Transformative Learning by doing
Believing that humans possess inherent agency and a sense of purpose, our project aimed to reconnect with our instinctual, yet often overlooked, transformational learning identities. We planned a candid, face-to-face retreat that would bring together students, faculty, and staff from various institutions to share educational experiences.
Our goals were to help students, staff, and faculty recover their:
- Sense of purpose as professionals using their abilities to benefit both students and society.
- Identity as learner-educators navigating an ever-changing, complex world.
- Agency for just actions that promote systemic flourishing.
Our approach built on previous successes. In a supportive environment, students sharing their educational experiences had the power to liberate themselves and others, reinforcing their agency and sense of purpose.
 |
… |
OLINTeaching Data Science through the Lens of Sustainability READ MORE |
 |
… |
OLINStudents Developing Autonomous Weeding Robot for Sustainable Farming READ MORE |
|
… |
OLINNew Building Design Course Addresses Olin’s Sustainability Goals READ MORE |
A significant finding was the importance of what Fetaui Iosefo calls “Third spaces.” Participants’ responses indicate that the retreat serves as a “third space,” helping students, staff, and faculty to discover or recover their sense of purpose, identity, and resistance within the US higher education system. Theorists describe third spaces as areas of “struggle” and “enlightenment,” where resistance against the dominant culture occurs from the margins, and where one’s identity is constructed and deconstructed. Another key finding was a critique of “normal” higher education spaces, which often require non-majority identity students to deny their true selves to “succeed.”
