Getting Started with Experiential Learning in the Classroom: 10 Actionable Steps

Guest blog post provided by ​Sara Segar of ExperientialLearningDepot.com

Imagine a classroom where students are not just passive recipients of information but active participants in their own learning journey. 

A place where curiosity leads to discovery, where learning extends beyond the four walls of a classroom, and where every student is empowered to take charge of their education. 

Sounds inspiring, doesn’t it? This is the essence of experiential learning.

Experiential learning is a teaching philosophy that emphasizes learning through direct experience, reflection, and application. 

Rather than passively receiving information, students engage actively in their learning process, making real-world connections and developing 21st-century skills. 

Experiential learning is transformational.

But one of the most common questions I’m asked is “What does experiential learning look like in a classroom and how do I get started?”

Educators understand the general concept or theory of experiential learning but aren’t sure how to apply it in a k12 classroom context or where to begin.

How do you translate the philosophy into real learning experiences? Let’s go over 10 actionable steps to help you get started!

10 Actionable Steps to Get Started with Experiential Learning

1.  Understand the Core Principles: 
Before diving in, familiarize yourself with the foundational concepts of experiential learning. Focus on learning through experience, reflection, and application. Emphasize personalization, student-centered learning, and inquiry. 
Understanding the philosophy behind experiential learning ensures your approach is rooted in sound educational theory.
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These principles will guide your planning and implementation.  Keep these elements in mind when you set out to develop an experiential learning activity.

Start with a concept, topic, or learning goal. Develop a mind map that branches out from there. For example, how could you incorporate reflection into the experience? Where can you offer students voice and choice? How can you make the activity personal, relevant, and real-world?

2.  Start Small: 
Experiment with experiential learning by starting with a single project or activity. Choose something manageable that fits within your schedule and learning goals.

Starting small allows you to build confidence and troubleshoot any issues before scaling up. 

What does it mean to start small? The activity can be as simple as asking students to develop and lead article reading and discussion sessions. Eventually, you can build up to more involved experiential learning activities like project-based learning or service learning.

3.  Incorporate Student Choice: 
Give students choice and voice in their learning. Allow them to pick topics, project formats, research processes, community resources, reflection practices, assessment styles, final products, and even how to present new skills and knowledge.

Student choice increases engagement, motivation, and ownership of the learning process.

4.  Create Real-World Connections: 
Design or have your students design learning experiences that connect to real-world issues or community needs. This could be anything from a local environmental problem to a social justice issue. 

Real-world connections make learning relevant and meaningful, fostering empathy and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

5.  Facilitate Reflective Practice: 
Build time into the schedule for students to reflect on their experiences. All of them! They could reflect on teamwork experiences, project outcomes, presentations, or even work periods. Consider promoting voice and choice by allowing them to choose how they reflect such as with journals, discussions, or presentations.

Reflection helps students process what they've learned, make connections, and apply it in the future.

6.  Foster a Growth Mindset: 
Encourage a culture where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities. Model and promote resilience and perseverance. 

I’ve made a ton of mistakes as an experiential educator, and my students witness these mistakes. Making mistakes and growing, as a result, is experiential learning at its finest!

A growth mindset helps students embrace challenges, develop problem-solving skills, and maintain a positive attitude toward learning.

7.  Use Community Resources: 
Leverage local experts, businesses, and organizations to enhance learning experiences. Invite community members to speak to your students, organize local field trips, and plan service learning experiences that meet community needs.

Community resources enrich learning experiences and provide students with diverse perspectives and expertise, both important aspects of experiential learning.

8.  Integrate Technology: 
Utilize digital tools to support and enhance experiential learning. This could include virtual field trips, online research, digital project presentations, digital final products, and even virtual feedback sessions. 

​Technology makes it possible to reach experts and authentic audiences from around the globe. It can expand the scope of experiential learning, making it more accessible and versatile.

9.  Assess Differently: 
Move beyond traditional tests and quizzes, which cannot gauge deeper learning and growth. Use rubrics, self-assessments, and peer evaluations to assess student learning.

Alternative assessments provide a more comprehensive understanding of student progress and skills. Even better? Allow your students to design their own assessments, which accurately reflect their personalized learning journey.

10.  Join a Learning Community: 
Connect with other educators who are implementing experiential learning. Share ideas and resources, and support each other.

A community of practice provides ongoing inspiration, feedback, and encouragement, helping you grow as an experiential educator.

Starting experiential learning, especially as a beginner, might feel daunting but it can also be incredibly rewarding for both you and your students. 

By taking these initial steps, you'll create a more engaging, relevant, and impactful learning environment. Remember, it's not about perfection but about progress and the willingness to adapt and grow.

​Stay curious, stay passionate, and most importantly, enjoy the process. Your students are about to experience learning in a whole new way!

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My name is Sara Segar. My first career was in field ecology. This authentic experience inspired me to pursue experiential education. I taught at an experiential learning high school for ten years, where student-led PBL was the bulk of the curriculum. In 2018, I founded Experiential Learning Depot to help teachers and homeschool parents with experiential learning strategies, which I still do today. I also work at a Montessori school in Minneapolis. I remain committed to experiential learning after 16 years because I know how special it is.

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Have you ever witnessed your students leading their own learning? 
What impacts have real-world connections had on your students?
How do you keep your students engaged and motivated?
How do you spark curiosity and creativity in your young learners?
Have your students made any community connections?
​What are some ideas for alternative assessments?

​​Please take a moment to share your comments below.
Your thoughts and ideas are always welcomed and appreciated.

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