Changing Schools through Experiential Education. ERIC Digest.

Overview & Synopsis

This ERIC Digest describes how experiential education can help in designing a curriculum that young people find significant. It also describes ways experiential education can help educators make the transition from a traditional program to an activity-based program. Experiential education differs from traditional education in that teachers first immerse students in action and then ask them to reflect on the experience. Several examples of experiential education involving different disciplines are described to illustrate the benefits of this approach. When experiential education is used, teachers and students must change their roles; both groups become active learners engaged in joint efforts. School organization may need to change in order to support an experiential approach. For example, an all-day time block may be used for certain activities. Adventure is one form of experiential education that is highly effective in developing team and group skills in both students and adults. Adventure activities help develop listening skills, recognize individual strengths, and promote mutual support. These benefits apply equally well to academic problem-solving or to schoolwide improvement efforts. Experiential education is an effective change strategy for schools and a more engaging way of treating academic content. It can also provide a model for helping all those involved in schooling become more comfortable with the unfamiliar roles associated with restructuring schools. (LP)