One of the current educational trends focuses on experiential learning. Although it may sound like a new-age concept, it’s not new to education. Experiential learning refers to students’ ability to learn concepts by applying them to real-life, hands-on activities.
According to Envision, “Students may tune out lectures if they think the material doesn’t pertain to the real world. Experiential learning takes data and concepts and applies them to hands-on tasks, yielding real results. As the student interacts with the information, it becomes real to them.” The author also points out that each student’s unique approach to finding a solution to the problem facilitates engagement. Just like in real life, their experimentation may yield different results.
The Northern Kentucky University (NKU) online Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) in Teaching and Leading – Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) program guides teachers and aspiring educational leaders toward a learner-centered approach. Through curriculum offerings like the Learning and Motivation course and Current Trends and Issues in Curriculum course, educators understand how to apply research and best practices to create better learning experiences.
Benefits of the Experiential Model
Through experiential learning, pupils can make mistakes, try multiple times and find the pathways in their brains to connect theory to practice. These connections also employ other parts of the brain, exercising functions like creativity and problem-solving, which can atrophy when learning primarily from textbooks. As a result, experiential learning facilitates growth and adaptability by encouraging reflection and continuous learning.
Reflection and Curiosity
Another great benefit of this concept, as Envision explains, is the opportunity to reflect and question. Students “analyze how their actions affected the outcome and how their outcome may have differed from those of other students. This analysis helps them better understand how the concepts they’ve learned can be applied to other circumstances.”
Just like babies and toddlers learn mostly from observation and make deductions based on their experiences, so do PreK-12 kids and adults. This is particularly important for educators because experiential learning can also be a hook to engage students in other subjects and topics. When something learned in class takes on real meaning, it can even shift students’ interests and impact their future careers.
Cyclical Learning
The cyclical nature of experiential learning is another crucial benefit. According to Future Learn, the American educational theorist David Kolb proposed a four-part division of the learning process:
- Concrete experience
- Reflective observation
- Abstract conceptualization
- Active experimentation
In sum, the person has a real-life experience, reflects on that experience (or sees other people doing the same thing), looks for other sources to align with this reflection or adds new information to their knowledge base. After completing this process, they can actively try again.
The authors of Future Learn conclude that “[a]s a result of this active experimentation, the learner will have a new concrete experience and the cycle will start all over again. This cycle can keep going until the learner feels confident about the area at hand and they’re happy with how the concrete experience pans out. By allowing learners to test their knowledge practically like this, you can ensure a higher retention of information.”
Applying Experiential Learning as a Curriculum and Instruction Specialist
There are plenty of ways to apply these concepts to the classroom. One LinkedIn article notes that educators can create projects that include gaming, community-driven activities and simulations, among other methods and resources. For example, the author cites a school that proposes an “Expeditionary Day” every week, during which students take their questions and look for solutions in and beyond the school community.
This way, students gain perspectives from their microcosm (classroom and school) and the macrocosm (neighborhood, city or country). Students will draw various conclusions, celebrating the plurality of our world and living up to a key ideal of experiential learning: There is never just one solution to the problem.
NKU’s online Ed.S. in Teaching and Leading – C&I online program equips graduates to support learning for diverse student populations, evaluate and measure effective instructional practices and curriculum development strategies, and consider student motivation to improve teaching strategies.
Learn more about Northern Kentucky University’s online Ed.S. in Teaching and Leading – Curriculum & Instruction program.
