Transformational Learning
What is Transformational (Transformative) Learning?
Transformational Learning is a theory, coined by Jack Mezirow, about how adults and young adults integrate new information and approach learning. According to Mezirow, transformational learning is "an orientation which holds that the way learners interpret and reinterpret their sense experience is central to making meaning and hence learning." (source) Here at the Rehab Robotics Lab, we apply transformational learning in our student trainee experiences, supporting our students to incorporate new information and adjust their worldview by applying critical thought. (For more information on Transformative Learning, please visit https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-transformative-learning-theory2007)
We take our position as an educational institution seriously, and do our best to provide both paid and volunteer experiences to students across campus. We are pleased to support the ELITE Program for Black Youth, the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sports & Recreation, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Multimedia Studies program by taking on full time interns, practicum students, and co-op students whenever possible. We foster an inclusive environment where students are welcome to explore, make mistakes, and build lasting connections. In addition, full time students are given additional opportunities to develop professional skills, including "soft skills", and form supportive habits for work and life. Weekly Professional Development Sessions, supplemented by an Individual Development Plan with targeted exercises, provide students with the transitional skills required to successfully enter the workforce after graduation.
If you're interested in joining our team, please fill out our Volunteer Application Form, or email us at rehabrobotics@ualberta.ca.