Educational revolutionary and educator of gifted & talented students, Adrienne Alexander, makes an informed, entertaining, and passionate case for including experiential learning throughout the school curriculum as a fundamental element, distinct from an optional reward.
Perspectives by Learning in Practice, 2025
Almost every international school advertises its unique "school experience," yet this term remains one of the greyest and most ill-defined areas in education. Schools face a growing challenge to move students from learning about the world to learning within it, preparing them to navigate complex global contexts and develop identities that transcend monocultural perspectives.
True experiential learning is the bridge between classroom knowledge and real-world readiness, but its power is often misunderstood and therefore unlocked. The following five insights separate performative activities from the transformative learning that prepares students for a complex future.
The most common misconception about experiential learning is that it is synonymous with hands-on activities. Service trips, lab experiments, outdoor education, and work placements are all valuable, but the experience by itself is not automatically educational.
The critical ingredient that turns an experience into genuine learning is reflection. It is the essential, deliberate process of making meaning from an action. Without it, even the most exciting activity is just an event.
"experience alone is not the key to learning"
— Boud, Keogh, and Walker (1985)
"Reflection transforms experience into authentic learning. ...it is only later, when they have time to write and reflect, that students begin to analyze their feelings, deconstruct their experience, and put it in the perspective of their previous schema."
— Brown and Purmensky (2014)
This distinction is crucial. Without structured reflection, a well-intentioned field trip risks being just a fun day out rather than a profound learning moment.
Even when schools recognize the importance of reflection, implementation often fails. Mandatory, repetitive, and poorly explained reflection activities quickly become a chore that students resent and learn to game.
Research shows a majority of students express "considerable discontent with the reflection process." When reflection feels forced or disingenuous, it becomes an exercise in compliance rather than a tool for learning. As one student put it, the process can feel deeply inauthentic:
"When I’m filling-out reflection forms, I’m really not me, I’m someone else… I didn’t give them my experience: I gave them what they wanted me to experience in their imagination."
When reflection is a box-ticking exercise, it doesn't just fail to produce learning, it actively discourages students, undermines the purpose of the experience, and leads to superficial or fabricated responses.
The ultimate aim of a powerful experiential learning program is not simply for students to acquire new skills or knowledge. It is to move students from knowing to being.
The goal is internalization, for students to integrate what they have learned into their self-concept. This requires designing authentic experiences where emotion, feedback, and reflection combine to shape who a student is becoming. This transforms learning from something a student has into something a student is. Educator Paulo Freire captured the power of this identity-focused learning when he described how authentic reflection connects the past, present, and future self:
"In throwing light on an accomplished action, or one that is being accomplished, authentic reflection clarifies future action, which in its given time will have to be open to renewed reflection"
— Freire (1985)
The most effective programs don't just ask, "What did you learn?" They challenge students with a more profound question: "How did this change who you are becoming?"
Transformative learning is not a single event but a deliberate, cyclical process. Classic frameworks like David Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle provide a powerful foundation for understanding how we learn from doing. However, while Kolb's cycle is foundational, research into authentic reflection (Perry & Martin, 2016) and student identity development in international schools (Cruz et al., 2023) highlights a missing piece: the conscious integration of learning into a student's self-concept.
To truly unlock learning that shifts identity, we can evolve classic frameworks. A more transformative approach, which we might call the "Cycle of Becoming," integrates a crucial fourth stage: Assimilation.
Experience (Kolb's Concrete Experience): Step into the moment. The focus is on immersion in a new context or challenge. The outcome is the raw material of learning: emotional and contextual data.
Reflect (Kolb's Reflective Observation): Pause and make meaning. The focus is on guided noticing and interpretation of the experience. The outcome is insight; the "aha" moment where connections are made.
Apply (Kolb's Active Experimentation): Act with greater intention. The focus is on embodying the insight and testing it in new situations. The outcome is observable behavioral change.
Assimilate (A Proposed Addition): Integrate insight into who you are becoming. To make learning transformative, this fourth step is needed. The focus is on connecting the behavioral change to a student's identity, values, and personal narrative. The outcome is the internalization of new beliefs.
