There’s still one Orange to root for — The Daily Orange! Donate today and help us win College Media Madness.

Syracuse University’s School of Education is launching a new department — the Center for Experiential Pedagogy and Practice — on March 31, according to a university press release Wednesday.

The center, according to its website, utilizes research initiatives to explore experiential teaching and learning as well professor development. The center will have its launch event on Thursday at the Jacquet Education Commons in Huntington Hall from 4-6 p.m.

The center’s singular foundation principle includes “immersive experiences (to) advance learners’ preparation for complex professions,” according to the program’s website.

“CEPP will engage research and design initiatives across Syracuse University and beyond to advance experiential teaching and professional development,” said Ben Dotger, the chief of the School of Education’s teaching and leadership department, in the university’s press release.

One project the CEPP is working on are its clinical simulations, which are practiced interactions for teachers and counselors to address “high-stakes” situations.

Prospective teachers can simulate a variety of scenarios with an actor, including working with verbally aggressive students and dealing with physical assault on school grounds.

Dotger, who will serve as the CEPP’s director, has been applying clinical simulations to teaching since 2007, the press release said. He said the simulations have been proven to help educators in real-life settings, especially situations that can be challenging.

“In this low-risk setting, trainees have an immersive experience in which interactions can be observed and they can receive coaching and feedback. Our clinical focus is on practice analysis and data-informed decision making,” Dotger said.

Another facet of the center will be the process of “Lesson Study,” which involves teacher observation and student learning to inform teaching methods. Sharon Dotger, an associate professor in the School of Education, provided seven essential features of “Lesson Study” in a 2015 research paper.

The center also has projects in the field of digital counseling and mediated field experiences, which combines student enrichment, education for pre-service teacher candidates and professional development.

Interim Dean of the School of Education Kelly Chandler-Olcott said in the release that SU’s faculty has demonstrated the value of immersive experiences for education.

“Our new center will be a Universitywide resource that will help apply best practices in applied learning to specific learning situations across the professions,” Chandler-Olcott said.

Published on March 28, 2022 at 12:20 am

Contact Kyle: kschouin@syr.edu | @Kyle_Chouinard