Students attain a certain maturity level because of the exposure to different ways of doing things that are not instruction driven; over a period of time, they crave to work on their own, chasing their own goals and moving forward and progressing in their learning
Experiential Learning has gone through a sea change in the last decade as far as the engagement of students is concerned. Internships, field exercises, research modules and studio performances have taken center stage. The design of experiential programmes has broadened to promote interdisciplinary learning, civic engagement, career development, cultural awareness, leadership growth and a whole gamut of professional skills.
Simple participation does not make for experiential learning; a set of essential principles is its hallmark. Since experiential learning is not linear, there is a set pattern in which the principles repeat themselves or fall into place.
It is a mixture of both process and content. KIT Activity-Based Learning helps you easily understand complex topics in Math, Science, Computer & Robotics, and we have Art & DIY Kits that complement the content in textbooks. Each Kit comprises roughly around 25 activities carefully selected in such a way that the process of making is intricately connected to the overarching concept that it is embedded in.
The absence of excessive judgment legitimises the trial-and-error way of learning. The Comprehensive Integrated Assessment process we follow has been highly successful as our students practice the application questions by framing them in different contexts. For example – understanding big data from different perspectives – starting from simple demographics to making projections across a multi-year scale. As students expand their previews, so does their own process of self-discovery.
Self-Engagement in purposeful endeavors – in sports and elective subjects, students choose an area of learning which is personally relevant to them and follow through at their own pace until they reach their goals. Because of this choice of subjects, students have demonstrated excellence by becoming budding journalists, musicians, analysts, orators, birdwatchers, traffic wardens, etc.
Big-Picture Perspective is what experiential learning encourages. Areas of learning, such as Astronomy, Horticulture and Financial Literacy, encourage students to seek out relationships between theory and practice; money and markets; decomposition, and computational and algorithmic thinking are foundational. This allows them to comprehend complex systems and learn skills that help them navigate through the connected system skillfully.
Space for Personal Reflection – ‘Theory of Change’ and Reflective Practice form the fulcrum of the learning process. A guided reflective process leads students to become analysers of their shortcomings slowly; in addition, short- and long-term planners set rolling actions that will potentially enhance, magnify and impact outcomes in dramatically positive ways.
Re-definition of Values – As students are fully immersed in the experience, they are engaged to a point where it strikes a critical, central chord within the learner. The Space Camp, wherein students get to experience sky-watching through high-end telescopes, allows students to get a glimpse of the ecliptic movement of the stars, according to Aryabhata Sidhantha. They witnessed the celestial drama as Polaris rose in the eastern night sky and how Artemis sent forth Scorpio to vanquish Orion.
Learning outside one’s Comfort Zone – A night stayover with classmates in the school, like the Pizza Pajama Party, helps students get more adaptive and independent and establish a better bond with students of other grades. Intra-school sports competitions such as Khel Mahotsav provide students not just an avenue to showcase their talent but also gives them the much-needed challenging environments to beat the opponent and better themselves at every given opportunity. Moving out of one’s comfort zone, being accountable for one’s actions, and taking responsibility for consequences are some areas in that students excel.
Qualities imparted to learners – a majority of successful experiential learners have willingly recorded the ebb and flow of their learning in journals, photographs, artworks and projects. They have effectively redefined their learning goals while meticulously keeping a tab on every learning step. Now defining purpose, self-managing necessary skills, and collaborating in joint projects all of this come naturally to them. Their thinking has also seen a sea change – most of them are open thinkers, willing to adapt and advance their ideas in challenging ways.
How students benefit from experiential learning? Students attain a certain maturity level because of the exposure to different ways of doing things that are not instruction driven. Over a period of time, they crave to work on their own, chasing their own goals and moving forward and progressing in their learning.
Classroom-based experiential learning can take a multitude of forms, including role-playing, games, case studies, simulations, presentations and various types of group work.
Designing experiential activities as mentioned above, it isn’t the particular activity that is experiential; it is the way that it is framed that makes it experiential
– Which parts of your course can be instructed more effectively with experiential learning?
– How do any potential activities match the course learning objectives.
– How the potential activity complements the overall course of study.
– Grading criteria and evaluation method that would match the proposed activity.
Role of Instructor – Because students must take control of their own learning, the instructor must work to both relinquish their authoritarian influence and become, instead, an integral member of the evolving group.
Informed consent: Students need to know what they are getting into so they can make responsible choices. An instructor should provide a precise course description and a detailed introduction to both the potential and perplexities of the class.
Establishing a concrete vision: Instructors must provide some initial structure and focus on helping students make the leap to self-determination. The instructor provides a definite vision of the class by suggesting the course goals and what the students might expect from such an exercise.
Setting ground rules: By setting basic operating principles by both statement and example, the instructor creates a safety net for students, empowering them to take risks.
Providing process tools: In their work, either in class groups or as part of teams within placements, students need the appropriate skills for being part of collaborative projects.