This model's key innovation is the addition of identity. The Assimilation stage acts as the crucial bridge between insight and sustained action, giving direction and purpose to what has been learned and turning a single lesson into a lasting change.
Making the learning cycle work in a school setting requires mastering three key elements of implementation. These principles ensure that reflection is an authentic, dynamic process rather than a static administrative task.
Flexible Timing: Rigid reflection schedules (e.g., "every Friday") lead to inauthenticity. Research shows that over-scheduled reflection feels forced and produces superficial work. Instead, reflection should be timed to occur before, during, and after key moments or "teachable" experiences, when the need for sense-making is most potent.
Varied Formats: Reflection should not be limited to written journals. In fact, research finds that discussion-based reflection is more effective than writing alone. Schools must offer a variety of formats to suit different learners and contexts, including video logs, group discussions, presentations, and one-on-one conversations with advisors.
Advisor Feedback: The process is incomplete without guidance. Research states unequivocally that "reflection is not effective without instructor feedback." Teachers and advisors must be actively involved by offering feedback, asking probing questions, and guiding students toward deeper, more critical insights. Their role is not to assess, but to facilitate understanding.
Rethinking experiential learning requires a fundamental shift: from viewing it as a series of isolated activities to designing it as an intentional, reflective cycle focused on identity. The goal is no longer just to give students new experiences, but to provide them with the framework to process those experiences into lasting personal growth.
The real work is moving beyond a culture where students simply do things to one where they become someone new as a result of what they have done. This is the future of education.
If learning is the transformation of experience, how is your school intentionally designing those transformations?
Boud, D., Keogh, R., & Walker, D. (1985). Reflection: Turning experience into learning.
Brown, A. V., & Purmensky, K. (2014). Spanish L2 students’ perceptions of service-learning: A case study from Ecuador. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 2(1), 78-94.
Cruz, N. I., Hou, M., Ichikawa, A., & Glass, C. R. (2023). International Schools as Transnational Spaces for Global Learning and Identity Development. Journal of Research in International Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/14752409231189365
Freire, P. (1985). The politics of education: Culture, power, and liberation.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development.
McEachern, R. (2006). Incorporating reflection into business communication service-learning courses. Business Communication Quarterly, 69(3), 312-316.
Perry, S. L., & Martin, R. A. (2016). Authentic reflection for experiential learning at international schools. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 4(1), 53-68.
Ms Roberts shares her story on how experiential education changed her perspective and made her learn in a way she had never before. She tells her story on the power of learning based on experience, and how it could revolutionize and reform the educational system. She shares one key takeaway: experiential education builds lifelong learners.
Perspectives by Learning in Practice, 2025
Educational philosopher John Dewey argued that for learning to be truly transformative, it must connect to a learner's lived reality. He posited that reflection is "indispensable for the development of coherent and compact conclusions," forming the crucial link between experience and understanding. Building on this foundation, contemporary research suggests that it is the practice of reflection that "turns service into learning" (Perry & Martin, 2016). This principle lies at the heart of experiential learning, a pedagogical approach where knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.
This case study analyzes a multi-school study in Turkey to reveal the common implementation challenges of reflection in experiential learning programs.
The study, conducted by Perry & Martin (2016), examined the implementation of reflection within the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) program at six International Baccalaureate (IB) schools in Turkey. This context is notable, as high school education in Turkey traditionally focuses on a single, high-stakes university entrance exam, resulting in a systemic "lack of emphasis on experiential learning." The CAS program, a core component of the IB Diploma, thus represents a significant pedagogical shift. The participating schools varied in size and in the extent to which they integrated the IB Diploma Programme.
School 1
# of DP Students: 220
% of DP Students to Total Students: 45%
School 2
# of DP Students: 90
% of DP Students to Total Students: 100%
School 3
# of DP Students: 80
% of DP Students to Total Students: 100%
School 4
# of DP Students: 263
% of DP Students to Total Students: 25%
School 5
# of DP Students: 72
% of DP Students to Total Students: 25%
School 6
# of DP Students: 64
% of DP Students to Total Students: 49%
The study's primary finding was a significant level of discontent with the reflection process among a majority of CAS students. Many viewed the requirement as a chore rather than a meaningful learning activity. Direct quotes illustrate this sentiment, with students calling reflection forms "a pain in the neck" and admitting to composing "disingenuous reflections in order to satisfy the requirements." At the heart of this issue was a fundamental misunderstanding: students often equated reflection with documentation or providing proof that an activity was completed, rather than engaging in a thoughtful consideration of the experience and its personal impact.
