help with all of these things!

By using this simple low-time-commitment, high-impact strategy, supervisors and students engage in productive conversations about how to get the most out of an on-campus student role. These conversations, which bookend the student job (at start and at end) are guided by the EL WrapAround Learning Reflection Form. With a few straightforward questions, students and supervisors identify and reflect on skills being developed in these roles.

Students and supervisors interested in deeper conversations around students’ skill development can also benefit from using the Queen’s Skills Cards while completing the EL WrapAround Learning Reflection Forms.

The EL Hub also provides optional training and support for both supervisors and students to help make the experience as easy and accessible as possible.

What do students have to say about the EL WrapAround?

“The EL WrapAround helped me to articulate on a resume [and] to a potential employer what transferable skills I gained from my work-study.” – Work Study Student Survey

“The EL WrapAround has impacted my career goals by giving me experience in areas related to my research/field that I wouldn't have had otherwise.” – Work Study Student Survey

“The EL WrapAround made me able to see how collaboration and adaptability apply to the workforce in various capacities. I realised how skills such as collaboration are crucial to completing a task efficiently and to the best of my ability, while adaptability is needed when working with children and trying new activities.” – Work Study Student Survey

How much time does it take to participate in the EL WrapAround?

With only two required meetings and a 2-page form, the Experiential Learning WrapAround requires a minimal additional investment of supervisor and student time to make a significant impact on student learning and professional development.

The supervisor completes the “Learning Reflection Form” with the student employee or volunteer, through 2 required meetings at the beginning and end of the role, and through providing ongoing supervision and support throughout the work or volunteer experience. This two-step model will make a significant impact on student learning and development.

Of course, supervisors and students can go beyond these requirements by engaging in more frequent and in-depth coaching and feedback conversations. Supervisors interested in this approach are encouraged to view the Queen’s Skills Cards page for Educators.

Completing the EL WrapAround Process

illustration of EL Wraparound process

1. Onboarding:

Student and supervisor meet near beginning of role to review the job description and tasks. Through this review student and supervisor discuss and identify skills required for the job that the student is interested in developing further. This corresponds to the DESCRIBE phase in the EL Learning Framework. Here is an example how the conversation may sound: (Note that some units may do this in a group format rather than 1-on-1 for large numbers of students)

2. Throughout role:

Supervisor provides support and feedback on role and skills to student. Student uses personal awareness to evaluate progress towards their identified goals and development of role.

3. Role Wrap Up:

At end of role, supervisor and student meet to review the goals identified in Step 1 and to discuss how the student’s learning and development progressed. Using the reflection questions in Part 2 of the form, the student and supervisor discuss how these skills and experiences relate to the student’s long term goals and options. Students who are interested in exploring their career goals and skills more deeply should be referred to Career Services. A Career Counsellor can help students make connections between their goals, skills, and opportunities for growth.

Resources

EL WrapAround Workshops

If you would like assistance facilitating the EL WrapAround with your students, the EL Hub and Career Services would be happy to assist. We offer customizable supervisor and student workshop options that can be delivered at any time. To inquire about setting up a workshop please email el.hub@queensu.ca.

Supervisor Workshops

Supervise for Success: How to Implement the EL WrapAround

Do you want more engaged and committed student employees? Attend this session to learn how to effectively integrate reflection and professional skill development into your supervising to get the most out of your students while building student skills and capacity. During the workshop you will practice using the EL Reflection Form and explore strategies for identifying learning outcomes and guiding student reflection.

Supervise for Success: Effective Supervision Strategies (for on-campus, remote, and/or hybrid situations)

Great student employees can be fostered through great supervision. Attend this session to learn how to develop supervision structures and strategies (for remote, hybrid and in-person work) that will help your student employees develop their professional skills while making a significant contribution to your workplace.

Student Workshops

Getting the Most out of your Queen's Work or Volunteer Experience: Part 1 of the EL WrapAround Learning Reflection Form

Engaged in a volunteer, extracurricular, or paid position on campus? Interested in learning how to make the most out of your experience? During this workshop we’ll introduce you to the EL WrapAround Learning Reflection Form! We’ll complete Part 1 of the form together by looking at the tasks you’ll be performing in your role and matching those to the types of skills you hope to develop. We’ll end with an overview of how you can engage in reflective practice throughout your role so that you are prepared to articulate what you learned during the experience to future employers, grad schools, or other opportunities!

Assessing your Skills Development: EL WrapAround Mid-Point Reflection

For students at the mid-point of their Experiential Learning roles, this workshop will help you assess which skills you’ve been developing the most and which ones you want to continue to work on. We’ll discuss successes and challenges in the role so far and reflect on some of your most significant learning experiences to date. Be sure to bring your EL WrapAround Learning Reflection Form!

Articulating your Skills and Planning for the Future: Part 2 of the EL WrapAround Learning Reflection Form

You’ve gained some great skills and experiences through your Experiential Learning role, but not sure how or where you could use these skills in your future? Attend this workshop to engage in a final reflection, complete Part 2 of the EL WrapAround Learning Reflection Form and start thinking more broadly about your experience and its applications. Leave the workshop feeling confident in your ability to articulate what you’ve learned to future employers, grad schools or other opportunities!

Questions & Support

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our EL Hub staff. Our staff can provide 1-on-1 consultations on how to implement this program with your specific group. For large groups we can also provide any workshop scheduled at your convenience! Please feel free to contact us at el.hub@queensu.ca.

For quick reference, here are tipsheets on working remotely (pdf, 142.9 KB), onboarding remotely (pdf, 168.9 KB), and supervising remotely (pdf, 143.8 KB) (from CEWIL Canada).

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