Principles of Experiential Education
Before we explore the key principles of experiential education, it is useful to understand some of the reasons why experiential learning opportunities are so highly valued as a form of educational delivery. Higher education is designed to develop knowledge, skills and habits of mind in specific academic disciplines or vocational fields, but also to cultivate transversal skills relevant to each of us regardless of what path we take in life. Literacy, numeracy, research, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, intercultural knowledge, presentation skills, morality, ethical conduct, empathy, creativity, innovation, aesthetic appreciation, an orientation to lifelong learning and citizenship are all among the aspirations that we hold for the outcomes of advanced education regardless of the program of study. Higher education aims to help individuals become well-rounded and ready for a rich, rewarding and responsible life filled with meaning and contribution. It also aims to prepare people for the workforce — to ensure that they are effectively prepared to enter the world of work upon graduation and contribute to economic growth and prosperity. In Ontario, there is a recognition that career-readiness is a critically important contribution of postsecondary education and provincial sense of urgency to better the career prospects for new postsecondary graduates and smooth their transition to the world of work through increasing the time spent in work-integrated learning opportunities for students.
This provincial call to action comes with significant competitive Career Ready funding to be granted primarily between 2016 and 2018. The focus and funding is galvanizing the efforts of Ontario colleges and universities to expand and strengthen experiential education offerings and to compete for students and jockey for employer/community partnerships by promoting unique approaches to experiential education. Colleges and universities are casting different forms of experiential education in particular lights that serve to tie experiential learning opportunities more closely to the unique mission or focus of the university or college. The Council of Ontario Universities has compiled a report outlining some of the forms of experiential education that are flourishing in Ontario universities in their 2014 experiential education report entitled Bringing Life to Learning at Ontario Universities.
Interestingly, some colleges and universities are augmenting off-campus and abroad experiential learning opportunities for students with more on-campus learning opportunities that benefit both the students and the institution itself. For example, Niagara College has invested in a variety of learning enterprises — real on-campuses businesses that provide students with authentic experiences in what it means to operate for-profit businesses. The University of Guelph is well known for its Peer Helper program in which students contribute