What is Experiential Education?
Experience really can be a great teacher. Postsecondary students typically spend long hours taking notes in lectures or immersed in readings each week trying to get their heads around the complex ideas and theories that inform practices. Certainly, lectures and readings are potent instructional tools and students can learn effectively through exploration of theory alone. However, when students are also given an opportunity to engage in the authentic application of what they are learning about, whether in the lab, field, community, workplace, simulated environment or some other out-of-class, hands-on experience, it is often just what is needed to really solidify understanding and align theory and practice to the habits of mind and values that define vocations.
The Provost’s Task Force on Experiential Learning at the University of Windsor characterized the benefits for faculty, students and industry/community partners well on pages 4-6 in their report, “Experiential Education: A Path Toward Improving the Student Experience”:
- Increases motivation and engagement, encouraging self-directed learning;
- Facilitates the exploration of the relationship between academic theory and practice, increasing clarity around academic and career goals;
- Increases understanding and perceptions around workplace cultures;
- Enhances professional networks;
- Helps students better understand work realities and expectations;
- Provides opportunity to gain career-related experiences, clarifying employment and career goals;
- Builds leadership, technical, and professional skills;
- Increases confidence, maturity, and self-management;
- Improves problem-solving, critical thinking, research, communication, and teamwork skills;
- Develops skills to transition to the workforce;
- In cases of paid placements, provides earnings to assist with financial obligations; and
- Builds citizenship skills.
Faculty/Institutional Benefits:
- Attracts and retains high quality students;
- Strengthens links between the institution and the business, government and community organizations;
- Uses effective marketing and recruitment tool;
- Enhances reputation of the institution within the employment community;
- Aligns with government priorities;
- Increases employability of graduates, thereby increasing institutional employment rates;
- Increases alumni engagement as community partners;
- Increases partnership opportunities and financial support towards EL from community partners;
- Increases educator satisfaction;
- Helps faculty keep their knowledge current; and
- Provides opportunity to evaluate and improve curriculum.
Employer and Community Benefits:
- Increases the diversity, energy, and enthusiasm within the workplace;
- Engages postsecondary institutions in responding to identified community need;
- Fosters additional collaboration with the university;
- Increases the profile of the community’s opportunities and challenges;
- Provides a new perspective