The study identified three major factors that contributed to students' negative perceptions and the lack of authenticity in their reflections. First, the timing and frequency of reflections, when required on a rigid schedule, made the process feel "artificial or forced." This was particularly true for repetitive activities, as it was difficult to generate novel insights from routine events. As two students noted:
"I don’t know what to write about the volleyball practice. We always kind of do the same thing..." (Student A)
"The fact that we do the same things... it’s difficult to maintain the same quality of writing throughout the duration of the activity." (Student B)
Second, the formats and contexts for reflection were often misaligned with effective practice. While written journals and forms were the most common methods, the study concluded that "discussions and oral reflections were the two most effective means of authentic reflection." This suggests a significant mismatch between common practice and optimal methodology. Furthermore, there was a notable omission of publicly shared reflections, a potentially powerful tool for solidifying learning, at all six schools.
Finally, the "weakest aspect of reflection" was the lack of regular, qualitative advisor feedback. The study found "little evidence that students received regular, qualitative feedback on their written reflections." Without this guidance and dialogue, students were left to complete the task in a vacuum, reinforcing the perception that reflection was merely a bureaucratic requirement to be checked off a list.
This case study reveals that reflection, while theoretically central to experiential learning, can easily become a counterproductive exercise. For reflection to be authentic and effective, it cannot be treated as a simple, standardized requirement. The process must be flexible in its timing, varied in its formats, and supported by meaningful, dialogic feedback from advisors. Without these elements, the key that "turns service into learning" can instead become a lock that prevents students from accessing the deeper benefits of their experiences.
Having examined the challenges of implementing a core component of experiential learning, we now turn to a case study that explores the broader, identity-shaping outcomes for students immersed in these unique educational environments.
This case study examines the experiences of students in international schools across China, India, and the UAE to explore how these environments shape identity and foster intercultural understanding.
International schools can be understood as "transnational social fields", unique environments where students from diverse cultural, linguistic, and national backgrounds interact daily. This constant negotiation across borders contributes to the development of complex, "hybrid identities." A study by Cruz et al. (2023) involving 19 students from 10 international schools explored how these spaces shape students' sense of self and their understanding of the world. The findings reveal three key outcomes for students:
Appreciation of Diversity: The multicultural environment of the international school becomes a "safe space." Because everyone comes from a different background, there is a shared understanding that allows for greater freedom of expression. As one student, Aiden, explained, this becomes a core part of their identity: diversity is "one thing that I really care about."
A Unique Sense of Belonging: Many students identified as "Third Culture Kids" (TCKs)—individuals who have spent a significant part of their developmental years outside their parents' culture. For these students, a sense of belonging is often found not with a specific nation, but with peers who share similar global experiences. Roshni articulated this feeling of connection with others who have "all sort of been scattered all over the globe." This can be contrasted with a feeling of alienation from the local culture, as Aiden noted: "when I’m in China, I’m part of the international school scene, so I’m not part of the local scene either."
Reflection on Privilege: Experiential learning activities, particularly community service trips, often serve as a catalyst for students to recognize their socioeconomic privilege. These experiences push them out of the "bubble" of the international school community and confront them with stark realities. Anastasia, reflecting on her service work in India, captured this awakening:
These cumulative experiences cultivate critical skills and dispositions associated with global learning. The study highlights two primary developments:
Intercultural Understanding: Constant exposure to different cultures within the school community fosters a deep-seated awareness. As Priya stated:
Open-Mindedness: The environment challenges preconceived notions and encourages intellectual flexibility. This helps students "stop making assumptions about things" and become "more open to different interpretations," as articulated by Jamaal.
