Even as experiential knowledge or learning could mean quite a lot of things, one of it is that it is is the process of learning through experience, and is more narrowly defined as learning through reflection on doing. Nonetheless, we do have 10 benefits of experiential learning in education.
Broadly speaking, it includes the hands-on learning kind of knowledge as its other form. Contrarily, it does not involve students reflecting on their product. Experiential learning entails a hands-on approach to learning that moves away from just the teacher at the front of the room imparting and transferring their knowledge to students. It makes learning an experience that moves beyond the classroom and strives to bring a more involved way of learning.
What are they?
Since experiential learning or experiential education can mean learning or gaining facts, knowledge, and understanding through experience, there is no doubt that it has its many advantages which can be of good health to the personal growth that you aim for as an individual.
One example of experiential learning is going to the zoo and learning through observation and interaction with the zoo environment, as opposed to reading about animals from a book. Thus, one makes discoveries and experiments with knowledge firsthand, instead of hearing or reading about others’ experiences.
However, there are some required abilities that you must possess if you want to really gain genuine knowledge or learning at all through experiential learning. These are:
- The learner must be willing to be actively involved in the experience;
- The learner must be able to reflect on the experience;
- The learner must possess and use analytical skills to conceptualize the experience; and
- The learner must possess decision making and problem solving skills in order to use the new ideas gained from the experience.
Advantages of Experiential Learning
Apart from the fact that experiential learning can occur without a teacher and relates solely to the meaning-making process of the individual’s direct experience, it has quite other benefits that you can’t afford to miss.
More Career Focused
Instead of entering the workforce with only experienced learning, students are better prepared to face their careers with practical experience, in theory. That also helps them discover whether their career goals make sense based on their experiences. Children born at the late end of the 20th century and onwards will have as many as five careers in their life.
However, if they participate in real-life situations, they develop skills and nurture their passions, allowing them to make better decisions regarding their career aspirations. As a result, they have a defined path that will enable them to pursue their goals when they graduate, whether furthering their education, pursuing their careers, or even switching their career plans.
Reflection Sharpening
Instead of passive reception of information, this approach to learning allows students to engage their reflective observation skills. Because many classes combine concrete experiences and abstract concepts, reflection on what happens requires more areas of the brain to engage. This creates a more personal connection in the learning process as students analyze how their actions impact outcomes. They can also see how other student’s results compare to their own, and also learn how their outcomes might be achieved using the same actions in different situations.
Maturity Thinking
When students experience more as a student, it can help them become more mature. Working in groups, for example, teaches students how to work with others, develop plans, and recognize their strengths and weaknesses. As a result, they develop critical thinking techniques and learn how to adapt as circumstances change.
Solution to Creativity Hitch
Through experiential learning, students have the opportunity to be more creative. They face situations where problem-solving is constantly tested, allowing them to use their creativity to resolve issues. This engages the brain’s creative side and improves confidence as they learn to solve problems with their own solutions.
Addressing Skills Gaps
Experiential learning programmes can address your organizational skills gaps in two different ways. You can bring in new students who are learning new skills at the partner university, such as AI or data science, and then assimilate these new skills into your organization.
Alternatively, you can put selected internal employees onto internal experiential learning programmes, where they can acquire these skillsets in addition to the ones they already have that got them hired in the first place. For example, your leaders and managers may be good at their core jobs but may not yet know how to interpret and manage data, which could benefit them in their roles.
Learning is Enjoyable
Many students dislike school and the idea of learning. This is because they are fed information in a less than engaging way. With experiential learning, the focus is on creating experiences, so students are engaged and therefore more invested emotionally. They are more responsive and develop healthier, more positive attitudes towards learning as they see their skills and knowledge grow. They feel a sense of gratification towards their teachers and the whole learning process.
Learn From Mistakes
Unlike in the school where you are condemned because of the mistakes that you make, one of the 10 benefits of experiential learning in education is increasing through your mistakes. As with a baby learning to walk, experiencing mistakes plays a crucial role in the learning process. When we can see what doesn’t work, we avoid those actions and look for better ways to perform or react in certain situations.
Trying different solutions with some working and others not working provides more confidence and also teaches students that mistakes shouldn’t be feared. It also improves retention for students who remember the right ways to do things due to experiencing the negative outcomes when they make mistakes.
Quicker Learning
Through practicing experiences, students learn more quickly. This is because it helps strengthen neural connections in the brain, making us smarter. When students have hands-on experiences, it helps them learn important skills including problem-solving, and decision-making. As a result, students learn quickly and also retain information well.
Inculcate Project Management or Handling Skills
As you can see, experiential learning offers many benefits and increased opportunities for students. Experiential learning can only be incorporated by introducing more project-based learning and arranging more off-site school trips that offer new experiences. Workshops that bring experts into the class and oversee projects can also be very effective.
Fresh Perspectives and Ideas
Another one on the list of the 10 benefits of experiential learning in education is that it gives you gives insights that are deeper than those who attend formal schools without the experience. External learners can bring a highly dynamic, fresh, and creative approach to your organization. Through their unique perspectives and perceptions, they can highlight important things that are blind spots for your existing employees.
Experiential learning talent can encourage existing talent to develop new skillsets and can even have a positive influence on company culture. Over and above this, experiential learning programmes are a great way to bring more diversity into your organization.
