What is Experiential Learning?
As mentioned in class, experiential learning involves
having direct contact with what is being learnt, rather than mere thought (Borzak
,1981). This form of learning is in line with Piaget and Vygotsy’s constructivist
theory of learning. Compared to traditional classroom learning where students
are passive receivers of curriculum content, the constructivist approach to learning
occurs by allowing students to construct their own knowledge through their
interaction with the socio-cultural environment (Vygotsky, 1978). Constructivist
approaches to learning emphasizes non-linear learning, where learning is seen
as “ongoing and cumulative” (Garraway and Volbbrecht, 2011).
At university level, experiential learning tends to
occur in the form of practice-based assessments at work or society, which have
become a key part of the university curriculum in many universities (Engel-Hills,
2010). According to Garraway and Volbrecht (2011), this can be conceptualized as
learning “for work, at work, and through work—given that students are assessed through
their competence on various tasks in their work scenarios, students learn for
work, as their learning is motivated towards the end goal of academic and work
performance; they learn at work, because much of their learning takes place
outside the classrooms and in real-life job environments; they learn through
work, because learning takes place in the process of producing meaningful work outcomes
for the company.
That said, Dewey (1938), one of the key individuals
who conceptualized the idea of experiential learning, noted (p. 25), “The
belief that all genuine education comes through experiences does not mean that
all experiences are genuinely or equally educative. Experience and education cannot
be directly equated to each other. For some experiences are mis-educative.” This
points towards the idea that merely going through experiences does not mean
that learning has taken place, and quality of experience needs to be carefully selected
to ensure for learning opportunities. In order for meaningful learning to take
place, reflection is key (Schon, 1987). In this respect, Kohlb’s (1984)
learning cycle is commonly used as a reflection model for experiential learning.
The application of theories into real life scenarios and reflection on these experiences
leads to ongoing developments of new ways of thinking, and refining current mindsets
and attitudes, and this would be a concept that is used in subsequent reflections
regarding our experiential learning journey and service learning project.
Service learning is also a form of experiential
learning, where participants get to learn moral and citizenship principles and
values for, at, and through serving the community. It takes the individual doing
sufficient research and formulating inquiries regarding a social or moral
issue, then bringing these questions to the field and testing out interventions.
In the process of doing community work and interacting with groups of people of
interest, one also refines and builds up on his/her individual knowledge and concepts
in that area of study (Giles et al., 1994).
Why Experiential Learning?
Experiential learning has been found to be highly
effective in helping students achieve a depth of connections between various principles,
theories, and real life situations that cannot be achieved through books and
lectures alone (Wright, 2000), as it combines abstract, concrete, reflective,
and active learning (Kohlb, 1984). In the context of a youth work module, where
both academic and practical knowledge are equally valuable, experiential
learning is thus likely to be especially helpful in contributing to student
learning. In working with other organizations through service learning projects
as a form of experiential learning, it can be argued that experiential learning
also has the potential to smoothen transitions between undergraduate education and
the workforce, as a more realistic idea of the field is obtained by the
students, and important connections with experts in the field are being made
(Wright, 2000).
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References
Dewey, J. (1938). Experience
and education. New York: Collier Books.
Engel-Hills, P., J. Garraway,
C. Jacobs, T. Volbrecht and C. Winberg. 2010. Working for a degree:
Work-integrated learning in the HEQF. In Universities of Technology – Deepening
the debate. Kagisano no. 7, ed. R. Townsend, 62–88. Pretoria: CHE.
Garraway, J., & Volbrecht, T. (2011). Theorising Experiential
Learning. South African Journal of Higher Education, 25(6), 1091–1102.
Giles Jr, D. E., & Eyler, J. (1994). The
theoretical roots of service-learning in John Dewey: Toward a theory of
service-learning. Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, 1(1), 7.
Schon, D. 1987. Educating the
reflective practitioner. Josey Bass, San Fransisco.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978) Mind
in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes, Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press
Wright, M. (2000). Getting More out of Less:
The Benefits of Short-Term Experiential Learning in Undergraduate Sociology
Courses. Teaching Sociology, 28(2), 116-126. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/1319259
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