Experiential learning is a very broad approach to education, and is characterized by learning through practical activities, ranging from internships, co-ops, and field trips, to classroom group work, open-ended discussions, and other hands-on activities. What makes the experiential approach distinct, is that learners are given the opportunity to apply what they have learned, to make decisions around it, and to reflect on the outcomes of these decisions (Barton 2019). That is, the learner is encouraged to take an active role in their acquisition of knowledge, and to become engaged with the material through reflection, critical analysis, and synthesis. The Association for Experiential Education (2021) state:

    “Throughout the experiential learning process, the learner is actively engaged in posing questions, investigation, experimenting, being curious, solving problems, assuming responsibility, being creative, and constructing meaning” (Association for Experiential Education 2021).

    The experiential approach works from the assumption that learning is a lifelong process, and encourages students to approach situations creatively, and develop skills in critical thinking and reflection . Notably, this approach encourages a growth mindset (Barton 2019).

    Through school, work, and other activities, I’ve had a number of engagements with experiential learning. Those experiences have been the most memorable: I’ve retained more information from them, and that information has been transferable to other situations. These engagements were characterized by creativity, critical thinking, and challenge. Typically, the expectations for assignments were very loose, and learners were free to approach material in (almost) any way that they wished. 

    Based on my investigation, I feel that an experiential learning approach would lend itself well to my pod’s “Mental Health” learning design. Mental health is something which is deeply personal, and can’t be addressed with a one-size-fits-all approach. A degree of openness with how students can approach material could encourage them to put a bit of themselves into their work, and encourage engagement. Experiential learning offers a lot of flexibility in approaches, from group work, discussion, or even games. However, I do think it could be difficult to achieve learning outcomes without rigid structure.

Association for Experiential Education. (2021). What is Experiential Education. https://www.aee.org/what-is-experiential-education

Barton, Tara (2019, August 20). Experiential Learning In And Out Of Classrooms. Serve Learn. 

Experiential Learning in and out of Classrooms

Experienced-Based Learning Systems (2020, May 15). Youtube.com.