An Experiential Learning Approach to Develop Leadership Competencies in Engineering and Technology Students

There is a shift occurring among many engineering and technology programs throughout the world in the mode of instruction for leadership development in their students. Where it was once common to have a few seminars on leadership or maybe even a typical lecture-based course, there is a growing trend to provide experiential learning (hands-on) leadership experiences for students that better prepare them for success within their careers. Building upon the experiences of other engineering and technology programs focused on leadership development as well as that of our own at Brigham Young University (BYU), this paper presents the use of an experiential learning approach in the development of leadership competencies among engineering and technology students. It analyzes varying approaches used by other universities. The paper describes some of the challenges of transitioning from a typical lecture-based approach to an experiential learning approach while describing associated benefits related to engineering and technology student leadership outcomes.