​Additionally, I have found in my graduate studies and internships that constructivist learning experiences, where the learner builds unique knowledge through active engagement, real-world application, and self-reflection, yield the greatest outcomes for behavior change and real-world transfer. Just as a gardener must allow their seedlings to sprout independently to eventually grow into strong-rooted plants. Drawing inspiration from the curriculum futurist Marc Prensky, I often implement skill-based strategies that provide learners with a toolkit for problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration, rather than rote memorization and recall. By doing this, I attempt to create sustainable learning that evolves with experience, even beyond training, instead of plateauing.

To accomplish this, I incorporate activities such as simulations, educational games, and maker-based opportunities into my learning experiences. I believe that by providing learners with opportunities to explore concepts through experience, they may engage in unique personal reflection and schema assimilation, helping them make sense of new concepts through their own mental models. Moreover, by encouraging social learning through collaboration, critique, and discussion, I have found that learners may develop deep perspectives informed by both their personal experiences and those of their peers. For example, in the SMART in-person simulation workshops I am facilitating at OUC, I leverage the sharing of learner perspectives and experiences through group discussions, allowing everyone, including myself, to learn as deeply and empathetically as possible. Centralizing the experience on the learner and their peers through a student-centered approach also helps establish intrinsic self-responsibility that can translate into genuine student effort and accountability.