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The benefits of experiential learning

Last Updated 19 October 2021, 07:52 IST

Adapting experiential learning can prove to be a boon for a child's brain development. There are a number of options available for educators and students that makes it difficult to confine the interests of the students to the four walls of a classroom.

Experiential learning leads to discovery, exploration, creation and effective interaction. During this process, the learner analyses the situation carefully, thinks about it and then takes a decision. This experience helps the learner improvise. With every new attempt, the learner gets better as he goes ahead with prior experience in mind.

A study as early as 1938 by John Dewey and another in 2005 by David Kolb stated that experiential learning also improves a child’s neurodevelopment.

Neurodevelopment refers to the development of neurological pathways that influence the brain's functioning and performance. This may include intellectual functioning, focus, skills, memory, attention and learning.

Experiential learning enables a child’s brain to pay attention, focus, think about the situation and then take steps.

Incorporating off-site trips, project-based learning into the curriculum is one of the most effective ways to indulge students in experiential learning.

Some examples of experiential learning activities include organising workshops at museums, historical places, art galleries, field trips for conservation, group work in and out of the classroom and open-ended discussion activities.

Many students struggle to grasp or learn concepts without a connection to the real world. Learning through experiencing abstract concepts and then reflecting on the output equips students to use more regions of their brain and make stronger connections with concepts.

This kind of learning enables students to remember the concepts for a long time. Experiential learning also teaches problem-solving in creative ways. This encourages them to find their own solutions to the challenges they face in their lives.

As the students work through problems or situations, they may make mistakes in the initial stages. But this only add to their experience in problem-solving. They eventually find that some approaches to solving a problem work better than others. This becomes a valuable part of the learning process.

Experiential learning not only engages students’ thought process but also their motivation and emotional quotient, while enhancing their skills and knowledge. When students find themselves capable of solving problems and relate to an issue or situation, they become more excited about learning.

Educators often observe this positive attitude towards learning in classrooms.

(The author is an educationist)

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(Published 19 October 2021, 07:34 IST)

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