INTEGRATING WORK-BASED EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING INTO COURSEWORK: CONDUCTING QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.

Experiential learning has been identified as an effective method of delivering curricula in quality improvement (QI). Kolb's experiential learning model was used to develop QI projects as the primary deliverable for a graduate QI health administration course at California State University, Northridge. This study evaluates QI projects (n=23) conducted at students' work settings, using the validated Quality Improvement Knowledge Application Tool Revised (QIKAT-R) for a pre-/post-assessment and a survey to determine student perspectives on the projects. The pre-/post-assessments demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the students' ability to apply QI concepts (p<0.05), while students reported the projects provided a practical and real-life experience that allowed them to apply critical thinking, analytical, problem solving, systems thinking, and communication skills. The students' perspectives, lessons learned, and future plans are discussed, which demonstrate that incorporating experiential learning into graduate health administration coursework can be a valuable pedagogic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]