Experiential learning is becoming increasingly popular throughout the educational system – and for good reason. The benefits of experiential learning are numerous, and extend across a variety of education levels.
A variety of academic studies demonstrate that experiential learning coupled with traditional classroom experiences can help round out a student’s educational experience and lead to superior learning outcomes.
To that end, let’s dive into the benefits of experiential learning for your high school student. These benefits include:
Connecting learning goals with the real world
Increasing motivation
Creating opportunities for once-in-a-lifetime experiences
Discovering knowledge firsthand
Developing self-reliance
Let’s explore these more in-depth below.
Connecting with the Real World
The gulf between reading something in a text book and seeing a few pictures and actually seeing the subject of your lesson in real life is massive.
When the student can actually see and in some cases touch in real life it imparts a whole other level of meaning to what they’re learning.
Getting a postcard from Rome and seeing the Colosseum, the Vatican, the St. Angelo’s Castle and bridge are vastly different experiences and the impact of one over the other cannot be overstated.
What may begin as a budding interest in biology, for instance, can develop into a lifelong career after a student is able to literally follow in the path of Darwin in the Galapagos Islands.
These tangible, real-world connections to the subject are critical for fostering a deeper connection to the material and lead to a deeper understanding of said material.
Increasing Motivation
Motivating high school students can drive parents nuts. Sometimes even the kids most likely to excel at school don’t simply due to lack of motivation. Whether it’s boredom, lack of interest in the material being taught, inability to connect with the material, etc., these all post a barrier to learning for even the most potentially capable students.
But that can change with experiential learning.
By exposing these students to a new way of taking in information, these same bored, apathetic students can be transformed into alert, excited participants.
That’s because one of the best benefits of experiential learning is that it changes the way kids can learn. Rather than being stuck in a static environment (the classroom), students engage with both the topic in question and the surrounding environs, leading to a higher level of mental stimulation.
It’s hard to be bored, after all, when you’re on the streets of Paris learning about French culture, compared to hearing about it thousands of kilometres removed from the country itself.
Creating Opportunities for Spontaneity
Experiential learning is about more than just reciting facts from a textbook; by being out and about in a new environment, this often creates a variety of opportunities for once-in-a-lifetime experiences that embed themselves as memories your child will cherish forever – and thus help them appreciate how fun and exciting learning can be.
When you’re abroad in a foreign city or country, so many fun chance encounters can take place. These are of course impossible in the classroom setting, but you could dine at Hemingway’s favourite Parisian cafe, for instance, or find a deli in New York that you’ve seen in a dozen of your favorite films.
These spontaneous moments are fun and exciting. Moreover, it encourages active experimentation with their surroundings (in an observed, safe environment, of course).
Developing a Love of Learning
The process of learning can be fun! While that doesn’t come naturally to everyone, some students learn that they love learning through these more concrete experiences.
The experiential learning process demonstrates that students can intake abstract concepts in a way that is relatable and interesting by being closer to their origins. Learning about modernism is one thing – learning about it when surrounded by all the same buildings that T.S. Eliot and his contemporaries were surrounded by really helps drive it home and make the overall experience more enjoyable.
Developing Self-Reliance
The experiential learning cycle does a lot more than just help with academic work – experiential education often leaves students feeling like they’ve matured and grown.
That’s because, while away from their parents (many for the first time!) they must make decisions and be accountable for results. There’s no mom or dad around to force them off the phone and into the textbook – they have to make the time themselves in order to demonstrate that they have the knowledge and skills required to pass the course.
Learn more about our student trips:
Earn Credit, See the World With Student Travel ProgramsThe 7 Benefits of Study Abroad ProgramsUnderstanding the Study Tour Meaning: How Study Tours Work
That said, this is made easier by a much lower staff-to-student ratio on these trips relative to the classroom, allowing students to receive a more tailored learning experience. Coupled with curriculums that have been honed over the years to be equal parts informative, enjoyable, and digestible, experiential learning via student tours often helps these students achieve excellent grades (though results are of course not guaranteed).
The overall environment, in other words, is conducive towards your child having great academic success, while also helping them feel more self-reliant and confident, something they can take with them for the rest of their academic lives – and beyond.
Experiential Learning with EduTravel for Credit
The benefits of experiential learning are many – and your child will benefit from all of them with EduTravel for Credit.
As one of the top student travel companies in Canada, we offer a diverse range of trips; you’re bound to find one that fits your budget, child’s interests, and their age.
