1.2 Benefits of Experiential Learning
Video: Experiential Learning: How We All Learning Naturally by Sprouts [3:53] Transcript Available
Experience really can be a great teacher. Postsecondary students typically spend long hours taking notes in lectures or immersed in readings each week, trying to get their heads around the complex ideas and theories that inform practices. Certainly, lectures and readings are potent instructional tools, and students can learn effectively by exploring theory alone. However, when students are also provided to engage in the authentic application of what they are learning about, whether, in the lab, field, community, workplace, simulated environment or some other out-of-class, hands-on experience, it is often just what is needed to solidify understanding and align theory and practice to the habits of mind and values that define vocations.
The Provost’s Task Force on Experiential Learning at the University of Windsor (2017, p4.) characterized the benefits for faculty, students, and industry/community partners in their report –Experiential Education: A Path Toward Improving the Student Experience:
Student Benefits
- Increases motivation and engagement, encouraging self-directed learning;
- Facilitates the exploration of the relationship between academic theory and practice, increasing clarity around academic and career goals;
- Increases understanding and perceptions around workplace cultures;
- Enhances professional networks;
- Helps students better understand work realities and expectations;
- Provides the opportunity to gain career-related experiences, clarifying employment and career goals;
- Builds leadership, technical, and professional skills;
- Increases confidence, maturity, and self-management;
- Improves problem-solving, critical thinking, research, communication, and teamwork skills;
- Develops skills to transition to the workforce;
- In cases of paid placements, it provides earnings to assist with financial obligations and
- Builds citizenship skills.
Faculty/Institutional Benefits
- Attracts and retains high-quality students;
- Strengthens links between the institution and the business, government, and community organizations;
- Uses effective marketing and recruitment tools;
- Enhances the reputation of the institution within the employment community;
- Aligns with government priorities;
- Increases employability of graduates, thereby increasing institutional employment rates;
- Increases alumni engagement as community partners;
- Increases partnership opportunities and financial support towards EL from community partners;
- Increases educator satisfaction;
- Helps faculty keep their knowledge current and
- Provides the opportunity to evaluate and improve curriculum.
Community/Employer Benefits
- Increases the diversity, energy, and enthusiasm within the workplace;
- Engages postsecondary institutions in responding to identified community needs;
- Fosters additional collaboration with the university;
- Increases the profile of the community’s opportunities and challenges;
- Provides a new perspective to the delivery of programs, services and products;
- Helps organizations find solutions to specific business or industry needs and
- Attracts and hires motivated and enthusiastic new employees
The benefits of including experiential education opportunities within postsecondary courses and programs are many and can result in positive outcomes for a broad range of people. Experiential learning supports students in applying their knowledge and conceptual understanding to practical problems or situations and provides them with an opportunity to consider their areas of strength and weakness, as well as areas of interest and passion, with the benefit of reflection following direct experience. Students, educators, and employers highly value experiential education for the ways in which it can connect town and gown, bring new insights and innovations into the classroom and the workplace through reciprocal relationships, and inspire and inform students in their choice of career paths to pursue.
“What is Experiential Education?” in Learning by Doing: Postsecondary Experiential Education by Mary Wilson and Kyle Mackie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
