Development and Validation of the Experiential Learning Survey

Abstract

Experiential learning is recommended as a way to increase critical thinking and engagement, enhance theory-informed practice, increase preparedness, and improve multicultural understanding for students involved in social work education. The purpose of this study is to validate the Experiential Learning Survey (ELS), which measures students’ perceptions of experience-based educational instruction. Five hundred and fifty-three students enrolled in human service courses completed a multidimensional survey. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the use of 4 subscales. Each subscale and the global scale had good reliability, and the overall model fit was acceptable. Evidence of convergent and discriminant construct validity was established. Results from this validation study reveal that the ELS is a valid and reliable tool for assessing various characteristics of hands-on learning.