The last day of a course is often viewed as awkward, abrupt, and even antithetical to a course's aims. More often than not, prime opportunities for reflection, reinforcement, reconciliation, and closure are typically subsumed to administrative tasks and end-of-course exhaustion. This paper summarizes the scant end-of-course literature, reviews the…

In the recreation and leisure field, educators often strive to attain a level of experiential learning in the classroom. As we prepare students for the future, it is unlikely that they will be placed in a quiet room and asked to take an objective test. It is more likely that they will be asked to defend their ideas, collaborate in decision making,…

Research findings on optimum use of the first day of class are mixed. Past data gathered from students from various disciplines support a first day designed to distribute the course syllabus and explain class expectations, rules, and policies. Additional literature supports a different approach to the first day; one designed to immediately engage…