Where is Experiential Education Applied?

Where Is Experiential Education Applied?

Experiential Education (EE) can be applied in various educational contexts and/or situations to heighten learner engagement with subject matter and their connection to the experience. Regardless of educational environment, EE is interdisciplinary and participatory. Its activities take place inside and outside of the traditional classroom and can be designed and integrated into almost any curriculum, from kindergarten through college to the workplace. Here are some of the more common applications of EE.

APPLICATIONS

Outdoor Education (OE) is teaching or learning in an outdoor setting, with a focus on discovery and active lessons. OE can improve academic performance on standardized tests, reduce discipline problems, and increase learning engagement and enthusiasm. OE’s strength is that learning can mirror the unexpected problems that students face in real-life settings that must be dealt with by problem-solving.

Place-Based Education (PBE) students are able to explore and apply content learned in the classroom to a specific place/field experience away from traditional classrooms. PBE can be a powerful conduit between the community and the content, because it features the exploration of local community and natural surroundings. Also, PBE develops students’ skills and abilities to work on real-world issues through hands-on discovery, inquiry, and problem-solving.

Project-Based Learning (PBL) engages students in tasks to solve authentic real-world problems or address complex issues. PBL inculcates trust, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and higher-order thinking skills. Most projects culminate with a final presentation for a public audience that highlights project conclusions and broader applications of those conclusions.

Service Learning (SL) students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs. Then, students reflect on their experiences to gain broader appreciations of the course content and enhanced senses of civic responsibility. SL benefits both the student and the community by prompting the students to tackle and address some of the community’s most pressing and common issues.

Internship/Apprenticeship (IA) students have the chance to try out a job, frequently with a seasoned professional who serves as a mentor. IAs let students put out career feelers and gain beneficial and tangible work experiences. One key to IA is reflection guided by the mentor or professional, where the outcomes may support integration of theory and practice, be proactive in exploring future career options, and develop personal or professional competence.

Study Abroad (SA) students learn and live in an international culture. SA immersion offers new challenges for navigating life in a novel location. 

OPPORTUNITIES

Regardless of educational environment, learner age or subject matter, EE provides chances to:

1. engage intellectually, emotionally, socially, and physically from a holistic perspective;
2. 2. think analytically, creatively, and critically;
3. 3. reflect deliberately and purposefully; and
4. 4. transfer optimally by interweaving real-life applications with the learning experiences. Students share in the EE process of teaching and learning.

Teachers continue to actively gain from learning experiences. Both make the EE applications fluid and dynamic, while their interactions fluctuate based on their needs and available resources.

AUTHORS: Stephanie Speicher & Simon Priest, Originally Published in 2022

FURTHER RESOURCES

READING 

Christian, D. D., McCarty, D. L., & Brown, C. L. (2021). Experiential education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A reflective process. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 34(3), 264-277.

Galbraith, D., & Mondal, S. (2020). The Potential Power of Internships and the Impact on Career Preparation. Research in Higher Education Journal, 38.

Gilbertson, K., Ewert, A., Siklander, P., & Bates, T. (2022). Outdoor education: Methods and strategies. Human Kinetics.

Levesque-Bristol, C., Knapp, T. D., & Fisher, B. J. (2011). The effectiveness of service-learning: It's not always what you think. Journal of experiential education, 33(3), 208-224. 

Lieberman, G. A., & Hoody, L. L. (1998). Closing the Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning. Results of a Nationwide Study.

Moore, D. T. (2010). Forms and issues in experiential learning. In D. M. Qualters (Ed.) New Directions for Teaching and Learning (pp. 3-13). New York City, NY: Wiley.

Scarce, R. (1997). Field trips as short-term experiential education. Teaching Sociology, 25(3), 219- 226. 

Strange, H., & Gibson, H. J. (2017). An investigation of experiential and transformative learning in study abroad programs. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 29(1), 85-100.

Woodhouse, J. L., & Knapp, C. (2000). Place-based curriculum and instruction: Outdoor and environmental education approaches. Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools, Appalachia Educational Laboratory.

VIEWING

Project-based Learning (PBL): https://www.pblworks.org/