Sarah Pye

It is becoming more important for higher education to ensure graduates are able to handle real world challenges and provide immediate value for potential employers. In many disciplines this requires blending theory with practice and traditional communications method with digital ones. USC offers several ways for students to engage with industry or non-profit organisations to further their skills. Kolb (1984) calls this Experiential Learning which is defined as "A holistic integrative perspective on learning that combines experience, perception, cognition and behaviour." Experiential learning is blended learning, but not necessarily in a digital sense. Instead it blends theory and practice and it comes from the assumption that ideas and knowledge are not fixed, but formed and reformed through experience. Whether internships or special projects, successful experiential learning opportunities require a learning-centred approach (Hunt and Chalmers 2012) and an awareness of industry relevance. At USC, courses like BUS 302 and 2IP1 have been created to allow course design flexibility. The 2013 Cambodia Mekong River Expedition, led by Dr Gayle Mayes, and the upcoming Bornean Sun Bear Launch project in February 2014 (funded by DIICCSRTE and supported by USC GO) will be used to illustrate the challenges, possibilities and wide-reaching outcomes of blending theory, practice and digital communication effectively. They will illustrate how blended learning can make a difference on a world stage, at the same time as meeting graduate attributes and providing value to future employers.