Experiential Learning And Its Importance
Experiential learning is an educational approach or methodology that allows the student to learn through experience. By facing different situations, students learn curricular concepts and content.
Characteristics of experiential learning
The methodology behind experiential learning believes that learning occurs through direct action. Away from lectures and concept memorization, experiential learning allows students to actively participate in the learning process through the use of all their senses and reasoning. In this case, the educational experience is strongly linked to real situations.
Furthermore, with the help of other active learning methodologies, experiential learning aims to actively involve the student in the study of a particular phenomenon or a specific situation.
It is similar to learning based on Kolb’s challenges, projects, issues, interests or experiential learning cycle. All of them are globalizing teaching-learning methods that take into account the specific characteristics of the learner using and integrating the contents of different disciplines.
Therefore, as we said earlier, the primary goal of experiential learning is to make students approach the moment of learning based on direct experience. In this way, they can critically analyze the learning process they have followed and the new elements and concepts they have learned.
Qualitative aspects of experiential learning
- It allows the student to learn through experience and situations that are closest to his or her environment. In this way, one is able to gain complete knowledge.
- It is useful for different levels and stages of education, as long as the situations in which teaching takes place are properly designed and developed.
- It involves meaningful, comprehensive and long-term learning.
- In addition, it assigns a central role to the student by encouraging their participation, collaboration and the achievement of desired results.
- Help students achieve autonomy in their personal learning process. It also allows us to understand that mistakes are part of every experience in life.
- It considers the teacher a key element in the student’s learning process, giving him the role of guide and mediator. Therefore, the teacher must establish a direct relationship with the students and help them meet their specific needs.
- It allows students to develop fully by bringing together different subjects and knowledge. Furthermore, it takes into account the various social, cultural, psychological realities, etc.
Learning through experience.
Experiential learning must have as a starting point educational activities designed on the basis of direct experience. Furthermore, it is necessary to start from real, practical and empirical situations for the explanation and learning of the various subjects.
For example, theater or group dynamics techniques can allow you to learn literature and enhance social skills.
Furthermore, direct contact with nature can be used to learn biology or physics. Music and art for the development of psychomotor skills and creativity, etc.
Learning starting from direct experience allows intellectual development by strengthening the senses and our ability to feel emotions. Therefore, when a student personally experiences an experience, sensations and feelings are brought into play that allow him to develop and learn about many aspects of his personality.
Conclusions
The importance of experiential learning is based on using direct experience as a means of learning things. An experience must be lived in order to then reflect on it. This is precisely where the educational potential of this method lies. Therefore, we really learn things when we can reflect on the knowledge and skills it took to deal with a specific situation.
