Education has evolved through the ages. From learning at the house of a teacher in the village and attending class under a great big tree to sitting inside classrooms with developed infrastructure, education has come a long way. The way people perceive education has changed and our country has seen a rapid increase in the literacy rate. More and more people are becoming aware of the need for education and school teaching pedagogies have also changed over the years.
With the outbreak of COVID-19, education took another wide turn and went online. eLearning was already prevalent for select courses and only a few students were familiar with it. But the social distancing restrictions brought every student to online learning. Schools started delivering lectures right inside the students’ homes via mobile devices. Thus, the model of education has changed. Similarly, the form of education i.e. is also changing.
Schools are adopting the strategy of experiential learning, where learning is not confined to the boundaries of a textbook. Instead, students will be encouraged to learn by experimenting.
So, what is experiential learning?
Experiential learning is a teaching/learning methodology where students have the space to learn and understand concepts by doing rather than by only reading. Experiential learning is the right tool to better prepare students for the future. Simply put, it is where students learn through experience.
The Experiential Learning Model
According to David Kolb, experiential learning is an approach that allows a student to learn about the subject as well as about oneself.
“There are two goals in the experiential learning process. One is to learn the specifics of a particular subject, and the other is to learn about one’s own learning process.”
This model consists of 4 stages –
- Concrete Experience – the learning process begins with experiencing
- Reflective Observation – think and reflect on what happened and the results of the experience
- Abstract Conceptualization – analyze the results and figure out the influencers
- Active Experimentation – based on thinking, going through the experience once again
These 4 stages are typically a cycle that happens in a loop. First, we try out new things as part of the experience, then think back and reflect on the experience we had to figure out what went right and what went wrong. Then, we decide what can be done differently this time to make it a better experience. And, finally, we put our plan of action in place and try it out. The next cycle will involve thinking about the outcome of the active experimentation of the first cycle.
The Importance of Experiential Learning
Bridges the gap between theory and practice – Learning by doing will help you to know how it happens in the real world rather than seeing pictures in a textbook.
Improves memory power – It is well known that reading out loud helps you retain information better. But what works even better is learning by doing. This will create relationships between what we think and the actual concept, and ultimately result in an increased memory capacity.
Skills for lifelong learning – Experimenting, learning, and again doing requires determination and consistency. Along with this, experiential learning instills many more skills such as leadership, networking, and communication which are essential as we move ahead in life.
Examples of Experiential Learning
An example of experiential learning would be to take students to the zoo when a lesson on ‘Animals in the Zoo’ comes up. Instead of looking at the pictures of animals on their desks, students will be exposed to the living habitat of animals which makes a huge difference in learning.
Now, you may wonder why take students to a zoo? It is too risky.
Absolutely not. If we look at this simple example closely, there are various facets that students will learn from this one trip to the zoo, which they cannot get from their textbook.
Going to a zoo involves traveling together on a bus and entering the zoo quietly. Discipline comes into the picture here. Once they are inside the zoo, students will be able to see how animals move, the different varieties of animals present, and also observe their behavior in their natural habitat. Students will not get these experiences by sitting inside a classroom.
Other forms of experiential learning include –
- Debates
- Role-playing games of historical figures – this will make history more interesting
- Conduct simulations – put students in a real-world scenario
- Case studies – this will give an idea of events that have already occurred and teachers can impart insights from these real-world cases that took place in the past
Embracing the experiential learning approach right from schools will prepare students for their careers. Companies are looking to hire industry-ready graduates directly from colleges. Learning by doing will help students to inculcate the habit of trying out new ideas – “fail fast and rise fast” which is followed by many companies these days. So, it is safe to say that experiential learning is here to stay and it is better that we adopt this approach as soon as possible for maximum benefit.
