Feel Know Play Discern

Abstract

What's at stake when we provide students opportunities for active learning through multiple ways of knowing? Centering learners' somatic experiences in our coursework cultivates deep, sustained learning through play, reflection, application, and experimentation. This presentation demonstrates adaptable teaching ideas, rooted in experiential and embodied pedagogies, which engage learners’ affective, behavioral, cognitive, and non-cognitive domains. Drawing from evidence-based scholarship and interdisciplinary UVA coursework, the session illustrates how synthesizing experiential education with perspectives on embodied knowledge fosters durable learning for students and faculty alike. Ultimately, the presentation asks attendees to imagine and adopt holistic perspectives for teaching and learning into their disciplines.