East Stroudsburg University’s Provost’s Colloquium Series, an intellectual experience that promotes dialogue among ESU faculty, staff, students, and community, continues the Fall 2024 semester with a presentation by Xiaochen Zhou, Ph.D., assistant professor, sport management and Edward Arner, Ed.D., assistant professor, sport management. The presentation, “One Plus One Equals Three: Cases on Experiential Learning Through the Integration of Teaching, Service, and Research”, will take place on Wednesday, November 6, at 5:30 p.m. in Beers Lecture Hall. The presentation will also be live streamed on the ESU Live Events webpage.
Experiential learning and community involvement embody the ethos of ESU and shape our students, who will be the next generation of socially conscious leaders. The two presenters will provide a case for combining the classroom with the community through experiential learning and invite the audience to reconsider the boundaries between academia and the community, emphasizing the value of collaborative partnerships in driving meaningful change.
Dr. Zhou’s research into Philadelphia Chinatown’s resistance against sports arena development epitomizes the fusion of academic inquiry with community activism. Zhou will describe how through her field research she became intimately involved in the community struggle, which allowed her to obtain in-depth insights, a professional network, and exclusive access to a large dataset. She used this knowledge and information to enrich the classroom learning experience.
Dr. Arner’s innovative pedagogical approach integrates classroom learning with practical community engagement. In his courses students organized sporting events, such as NIRSA (National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association) Rec Day, Warrior Wake-Up, and a pickleball tournament. This approach benefited the community and empowered students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings, fostering leadership skills, teamwork, and a sense of civic responsibility.
The presentation will underscore the reciprocal relationship between teaching, scholarly pursuit, and community service, plus demonstrate the importance of the teacher-student relationship within the context of experiential learning.
For more information about the Provost’s Colloquium Series, contact Lynne Ozgur, assistant director, office of sponsored projects and research, at (570) 422-7908 or lozgur@esu.edu.