Experiential Learning

Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) is the application of theory to real-world authentic experiences, either within the classroom, the workplace, or the community. ELT adapts well to a variety of learning environments, including cooperative learning, internships, situated learning, and apprenticeship, just to name a few.  The focus of Experiential Learning Theory is grounded in the notion that levels of understanding are both challenged and deepened through the practice of ‘learning by doing’.

Learning by doing encourages active, student centered engagement which in turn requires the practice of reflection. It invites the learner to apply, reflect, and then revise, in order to build on their existing knowledges and experiences.

Experiential Learning is constructivist in nature and requires the learner to be actively engaged while being immersed in an authentic ‘real-life’ situation. It requires them to be curious, to experiment, investigate, and problem solve. The learner assumes responsibility in such situations by posing questions, providing creative solutions and testing them, before reflecting on the findings and their own cognitive process.

So Experiential Learning is grounded in the practice of metacognition, meaning purposefully thinking about one’s own thinking strategies. It fosters self-awareness, leading learners to become aware of how they learn, what strategies meet their needs, and evaluating the effectiveness of such strategies before implementing the best plan of action to optimally learn.

It cannot be assumed that all hands-on experience provides the essential elements of Experiential Learning. Throughout the implementation of Experiential Learning strategies, both the instructor and the student must remain focused on what is learned throughout the experience  rather than pre-specified outcomes, and can be seen to differ from the aims of competency-based education in which competencies are clearly defined upfront and measured using predetermined criteria.

In other words,

 “simple participation in a prescribed set of learning experiences does not make something experiential”

(Chapman, McPhee, & Proudman, 1995, p. 243)

The origin of Experiential Learning can be traced back to the work of John Dewey (1938) but is better known today through the work of David Kolb (1984).

Kolb’s Experiential Learning cycle guides the development of Experiential Learning activities, involving four stages:

• Concrete experience: doing, having an experience
• Reflective observation: reviewing, reflecting on the experience
• Abstract conceptualization: concluding/learning from the experiment
• Active experimentation: planning/trying out what you have learned

Although effective learning results when the learner progresses through the cycle, the learner can also enter at any stage of the cycle and follow a logical sequence.

The key characteristic of ELT is its recursive cycle where knowledge is constructed through Doing, Reviewing, Concluding, and Planning within real-world applications. These ELT elements should be present in order to define an activity or method as experiential.

 Doing, having an experience: Experiences should provide students with the opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge and challenge their assumptions within real - world situations. Yet there is a need for balance between the experiential activities, the application of theory, and the overall outcome. If, for example, the completion of the task becomes the focus of the experience, it ceases to be an Experiential Learning opportunity.

Instructors must value each element of ELT equally, so as to create a safe space for students to work through their own process of self-discovery.

Reviewing, reflecting on the experience: Real- life situations are full of unexpected experiences requiring the learner to think critically, make judgements, and predict outcomes, all of which provide opportunities for higher order thinking.  The value of such experience is realized when the learner is required to reflect both during and following the actions, ultimately bringing “the theory to life”. This reflective practice provides space for learners to analyze their assumptions and to gain insight into their own thinking and their interactions with the world. The instructor’s role is to strategically engage the learner into dialogue to build and foster the practice of reflection.

Concluding/learning from the experiment: The aim of ELT is to combine direct experience with focused reflection. The instructor plays a critical role to ensure that these connections are made by setting suitable real-world experiences, posing problems, and asking deliberate questions that challenge students’ assumptions and, at the same time, nurture learners to explore their own values.

Planning/trying out what you have learned: Practice in real-life authentic situations engage the learner intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially. They encourage big picture perspective, allowing the learner to make connections between the learning, what they are contributing/doing, and the world. Experiential activities must allow the students to safely take responsibility at levels out of their comfort zones in situations where the outcomes of such an experience cannot be guaranteed. Such authentic experiences place the learner within complex systems that require risk-taking, problem solving, and decision making, ultimately leading to success or failure.  Activities should build, in students, the ability to see the relationship between failure, problem solving, and success.