Integrating Curricular and Extracurricular Programs to Enhance Leader Development at the U.S. Naval Academy

Abstract

Purpose

This chapter examines the integration of curricular and extracurricular approaches to learning.

Methodology/approach

The study is performed through a case study examination of leader development programs at the United States Naval Academy.

Findings

The Naval Academy’s organizational and pedagogical approaches are grounded in the science of experiential learning and seek to integrate classroom instruction with the myriad leadership opportunities that are inherent in the design and function of the institution. Highlighting the example of the Class of 1977 Gettysburg Leadership Encounter, we show the impact on leadership development of explicitly linking curricular and extracurricular programs, and describe various tools that have proved effective reinforcing those linkages.

Originality/value

Students involved in this and other experiential programs and activities are better able to transfer the knowledge acquired in the classroom to the practical experience of leading their peers, and they lead with more confidence and better effectiveness. We conclude that this kind of integration has the potential not only to benefit the individuals involved but also to generate data on learning and development which could then be leveraged to enhance leader development through evidence-based analysis, feedback, and basic research.

Citation

Huey, W.S., Mullaney, K.M., Gibb, A. and Thomas, J.J. (2016), "Integrating Curricular and Extracurricular Programs to Enhance Leader Development at the U.S. Naval Academy", Wankel, L.A. and Wankel, C. (Ed.) Integrating Curricular and Co-Curricular Endeavors to Enhance Student Outcomes, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 43-66. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78635-064-020161003