Beyond the classroom: How student leaders in Dance Marathon learn across academic and co-curricular contexts

College learning is often considered to happen within the classroom. However, students also learn through involvement in clubs, organizations, and activities outside of class, experiences known as co-curricular activities. This study explores the question: Do students learn differently in class versus in a co-curricular setting?

To explore this, the study uses Experiential Learning Theory, a framework that identifies four ways people engage with learning: experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting. Learners tend to prefer one or more of these modes over others, creating a personal “learning pattern.” Notably, people who change their patterns depending on the situation have high “learning flexibility,” a skill linked to better problem-solving, stronger relationships, and greater adaptability in careers. Research shows that students become less flexible as they progress through college, becoming specialized in how they approach learning. However, co-curricular activities may offer alternative spaces where students engage differently than they do in their coursework.

This study focused on student leaders of Dance Marathon at the University of Iowa. Students completed a learning profile while reflecting on either their academic or co-curricular experiences. Results showed that students used different learning patterns in both settings, and there was a significant difference of Learning Flexibility Index scores between contexts. Six themes were constructed from student reflections describing how co-curricular learning is social, hands-on, identity-forming, and developmental in ways that differ from classroom learning. These findings suggest that colleges and universities should recognize co-curricular involvement as a meaningful part of students’ education, one that potentially expands how they learn, who they become, and how they will adapt throughout their lives.