1.4 The Experiential Learning Process
Experiential learning involves several steps that offer students a hands-on, collaborative and reflective learning experience, which helps them to “fully learn new skills and knowledge” (Haynes, 2007). Although learning content is important, learning from the process is at the heart of experiential learning. During each step of the experience, students will engage with the content, the instructor, and each other, as well as self–reflect and apply what they have learned in another situation.
The following describes the steps that comprise experiential learning as noted by (Haynes, 2007; UC Davis, 2011).
Although learning content is important, learning from the process is at the heart of experiential learning.
Experiencing/Exploring “Doing”
Students will perform or do a hands-on, minds-on experience with little or no help from the instructor. Examples might include making products or models, role-playing, giving a presentation, problem-solving, and playing a game. A key facet of experiential learning is what the student learns from the experience rather than the quantity or quality of the experience.
Sharing/Reflecting “What Happened?”
Students will share the results, reactions and observations with their peers. Students will also get other peers to talk about their own experiences, share their reactions and observations and discuss feelings generated by the experience. The sharing equates to reflecting on what they discovered and relating it to past experiences, which can be used for future use.
Processing/Analyzing “What’s Important?”
Students will discuss, analyze and reflect upon the experience. Describing and analyzing their experiences allows students to relate them to future learning experiences. Students will also discuss how the experience was carried out and how themes, problems and issues emerged as a result of the experience. Students will discuss how specific problems or issues were addressed and identify recurring themes.
Generalizing “So What?”
Students will connect the experience with real-world examples, find trends or common truths in the experience, and identify “real life” principles that emerged.
Application “Now What?”
Students will apply what they learned in the experience (and what they learned from past experiences and practice) to a similar or different situation. Also, students will discuss how the newly learned process can be applied to other situations. Students will discuss how issues raised can be useful in future situations and how more effective behaviours can develop from what they learned. The instructor should help each student feel a sense of ownership for what was learned.
In experiential learning, the instructor guides rather than directs the learning process where students are naturally interested in learning.
“Experiential Learning” in Instructional Guide for University Faculty and Teaching Assistants by Northern Illinois University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
