Experiential Learning

Educational Leaders in Residence (ELR) are responsible for developing and implementing high-impact, institutional teaching and learning projects that lead to clear outcomes and results.

The ELR in Experiential Learning will advance Small EL practices, foster curricular integration through campus partnerships, and support faculty development and scholarship in experiential learning. 

Educational Leaders in Residence: Experiential Learning

  • Promote and expand the Small Experiential Learning (EL) community of practice by supporting the inclusion of Small EL opportunities across campus initiatives; 
  • Identify and pursue on-campus partnerships to adapt and implement the UNIV 304 model in diverse academic contexts; 
  • Lead the development and delivery of a campus-wide showcase highlighting the breadth and diversity of Small EL opportunities available to students; 
  • Advance to the 2024 University of Calgary Teaching and Learning Grants project, Practices and Perceptions of Critical Reflection at UCalgary, by examining how students and faculty engage in critical reflection, a core component of all experiential learning activities. 
Dr. Lisa Stowe

Dr. Lisa Stowe

Lisa Stowe, PhD

Lisa Stowe is a Professor (Teaching) in Communication, Media and Film at the University of Calgary, where she has been teaching for 18 years. As the Educational Leader in Residence for Experiential Learning, Lisa continues to enhance the work she began as Academic Lead in the Office of Experiential Learning. Her teaching philosophy centers on creating "experiential classrooms" where students connect academic concepts to their lived experiences through community-engaged learning projects, international programs like her Food Culture in Spain Group Study Program, and hands-on practicum experiences. Her courses span media representations and food culture, rhetorical communication, and peer mentoring—all designed to help students become active co-creators of their learning rather than passive recipients of information. Lisa's scholarship focuses on exploring student and faculty perceptions of critical reflection, examining how flexible Work Integrated Learning courses help students develop WIL competencies, and investigating how small-scale, curriculum-based experiential learning can increase student access to EL opportunities.