The Center for Engaged Learning has a collection of These synthesize prior literature and findings from the research seminars. These statements each highlight key terms, recent research, as well as in-depth explanations and examples to highlight important takeaways for teaching and learning. Below is a list of available Elon Statements developed by research seminar participants.

• This Elon Statement defines capstone experiences and delves into the history of the Capstone Experience as a facet of higher education. The statement then describes the research conducted on capstone experience impacts, as well as how capstone experiences can be made equitable for all students to complete, rounding off the topic with future directions that research on capstone projects can take.

• This Elon Statement emphasizes the importance of connections to broader contexts, feedback, reflection and relationships as major factors in student success. This examination is followed by discussions of “Emerging Working Principles in Development,” touching on topics that the researchers have yet to fully explore.

• This Elon Statement emphasizes the impacts and importance of studying abroad and off-campus domestic studies. The statement consists of working principles regarding these forms of study and in development.

• This Elon Statement highlights foundations to better understand the importance of residential learning communities, alongside highlighting new research that emerged during the research seminar. The statement culminates with discussion of working principles that are in development.

• This Elon Statement provides useful information about transferring past learning to current learning and other topics related to knowledge transfer. The resource includes diagrams, working principles and next research steps.

• This Elon Statement defines work-integrated learning and provides perspectives from students, academic mentors/universities, and host organizations and supervisors. The statement features findings from the 2022-2024 research seminar and connects the research to contemporary considerations like the impacts of artificial intelligence.

• This Elon Statement provides context to the importance of writing beyond the university. Then, it goes into detail regarding “Enabling Practices” that can help prepare students for writing beyond the university.

These Elon Statements will remain accessible via the

As a participant, Bitting will have the opportunity to conduct multi-institutional research on pedagogies that leverage critical engagement with place and space to deepen teaching and learning in higher education. Place-based learning emphasizes hands-on learning experiences that connect students to a local community and environment, whether on-or off-campus. This research seminar will be conducted over three summers. Participants will utilize a mixed-methods approach to conduct qualitative and quantitative research culminating in the production of significant concrete outcomes such as edited volumes, journal articles, book chapters, white papers, conference presentations, as well as local initiatives on participants’ home campuses.

Participants will focus on one of the following topics for the duration of the research seminar:

• Student perspectives on, and experiences with, learning on location
• Multi-disciplinary, evidence-informed strategies for teaching with place-based pedagogies
• Partnership and stewardship in learning on location
• Institutional-level policies and practices to enable learning on location.

Bitting brings valuable perspective to this research seminar as she is interested in multi-disciplinary, evidence-informed strategies for teaching with place-based pedagogies, especially community-based or service-learning, teaching outdoors or with digital globe technologies and contemplative pedagogies that engage learners with the world around them.

Bitting has a strong background in publishing teaching activities, as well as research surrounding teaching methods such as virtual experiential learning and ways to improve teacher performance and student engagement, learning and overall wellbeing. She previously was selected as a Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL) Scholar and has received a CATL Diversity and Inclusion Grant for her work in investigating questions related to teaching, learning, and equity, especially in STEM fields.

The 2025-2027 research seminar will culminate with the 2027 Conference on Engaged Learning, which will be hosted at ÁńÁ«appąŮ·˝ÍřŐľČë on July 12-13, 2027.