Working Definitions and Best Practices for Experiential Education

WHAT IS EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION?

Experiential education is both a philosophy of teaching and teaching methods in which

educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in
order to increase knowledge, develop skills, and clarify values. (Association for
Experiential Education)

Experiential Education refers to learning activities that engage the learner directly in the
phenomena being studied. Experiential education may be manifested in many different
forms – internships, field experiences, cooperative education, practica, cross-cultural and
international learning, community and public service, and other forms of carefully
monitored, experience-based learning. (National Society for Internships and
Experiential Education)

“Tell me and I will forget, Show me and I may remember, Involve me and I will
understand.” Chinese Proverb

Experiential education serves as an umbrella for linking diverse practices from a

variety of disciplines into a coherent whole. These include: service learning,
internships, study abroad, fieldwork, practicum, clinical work, student teaching,
capstone programs, and more. In experiential education the teacher and student roles
evolve into a collaborative mindset with the student having an active voice or role in the
purpose of learning and meeting specific learning objectives.

PRINCIPLES OF EXPERIENTIAL EDUCATION

1. Experiential learning occurs when carefully chosen experiences are supported by

reflection, critical analysis and synthesis.

2. Experiences are structured to require the learner to take initiative, make decisions
and be accountable for results.

3. Throughout the experiential learning process, the learner is actively engaged in

posing questions, investigating, experimenting, being curious, solving problems,
assuming responsibility, being creative, and constructing meaning.

4. Learners are engaged intellectually, emotionally, socially, soulfully and or

physically. This involvement produces a perception that the learning task is
authentic.

5. The results of the learning are personal and form the basis for future experience
and learning.
 6. Relationships are developed and nurtured: learner to self, learner to others and
learner to the world at large.

7. The educator and learner may experience success, failure, adventure, risk-taking
and uncertainty, because the outcomes of the experience cannot totally be
predicted.

8. Opportunities are nurtured for learners and educators to explore and examine their
own values.

9. The educator’s primary roles include setting suitable experiences, posing

problems, setting boundaries, supporting learners, insuring physical and
emotional safety, and facilitating the learning process.

10. The educator recognizes and encourages spontaneous opportunities for learning.

11. Educators strive to be aware of their biases, judgments and pre-conceptions, and
how these influence the learner.

12. The design of the learning experience includes the possibility to learn from
natural consequences, mistakes and successes.

Internship Definition: What is an internship?

An academic internship is a department and university sponsored academic experience

for students that is a combination of academic study and substantive work experience.
Academic internships are approved by the department and supervised by a member of the
faculty and by an on-site supervisor. These experiences will carry academic credit and
can be graded by letter or taken pass/fail. Internships can take place in a for-profit or
non-profit setting and can either be paid or unpaid. Internships may take place during the
fall, spring or summer academic sessions. Students must meet the specific GPA and
other requirements set by the supervising department in order to be eligible for these
learning experiences.

How is Service Learning Defined?

Service learning is a thoughtfully organized pedagogical strategy that engages students in

active participation in service opportunities that meet actual community needs which are
integrated with and directly related to course content, and from which learning is
enhanced as a result of intentionally designed integrative exercises. Meaningful
community service opportunities may include, but are not limited to, work with not for
profit and for profit organizations, schools, and community organizations that seek to
improve the social, educational, cultural, and environmental conditions of the individuals
and the communities they serve.
Other Forms of Experiential Education Include:

Student Teaching
This is a college supervised instructional experience and usually the culminating course
in an undergraduate education or graduate school program leading to teacher education
and certification. Student teaching is required for students who are not yet certified to
teach. It is different from a practicum which is required when a student already holds
certification to teach yet wants a certificate extension to teach another area of
specialization. They are both college supervised field-based experiences.

Practicum
This is a course often in a specialized field of study that is designed to give students
supervised practical application of a previously studied theory. Practicums (student
teaching) are common for education majors.

Fieldwork
Fieldwork is completed in an organization or environment outside of the University. The
focus is on linking what is learned in the class with what is seen. It is a general
descriptive term for the collection of raw data and used mainly in the natural and social
sciences. It is more technically known to scientific methodologists as field research.

Clinical
The term clinical is from the Greek meaning “of the bed.” It can refer to medical
practices undertaken in a clinic or at the bedside of a patient.

Study Abroad
This is a student pursuing education opportunities in a foreign country. It typically
involves classes taken while studying abroad and awards credits transferable to higher
education institutions in the home country. Length of study can range from one week to
an academic year. Topics of study can vary.