Experiential Learning Essay

Experiential Learning

Many educators, as well as learners, ask the question: What is the best way to learn information? While everyone is different, there is one way to retain and comprehend knowledge while gaining hands-on experience. Some say the best way to learn is to relate the information to their lives in some way. This is the key concept when talking about experiential learning. The definition of experiential learning according to “Enhancing Student Experiential Learning with Structured Interviews” by Robert Cornell, Carol Johnson, and William Schwartz is “education through active experience and reflection on that experience.” This means trying new things, based on what is being learned, and then learning from it and reflecting on it.

Kolb’s cycle involves four different steps: Concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The main idea of Kolb’s theory was that the development of new concepts came from experiences. A study was done and recorded in the article “Encouraging the Development of Higher-level Study Skills Using an Experiential Learning Framework.” The study was done on students at the University of Wolverhampton in the UK and the benefits of using that learning style became evident. “We want to substantiate, or otherwise, the idea that a carefully designed embedded study skills initiative can facilitate the experiencing and reflecting which, according to Harrison, Lawson, and Wortley (2005), results in the most effective learning” (Groves, Leflay, Smith, Bowd, & Barber). Experiential learning could be incorporated into many aspects of college, including the actual studying habits. The main idea behind this kind of learning is the fact that students won’t just memorize information; they will understand the concepts and be able to reflect on what they’ve

A student trying to become a teacher will most likely learn more from assisting a teacher in a classroom than from listening to a lecture. Just as a medical student will learn more from hands-on tasks that simulate what they will do in a hospital rather than reading a textbook. Although lectures and textbooks are an important part of learning, experiential learning would better prepare students for life outside of school. Furthermore, with practice comes mistakes. The word mistake seems to be taught with a negative connotation, but many teachers are now encouraging mistakes. If a student tries something new and they work as hard as they can and they fail, they should be encouraged to improve upon themselves through reflection and experimentation. The only way for someone to actually fail, is for them to try, make a mistake, and give up. If someone tries, makes a mistake, and learns, they have