Experience in the Real World

Experiential Learning Theory:
鈥淟earning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience鈥

鈥 Kolb, 1984

What is Experiential Learning?

Experiential Learning focuses on the individual鈥檚 experience, and is a way to connect academics to the 鈥渞eal world鈥 by actively participating in the world, not just reading about it.

Forms of Experiential Learning

  • Apprenticeships and Internships: The emphasis is on gaining real world experience through an employer to explore or gain relevant knowledge and the skills required to enter a particular career field.
  • Cooperative Education: The goal is to integrate classroom-based education with structured, practical field experience relating to the student鈥檚 occupational goals through opportunities such as 鈥渃o-op鈥 and 鈥渃linical.鈥
  • Field Study: For field study, service is part of a program that is designed primarily to enhance students鈥 understanding of a field of study, while also providing emphasis on the service being provided to the field of study.
  • Course-Embedded Projects: Integrated projects to improve the students鈥 understanding of course material that involve community organizations or externally-based activities included in the syllabi.
  • Service Learning: Service learning provides an integration of community service and academic study in which students serve the community while the community serves as an opportunity for learning.