Assessing the Effectiveness of Experiential Learning in a Student-Run Free Clinic

Abstract

Experiential learning is an important contributor to higher education. Incorporating experiential learning into a program of study helps provide a new avenue for the application of theory to practice. These activities are often in the form of volunteer services, which help students translate classroom learning into real-world solutions, address community needs, help students serve their neighbors, facilitate campus–community collaboration, and connect students with local organizations. This article describes an assessment of educationally relevant experiences at a student-run free health clinic. The majority of students believed that their clinic experiences fit well into their academic curriculum and schedule. They considered this a positive and worthwhile endeavor, both because of their own personal gain in knowledge, skills, and experiences and because of the direct benefit to the local community. Overall, the students’ experiences were very positive and were consistent with achieving the clinic’s and the university’s goals.