Experiential Learning

Experiential Learning

Experiential Learning (EL) is a holistic, cyclical process where learners construct knowledge through direct experience, reflection, conceptualization, and experimentation.

Alternative/linked methods: Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, Learning by Doing, Problem-Based Learning (PBL), Project-Based Learning, Service Learning, Object-Based Learning (OBL), Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), Gamified Learning, Relational Pedagogy, Embodied Learning 

Why?

• Deepens learning: Engages cognitive, emotional, and sensory systems for richer understanding. 
• Develops transferable skills: Communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. 
• Supports diverse learners: Inclusive of neurodiverse and sensory-sensitive students. 
• Enhances motivation and wellbeing: Positive emotions and purpose drive engagement. 

How?

• Concrete Experience: Real, simulated, or designed tasks (e.g., audits, ecological systems, storytelling). 
• Reflective Observation: Journals, peer dialogue, creative reviews, and “video replays” of learning. 
• Abstract Conceptualisation: Link experiences to theory using models, metaphors, and representations. 
• Active Experimentation: Apply insights in new contexts or iterations. 
• Design principles: Feeling~Thinking fusion, Movement and space, Sensory and emotional design, Agency and autonomy, Cognitive load management. 

When?

• Across disciplines: Especially effective in applied, creative, and professional fields. 
• In assessments: To evaluate applied knowledge, reflection, and emotional insight. 
• In hybrid/online settings: Through mobile, multimedia, and virtual experiences. 
• In inclusive education: To support neurodiverse learners and varied sensory thresholds. 

Get Started

• Hot Seat Introductions: Flip power dynamics and build emotional climate through learner-led questioning. 
• Stand-Up Reviews: Use episodic memory and spatial recall to reflect on learning journeys. 
• Word Weaving: Construct definitions collaboratively using word cards to surface tacit knowledge. 
• Industrial Ecology Simulation: Use real objects to explore sustainability and systems thinking. 

Digital Enhancement

• Mobile-supported EL systems: For field-based data collection and reflection. 
• Virtual simulations and VR: For immersive, spatially rich learning. 
• Multimedia storytelling: Use video, audio, and interactive media to evoke emotion and memory. 
• Collaborative platforms: Miro, Padlet, Teams for co-creation and reflection. 
• Emotionally intelligent online facilitation: Use tone, gesture, and movement to maintain engagement. 
• Digital portfolios and emotion mapping: Track learning and emotional growth over time. 
• Cognitive load-aware design: Use Mayer’s multimedia principles to reduce overload and enhance retention. 

Resources

• Chiang, C., Wells, P.K. and Xu, G. (2021) “How does experiential learning encourage active learning in auditing education?,” Journal of Accounting Education, 54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccedu.2020.100713.
• Cheng, S.-C., Hwang, G.-J. and Chen, C.-H. (2019) “From Reflective Observation to Active Learning: A Mobile Experiential Learning Approach for Environmental Science Education,” British Journal of Educational Technology, 50(5), pp. 2251–2270.
• Duchatelet, D., Cornelissen, F. and Volman, M. (2024) “Features of Experiential Learning Environments in Relation to Generic Learning Outcomes in Higher Education: A Scoping Review,” Journal of Experiential Education, 47(3), pp. 400–423.
• O’Brien, W., Doré, N., Campbell-Templeman, K., Lowcay, D. and Derakhti, M. (2021) ‘Living labs as an opportunity for experiential learning in building engineering education’, Advanced Engineering Informatics, 50, pp. 101440.
• Beard, C. and Wilson, J. (2013) Experiential Learning: A Handbook for Education, Training and Coaching.