What is Experiential Education? How is it relevant to my work as an educator or counselor?

The experiential approach to education and group work is based on the idea that change and growth take place when people are actively (physically, socially, intellectually, emotionally) involved in their learning rather than just being receivers of information. The philosophy of experiential education was promoted by John Dewey, an educator and philosopher in the early 20th century who was one of many innovators during the progressive movement in education. The progressive movement aimed to move educational practices out of what many thinkers believed had become the narrow and limited realm of traditional education.

John Dewey and his peers felt that “modern education” was ignoring the common sense observation that people learn most when they are actively involved in their learning and find the material relevant and attractive in some way. He emphasized that learners need to feel a sense of control and ownership over learning situations. A tenet of experiential education is that in order for learning to truly occur students should be provided with opportunities to reflect on their learning experiences so they relate, connect and transfer to real life.

This approach promoted the idea of focusing on the “whole person” in education including one’s physical, emotional and intellectual growth. Learners were encouraged to experiment and think independently. Many vocational programs came out of this movement, as did Montessori programs.

These ideas put forward nearly a century ago are now being supported by studies of the brain and how people learn. In the past few decades, new technologies such as brain imaging have become available, allowing neuroscientists to identify optimal conditions for learning. Many educators and theorists such as Erik Jensen(Teaching with the Brain in Mind, 1998) and others call approaches that take advantage of these optimal conditions for learning “brain based” learning.

Brain-based learning theory emphasizes many of the same principles of experiential education such as the value of combining physical action and reflection in learning, giving learners choice and control over their learning and creating novel and relevant learning situations.Studies of the brain and learning are showing that physical involvement in learning life lessons creates “body memory” i.e. if students learn a lesson about leadership, communication or physics, in an active way- they could be more likely to retain the lesson longer and integrate it better into their life and future learning.

Brain-based learning theories stress learners need for challenging and novel learning environments with opportunities from feedback from peers. An example of an experiential approach in a therapeutic group  might be an activity in which individuals use an art project to symbolize their personal strengths and resources and share their work reflecting and expressing their strengths with the group. A facilitator in a corporate setting might give group participants a challenge requiring group members to guide others through a maze to practice communication and leadership. In the classroom setting rather than just reading a text book, a group studying colonial history might go to the historical society, graveyards and other local history sources to create a historical guide to their community.

Principles of Experiential Education

• Experiential learning or therapy is active, not necessarily physical but active.
• Learners are actively engaged in solving problems, using creativity, posing questions, interacting with others, experimenting, taking responsibility for themselves and others and finding meaning in their experiences.
• In Experiential education the learner is a participant in learning rather than a receiver of information.
• The learner needs to feel intrinsically motivated to learn.
• Students must perceive internal freedom and independence. They need to feel like they have the ability to make choices about their experience, take responsibility in the experience and feel in control of their learning.
• Relevancy is imperative to the learner- lessons and concepts taught must feel relevant and meaningful to the learner. Lessons need to have intrinsic value and relate to real life both in the future and present situation.
• In order to truly learn, participants must have time to reflect on experience. Reflection involves thoughtful time connecting the experience to real life situations. When learners develop reflective skills, they are practicing the skill of insight that will help them in many areas of their lives.
• Experiences should be carefully chosen to meet the needs and differing styles of the learners. This requires creativity, flexibility and intention from the teacher.
• Effective teachers create opportunities for  reflection on learning experiences- helping create lasting lessons  meaning and relevance. Processing helps  the learner transfer these skills to other parts of their life.
• Experiential educators encourage spontaneous learning; students may take lessons in many different directions. Effective teachers “go with the flow” and move with the lessons the group is creating. The teacher structures appropriate experiences but they must be flexible, and act as a guide and role model. A teacher initiates learning- the student takes it from there.
• Learners need to feel fully valued, respected and supported.
• An atmosphere of fun helps open doors to learning. Learners can practice communication, cooperation, trust, problem solving and insight in a milieu of fun.
• Educators must sequence lessons so they can be built upon each other. John Dewey stated that one can learn from any and all experiences, but growth through experience must create conditions for future growth.

Stanchfield, Jennifer (2007) Tips & Tools for the Art of Group Facilitation OKC, OK: Wood-n-Barnes Publishing

McDermott, J. (1981) The Philosophy of John Dewey. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.