If you have ever had me come and train at your Center or have a copy of the Leader’s Manual then you know I am a lover of experiential learning. This type of learning is based on adult learning theory and has many advantages. Here are just a few:
- Experiential learning is the opposite of passive learning. It requires participation and engagement.
- You can use experiential learning for motivation as well as teaching content.
- The experiential learning model is an inductive rather than a deductive process: the participants discover for themselves the learning offered by the experiential process.
- Trainees will remember the learning longer because they have to come up with the answers themselves during the exercise. It creates “A Ha!” moments.
- Exercises break up the monotony of a lecture format.
- Trainees can get to know one another while learning content.
- It serves kinesthetic learners. Deep learning occurs via the process of doing.
- Trainers can take a break and observe trainees while they interact and learn new skills.
Experiential Learning Process is broken down into five parts.
Experiencing
The process starts with experiencing. The participants become involved in an activity. They act or behave in some way. Or they do, perform, observe, see, or say something. This initial experience is the basis for the entire process.
Sharing
Following the experience itself, it becomes important for the participant to share her reaction and observations with others who have either experienced or observed the same activity.
Interpreting
Sharing reactions is only the first step. An essential, and often neglected, part of the cycle is the necessary integration of this sharing. The dynamics that emerged in the activity are explored, discussed and evaluated (interpreted) with other participants.
Generalizing
Flowing logically from the interpreting step is the need to develop principles or extract generalization from the experience. Stating learnings in this way can help participants further define, clarify and elaborate them.
Applying
The final step in the cycle is to plan an application of the principles derived from the experience. The experiential process is not complete until a new learning or discovery is used and tested behaviorally. This is the experimental part of the experiential model. Applying, of course, becomes an experience in itself, and with new experience, the cycle begins again.
Equipped to Serve Leader’s Manual
Included in the Leader’s Manual are the general processing questions for each of these stages of the experiential learning cycle. This is called the disciplined reflection of the experiential learning process. In the Leader’s Manual there are about 30 different experiential exercises created by myself and others who have attended my training the trainer seminars.
You can download two of my favorite experiential exercises to utilize in the evangelism section of the Equipped to Serve Training. They include all the instructions and processing questions you need to successfully facilitate the exercises and walk trainees through the disciplined reflection after the exercise has been completed. Click on the exercises below to download.
I would love to know if you use experiential exercises in your trainings and which ones are your favorites.