A Symbolic Model of the Simultaneous Achievement of Concrete Benefits and Learning by Participating Groups in Experiential Activities: The Sphere of Experiential Learning

Commencing with the premise that identifying the learning outcomes of experiential activities presents difficulties to both academics and trainers, the paper explores the nature and culture under which experiential activities are undertaken. It identifies, advances the theory and develops a symbolic model of social learning for participating groups in experiential activities. Further reflection leads the authors to identify three basic components which they believe to be at the core of all experiential activities and which enables the symbolic model, previously mentioned, to function

The Good Cooks Guide to Training

This workshop is based upon a recent publication called "The Management Trainers Cookbook" (c) written by the two presenters. The "cookbook" provides the trainer with about thirty "ready to go" examples of different types of training exercises, problems, simulations and games. It aims to provide the trainer with simulation models which can be used as a basis for constructing other exercises and as the workshop will show, provide a mix of ingredients which together -in the appropriate proportions -can help to bring variety into training courses

Starting a Small Music Trivia Business Exercise and Other Innovative Icebreakers

"With every new course undertaken there is an urgent need to gain the empathy and enthusiasm of the course members in particular when about to undertake an experiential exercise. This proposed workshop will explore different kinds of “icebreakers” and consider the techniques needed to avoid likely pitfalls when running them.

Improving the Effectiveness of Peer Evaluations

The evaluation of performance in experiential exercises and simulation games has been the topic of many ABSEL papers. Despite the frequent coverage, the evaluation of student performance, and especially group performance, remains one of the topics most discussed at ABSEL conferences. The authors propose a workshop devoted to the topic of peer evaluations. The workshop will take a three-prong approach: 1. an interactive exercise dealing with peer evaluations, 2. the results of research conducted by the authors at 4 different institutions, and 3. an open forum component that will allow the participants to share their expertise with peer evaluations

SEGUE : a spectroscopic survey of 240,000 stars with g=14-20

The Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (SEGUE) Survey obtained approximate to 240,000 moderate-resolution (R similar to 1800) spectra from 3900 angstrom to 9000 angstrom of fainter Milky Way stars (14.0 10 per resolution element, stellar atmospheric parameters are estimated, including metallicity, surface gravity, and effective temperature. SEGUE obtained 3500 deg(2) of additional ugriz imaging (primarily at low Galactic latitudes) providing precise multicolor photometry (sigma(g, r, i) similar to 2%), (sigma(u, z) similar to 3%) and astrometry (approximate to 0 ''.1) for spectroscopic target selection. The stellar spectra, imaging data, and derived parameter catalogs for this survey are publicly available as part of Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7