Experiential Education - What Is It? - - Colleges of Distinction

What is it?

Experiential education is probably the oldest form of education. Simply stated, it is learning by doing, which allows students to experience the content of learning. At its highest level it is the seamless connection of knowing, doing and being.

Some common phrases that convey the essence of experiential learning are captured in the following Chinese proverbs.

“Give me a fish and I can eat for a day; teach me to fish and I can eat for a lifetime.”
“Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”
“I hear and I think; I see and I remember; I do and I know.”

Experiential education is often contrasted with traditional education, the latter being defined as learning through reading books and listening to lectures—also called “seat time.” Many have argued that book learning is enhanced when students have an opportunity to practice or experience the content of lectures and books.

Another important goal of today's experiential education is the connection of higher education to the needs of society by providing programs of public service that encourage students to utilize classroom knowledge to improve local and international communities. Cooperative education, service learning, internships and adventure education programs are the most common examples of experiential education on college campuses across the country.

Opportunities for experiential learning vary from one college to another. At Gordon College, where I serve as dean of students, we offer several ways for students to connect classroom learning to hands-on experience: cooperative education, internships, service learning, off-campus programs and outdoor education.

All students are required to enroll in an outdoor education program—either La Vida, a 12-day intensive wilderness experience in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, or Discovery Expeditions, a seven-week activity class on campus with a weekend in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. These programs combine several wilderness activities (hiking, camping, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing and orienteering) with integrative reflection to help students transfer what they’ve learned to application in a broader context.

Students move out of their comfort zones and into a distraction-free wilderness environment. Through challenging surroundings and a variety of adventure activities, participants explore their mental, physical and spiritual potential in small groups, where they are encouraged to support one another while giving honest feedback. Many life skills (patience, endurance, servant leadership, self-knowledge) are born of these experiences. To help transfer these skills to everyday life, students practice self-reflection and journal writing during a two-day period of solitude.

Such experiences impact long-term development of leadership, character, teamwork, personal growth, spiritual formation and decision-making skills. In fact, the results of two doctoral dissertations conducted on the La Vida program support the claim that intentional wilderness learning experiences increase holistic learning. Another confirmation of the success of this approach to learning is the recent recognition given La Vida by the John Templeton Foundation as an exemplary program for spiritual formation.

The increased interest in programs that promote experiential learning does not diminish the importance of classroom and scholarly pursuits. Experiential education enhances classroom learning and helps students develop transferable life skills for leadership in their homes, workplaces and communities. The best colleges are those that use the whole campus experience—in class and out—to promote the connection between knowledge and action for the good of all people.