What is experience?

Experience refers to the nature of the events someone or something has undergone. Experience is what is happening to us all the time - as long as we exist.

What is Experiential Learning?

• Students are actively involved - In experiential education, the student becomes more actively involved in the learning process then in traditional, didactic education. For example, going to a zoo and learning through observation and interaction with the zoo environment is experiential and in contrast to reading and talking about animals in a classroom. The main difference here, from an academic point of view, is that the educator who takes his/her students to the zoo rather than stay in the classroom probably values direct experience more highly than abstract knowledge.
• Educators' value the students' experience - Experiential education is based on experiential learning. Experiential educators operate under the assumption that educational goals can be effectively met by allowing the nature of learner's educational experience to influence the educational process. Experiential educators are generally aware that experiences alone are not inherently good for learning. Thus, experiential try to arrange particular sets of experiences which are conducive towards particular educational goals.
• Experiential education comes in many shapes and sizes – Experiential education is widely implemented across a range of topics and mediums – for example, outdoor education, service learning, internships, and group-based learning projects. Many educational projects are experiential, but don't refer to themselves as such (e.g., excursions, physical education, manual arts, drama, art, and so on).

Experiential Learning as a “learning model”

In terms of learning, experiential learning can be described as a process by which the experience of the learner is reflected upon, and from this emerge new insights or learning’s. Usually, the process begins with an experience ("concrete experience"), followed by reflection ("reflective observation"). The reflection is then assimilated into a theory ("abstract conceptualization") and finally these new (or reformulated) hypotheses are tested in new situations ("active experimentation"). The model is a recurring cycle within which the learner tests new concepts and modifies them as a result of the reflection and conceptualization.

Most models of experiential learning are cyclical and have three basic phases: an experience or problem situation; a reflective phase within which the learner examines the experience and draws learnings from that reflection; and a testing phase within which the new integrated insights or learnings are applied to a new problem situation or experience.

The theoretical work done on experiential learning has established it as a method of learning which is useful to both educators and learners. This methodology helps learners to develop capacities to reflect on experience and appropriate significance through such reflection.

Why Experiential Learning is Effective

Equality

It provides a common and yet novel experience where all participants are equal in their knowledge about the tasks and projects that will confront them. A unique set of projects and situations requires people to draw upon genuine team process skills as opposed to just functional ones.

Developing relationships quickly

Participants are interacting in close proximity whilst working on new and unfamiliar challenges.

The communication, collaboration and effort that are required to meet these challenges develop relationships quickly. People may get to know each other better in a single day within this environment than over an entire year of normal working conditions.

Disequilibrium

The unfamiliarity of the challenges and problems places people in a state of disequilibrium or disorder. They can not easily stand behind their normal status, roles and defences. Prior experience isn't as relevant in this environment. This can allow emphasis to be placed upon both task and process related themes as the group has to organise itself around the challenge.

Projective technique

In organising the instability or disequilibrium, the group projects their problem-solving skills, project management ability, and leadership style onto the experience. The experience provides a unique opportunity to catch participants doing what they typically do, inspite of knowing otherwise. The learning arising from this is profound and revealing. The window or mirror into their process provides unlimited information or data to shape their team based learning.

Decreased time cycle

The space between the project or challenge and the outcomes are compressed, so the consequences of organisational decisions can be easily examined and improved. Typically in an organisation, there is more of a time lag and more variables to consider, so any review or learning risks being diluted or delayed.

Meta Learning

In the experiential 'learning laboratory", as the projections and simulations shed light on the teams process, the group is asked to step back and evaluate their performance. The review is about themselves, their leadership, problem solving skills, teamwork, communication and managing change. The intensity with which these issues can arise, and then be discussed in this environment, is superior to that which normally occurs within the organisation.

Chaos and Crisis in a Safe Environment

Teams are able to experience chaos, disorder, crisis and changing requirements for success in a safe environment where the consequences for failure are limited. The team can develop strategies and best practices for managing these issues both in this environment and back at work.

Kinaesthetic Imprint

Experiential learning is an anchor for cognitive material. Participants have a kinaesthetic imprint or whole body learning of cognitive principles because the learning is graphic as it involves physical, mental and behavioural dimensions.

Common language / company mythology

The experience provides a common language, experience and story, which can be related to the work environment. The experience can provide a short cut in communicating a shared vision very quickly. The experience is stored in a way that is able to permit participants to see themselves and their colleagues in a new light. The experience (and stories attached thereto) can serve as a catalyst for continuing the theme in the organisation.

Encourage Risk Taking

The experience allows participants to take new risks, try on new roles and make mistakes with no danger or cost. Risks are naturally perceived rather than actual. Each person taking a risk pushes others to take on something outside of their comfort zone. There are always individuals who shine in this environment - whose leadership ability hasn't been noticed at work.

Diversity of Strengths

The team challenges and activities are designed to include a variety of elements that will challenge a range of team role skills. In other words input from all team members will be required to produce outcomes from projects specifically designed not to suit just one team role style or behaviour. One person cannot possibly succeed alone and so the interdependence of the team is highlighted along with the importance of diversity within the team.

Fun

This environment provides a highly enjoyable way to learn about and develop team and management process skills. Fun is a powerful aspect of effective learning with participants becoming more open to the experience and creative whilst participating in it.