What is experiential learning?

Experiential learning is an engaged learning process through which students develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes from direct experiences, often described as “learning by doing.”

Experiential learning opportunities should involve these four elements: 

1. Reflection, critical analysis, and synthesis.
2. Opportunities for students to take initiative, make decisions, and be accountable for the results.
3. Opportunities for students to engage intellectually, creatively, emotionally, socially, or physically.
4. A designed learning experience that includes the possibility to learn from natural consequences, mistakes, and successes.

Experiential learning at Grand Valley State University includes (but is not limited to):

• Cooperative (co-op) education 
• Practicum
• Internship (formal or independent)
• Externship
• Clinical education 
• Student teaching 
• Field study 
• Study Abroad (place-based and virtual) 
• Undergraduate and graduate research (on- or off-campus, course-based) 
• Laboratory course
• Studio course 
• Exhibit or performance
• Service learning (curricular, co-curricular, extracurricular) 
• Campus employment (that includes four essential elements of experiential learning)
• Leadership (e.g. Cook Leadership Academy; student government)
• Classroom-based applied learning activities (simulation, role-playing, case studies)

Principles of experiential education

The Association for Experiential Education has articulated the following principles of practice that are useful in the design and implementation of experiential learning opportunities: 

• Experiential learning occurs when carefully chosen experiences are supported by reflection, critical analysis and synthesis.
• Experiences are structured to require the learner to take initiative, make decisions and be accountable for results.
• Throughout the experiential learning process, the learner is actively engaged in posing questions, investigating, experimenting, being curious, solving problems, assuming responsibility, being creative, and constructing meaning.
• Learners are engaged intellectually, emotionally, socially, soulfully and/or physically. This involvement produces a perception that the learning task is authentic.
• The results of the learning are personal and form the basis for future experience and learning.
• Relationships are developed and nurtured: learner to self, learner to others and learner to the world at large.
• The educator and learner may experience success, failure, adventure, risk-taking and uncertainty, because the outcomes of experience cannot totally be predicted.
• Opportunities are nurtured for learners and educators to explore and examine their own values.
• The educator's primary roles include setting suitable experiences, posing problems, setting boundaries, supporting learners, insuring physical and emotional safety, and facilitating the learning process.
• The educator recognizes and encourages spontaneous opportunities for learning.
• Educators strive to be aware of their biases, judgments and pre-conceptions, and how these influence the learner.
• The design of the learning experience includes the possibility to learn from natural consequences, mistakes and successes.

Connections to high-impact practices (HIPs)

The term "experiential learning" is sometimes confused with the related term "high-impact practices." While there is some overlap, high-impact practices (HIPs) are a specific set of teaching and learning practices termed "high impact" based on evidence supporting significant educational benefits for students who participate in them and include: 

1. Capstone courses and projects
2. Collaborative assignments and projects
3. Common intellectual experiences
4. Diversity/global learning
5. ePortfolios
6. First-year seminars and experiences
7. Internships
8. Learning communities
9. Service learning, community-based learning
10. Undergraduate research 
11. Writing-intensive courses 

In other words, not all experiential learning opportunities are considered "high-impact practices" and not all HIPs are experiential. 

For additional information about HIPs, visit American Association of Colleges and Universities High-Impact Practices, the National Survey of Student Engagement, and Zilvinskis, J., Kinzie, J., Daday, J., O'Donnell, K., & Vande, Z. C. (Eds.). (2022). Delivering on the promise of high-impact practices : Research and models for achieving equity, fidelity, impact, and scale. Stylus Publishing, LLC.

HIP essential elements

We know that it is not enough for a student to experience a high-impact practice. Quality matters. Researchers have identified eight key elements of quality HIPs:

1. Performance expectation set at appropriately high levels
2. Significant investment of time and effort by students over an extended period of time
3. Interactions with faculty and peers about substantive matters
4. Experiences with diversity wherein students are exposed to and must content with people and circumstances that differ from those with which students are familiar
5. Frequent, timely, and constructive feedback
6. Periodic, structured opportunities to reflect and integrate learning
7. Opportunities to discover relevance of learning through real-world applications
8. Public demonstration of competence 

Keen readers will notice areas of overlap with the experiential education principles above. Whether designing experiential educational opportunities or a high-impact practice, we would do well in keeping in mind quality indicators. 

Kuh, G. D., & O'Donnell, K. (2013). Ensuring quality and taking high-impact practices to scale. Washington, DC: AAC&U.