Benefits of Experimental Learning

The modern world is ever-evolving and growing. It is generally acknowledged that those born in the late 20th century and later generations may anticipate having about five careers. Employees are finding it simple to keep current on the skills and trends required to succeed in today’s current work environment through online courses and specialized skill seminars. As a result, businesses are placing a higher value on soft skills in prospective workers. Most sectors value soft skills like flexibility and empathy in new hires just as highly as hard talents and credentials. 

More than ever, schools must adopt new teaching methods to help students prepare for the future workforce. Since the industrial revolution, repetitive and didactic learning methods have dominated the educational system. More recently, teachers have started incorporating more active learning strategies into the classroom, such as experiential learning.

What is experiential learning?

Experiential learning is, as its name implies, the practice of learning by doing.  David Kolb, a psychologist, first proposed experiential learning theory and focused on how experiences affect learning. According to Kolb, experiential learning is the process through which knowledge is formed by transforming experience. Examples of how people learn experimentally can be through sports. Gaming (e.g. casino Belgium), lab works etc.

Active or reflective experimentation

Kolb proposes that knowledge used daily is from essential daily experience. We take in the knowledge we get from everyday experiences and form new theories about our world that we may actively or reflectively explore.  Around the world, experiential learning has become a growing trend in schools and other educational institutions

What advantages does experiential education offer?

Experiential learning has been shown to offer several advantages that support a child’s growth over the years.

• Students can better understand concepts: Students may struggle to understand topics that don’t apply to the “real world.” With experiential education, pupils can use facts and concepts in a context where they play a part. The content seems real to the student as they engage with it.
• Students may express their creativity more: One of the finest methods to teach original problem-solving is through experiential learning. Children are encouraged to look for their special answers to practical tasks when learning about real-world topics because they are taught that there are many ways to solve problems.
• The chance for reflection is given to students: Students activate more brain areas and form deeper connections with the subject when tangible experiences are combined with abstract concepts, followed by reflection. They are urged to consider how their decisions may have influenced the situation and how their results may have differed from those of other pupils. Through this examination, they can better comprehend how what they have acquired may be used in various situations.
• When students make mistakes, they learn from them: Students will discover that certain methods are more effective than others as they work on practical assignments. The techniques that don’t work are abandoned, but the act of attempting something, leaving it, and trying again—which is typically regarded as a “mistake”—becomes an important step in the learning process. Students learn to cherish their errors rather than fear them.
• Teachers frequently see changes in students’ learning attitudes: In addition to advancing students’ knowledge and abilities, experiential learning is intended to engage students’ emotions. Students may get more satisfaction from learning if they participate actively.