Call for Participation: Experiential Learning Conference and Training

Theme: From Community Projects to Professional Pathways: Scaling Experiential Learning Through the PEARL Model in Large Community-Engaged Courses
Date: May 28, 2026

Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Venue: Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), Morogoro, Tanzania
Format: Hybrid (Virtual & Face-to-Face)

If you would like to participate in the conference, please email Prof. Rasel M. Madaha at rasel.madaha@sua.ac.tz as soon as possible.

Background

Education in Tanzania is recognized as a cornerstone for national transformation. The Education and Training Policy (2014, revised 2023) emphasizes the need for flexible systems that provide diverse learning opportunities, strengthen community engagement, and align curricula with the demands of science, technology, and the labor market. The policy highlights experiential and competency-based approaches as essential for preparing graduates who are not only academically qualified but also equipped with practical skills, reflective capacity, and professional readiness.

Similarly, Tanzania Development Vision 2050 (Dira 2050) envisions a well-educated, skilled, and learning society as a pillar of national progress. It calls for education systems that foster innovation, digital literacy, and sustainable development, ensuring that by 2050 Tanzania will be an upper-middle-income, knowledge-based economy. Experiential learning—linking classroom study with community projects and professional pathways—directly supports this vision by cultivating human capital, strengthening social cohesion, and enabling youth to contribute to economic diversification and climate resilience.

This training responds to these national priorities by equipping lecturers and academicians with tools to scale experiential learning in large classes, integrate community partnerships, and align teaching with Tanzania’s long-term development goals.

This short training is designed for university lecturers and academicians seeking to strengthen their teaching practice by integrating experiential learning and competency-based education (CBE) approaches. Drawing on global research and African innovation models, the training will explore how community-engaged projects can be scaled into professional pathways that prepare students for real-world challenges.

Competency-based education emphasizes performance, transferable skills, and authentic assessment rather than rote knowledge (Chappell, Gonczi & Hager, 2000). Research in higher education highlights the importance of reflection, identity formation, and workplace alignment in preparing graduates for complex professional environments (Hager & Gonczi, 2012). This training situates these insights within the PEARL experiential learning framework, offering practical strategies for large classes and diverse contexts.

Keynote Speakers

• Mara Huber – Senior Director of Instructional Innovation, University at Buffalo
• Rasel Madaha – Curriculum Designer & Research Administrator

Sub-Themes

1. Scaling Experiential Learning in Large Classes
2. Community Partnerships and Sustainable Impact
3. Reflection as a Pedagogical Tool
4. Digital Engagement and Communication
5. Pathways to Professional Identity Formation
6. Global Perspectives on Experiential Learning
7. Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in University Teaching and Learning

Why Participate?

• Gain hands-on strategies for embedding experiential learning in your courses.
• Explore competency-based assessment models that align with professional pathways.
• Learn how to integrate digital tools and AI into teaching and mentoring.
• Connect with global experts and peers working on education transformation.
• Contribute to Tanzania’s Vision 2050 goals of building a skilled, innovative, and resilient society.

Call for Papers

We invite scholars, practitioners, and postgraduate students to submit papers aligned with the training themes. Accepted papers will be presented during conference sessions and considered for inclusion in post-conference publications.

Participation Fees

• Tanzanians: Tshs 100,000
• Non-Tanzanians: USD 150

Next Steps

• Mark your calendars for May 28, 2026.
• Prepare your paper submissions and training participation.
• Join us in bridging academic study with real-world challenges through experiential learning and competency-based education, aligned with Tanzania’s Education Policy and Vision 2050.

Organizing Committee
Experiential Learning Conference Training – SUA, May 2026