Five Aspects of Experiential Learning

This theory relates to a learner’s direct involvement in an activity or challenge, rather than passively receiving information.

A baby actively involves itself in learning by putting things in its mouth. Children at play apply the theory as they explore, build worlds, engage in conversations, and manipulate objects.

The theory is influential because knowledge and skills are developed and applied in authentic contexts, resulting in a deeper understanding. Schooling in the early years relies heavily on experiential learning. Of course, it is not the only theory, and if you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know that children learn at different rates and under different circumstances.

The third aspect of this theory is reflection. This process includes dedicated time for reflecting on experiences to extract meaning and identify key learnings.

‘How was school today?’ can be flipped to: ‘What did you do at school today?’

Attach an emotion to the question: ‘What was the best thing you did today at school?’

Emotions are powerful memory enhancers.

We can go further by looking at aspect four: active participation. Experiential learning only happens through engagement. A beginning toddler experiences many stumbles before they get the hang of walking. Engaging experiences are dynamic drivers of learning.

This last one is where the magic happens: skill transfer. The skills learned during one experience transfer to a new situation. You know you’ve got an engaged learner when they do this. Even better is when they adapt existing skills to master something new.

That’s it! The bold text is your five aspects.