Abstract
This article examines the benefits that experiential learning affords both students and organizations where there is sharing and participating in “real world learning.” Mount Royal University Calgary, Alberta, seeks to incorporate experiential learning opportunities in most undergraduate degree programs, for example, the Department of Economics, Justice and Policy Studies, and the Department of Child Studies and Social Work. Experiential Service learning is geared toward improving student engagement and leadership. In the summer of 2021, students collaboratively developed a policy paper on how police could improve their capacity to investigate and combat cyber crimes. The policy paper was developed during COVID-19, which required creativity associated with remote learning. Drawing on literature that highlights experiential learning, this paper highlights the experience of students in Justice Policy Studies who benefitted by integrating critical course content and collaborating with community stakeholders.
Authors
Kelly Sundberg
Kelly Sundberg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics, Justice, and Policy Studies at Mount Royal University. He also holds Adjunct and Visiting Scholar positions at the University of Calgary (Canada), the University of Adelaide (Australia), and the University of East London (United Kingdom). His applied research focuses on crime prevention and criminal justice reform, building on his over 15 years as an investigator, immigration and border security officer, and policy advisor with the Government of Canada. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Victoria (Canada), an M.A. in Public Safety Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University (Canada), and Ph.D. in Political and Social Inquiry with a specialization in Criminology from Monash University (Australia).
Marva Ferguson
Marva Ferguson is a social worker, advocate, and Assistant Professor of Social Work at Mount Royal University. Marva spent the last 14 years working in mental health as the Employee Assistance Program Coordinator Counsellor at the Canada Border Services. Her current research interest is sequence migration, focusing on the personal stories of Jamaican adults who migrated to Canada as children. Marva sticks close to her Jamaican roots and recently initiated the Quick Response Project by collaborating and providing basic needs to residents in her home country. She is a patron of the sports program at the Labyrinth Primary School, St Mary, Jamaica, and the Jamaica College (High School), Kingston, Jamaica. Marva earned a BSW, an MSW from the University of Calgary, and a Certificate in Disaster Management from Mount Royal University. She is a Ph.D. candidate at the School of Social Work, Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador.