This case study demonstrates that for students in transnational schools, the "experience" in experiential learning is not confined to discrete, planned programs. The daily intercultural dynamics within these schools constitute a continuous, informal mode of experiential learning. While Case Study 1 and Case Study 3 focus on structured programs like CAS or service learning, this case reveals the power of the "lived" curriculum of daily interactions and negotiations. It is this organic process that forges students into global citizens with complex identities, an appreciation for diversity, and open, reflective perspectives.
While the previous case study highlighted the organic, identity-focused outcomes of the international school environment, the next case examines how a school can formally and deliberately structure its program to achieve specific educational goals.
This case study examines the structure of the Experiential Education program at Mahindra International School (MIS) as a model for a comprehensive, mission-aligned approach.
The Experiential Education program at Mahindra International School (MIS) is designed to provide students with "learning opportunities beyond the context of the classroom." The program's primary goal is to create situations where students are "challenged physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually," helping them broaden their experiences and develop greater self-awareness.
The MIS program is built on four core components that provide a balanced set of experiences:
Creative Activities: These include engagements like drama productions, musical ensembles, and leadership opportunities such as Model United Nations.
Physical Action: MIS prepares competitive sports teams for regional competitions in activities like basketball, soccer, and swimming, promoting physical well-being and teamwork.
Community Service: Considered "integral" to the school's philosophy of holistic education, this component emphasizes responsibility for service in the community.
Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS): This formalizes the experiential education program for Grade 11 & 12 students, aligning it with the core requirements of the IB Diploma Programme.
The MIS program is guided by a clearly articulated set of intended outcomes and aims, providing a transparent framework for student development.
Key Learning Outcomes: The program seeks to ensure that students have:
Increased their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth.
Undertaken new challenges.
Planned and initiated activities.
Worked collaboratively with others.
CAS Aims: For senior students, the program is designed to foster:
an appreciation of the potential of the human mind and spirit
a willingness to inquire and an enjoyment of discovery
confidence in their ability to initiate change, both individually and collaboratively
autonomy and self-reliance
To ensure that community service is a meaningful learning experience, MIS structures its projects using a five-stage process adapted from the work of Cathryn Berger Kaye. This provides a consistent methodology for students and advisors to follow:
Investigation: Students identify community needs as well as their own interests and skills.
Preparation: Students develop a plan of action, clarify roles, and acquire any necessary skills.
Action: Students implement their plan, often requiring problem-solving and decision-making.
Reflection: Students describe what happened, express feelings, and make connections between the experience and their personal growth.
Demonstration: Students make their learning explicit by sharing their experience with others.
The MIS case study demonstrates the immense value of a deliberately structured and formally articulated framework. By codifying a five-stage process that includes both Action and Reflection, MIS provides a practical application of the theoretical learning cycle that grounds this analysis. This clear definition of philosophy, components, outcomes, and processes provides a transparent roadmap, ensuring that students and teachers understand the purpose of experiential learning and transforming it from a collection of activities into a coherent, mission-driven educational program.
By examining the implementation challenges in Turkey, the identity-related outcomes in transnational schools, and the structured framework at Mahindra International School, a more complete picture of experiential education emerges. Each case offers a unique lens, highlighting different but interconnected facets of putting theory into practice. The following table synthesizes the core focus and central lesson from each analysis.
1. IB Schools in Turkey
Primary Focus: Implementation Challenges
Key Insight: Effective reflection requires flexibility, variety, and advisor feedback to avoid becoming a perfunctory task.
2. Transnational Schools
Primary Focus: Identity & Intercultural Outcomes
Key Insight: The school environment itself is a powerful experiential learning tool that forges global identities and intercultural skills.
3. Mahindra Int'l School
Primary Focus: Programmatic Structure
Key Insight: A clearly defined framework with stated goals, components, and processes provides clarity and purpose to experiential learning.
Synthesizing the insights from all three cases provides a foundation for three actionable recommendations for international school educators seeking to enhance their experiential learning programs.
Reframe Reflection as a Dialogue The challenges highlighted in Case 1, where reflection became a chore, stand in stark contrast to the profound personal reflections on identity and privilege seen in Case 2. To foster the latter, schools should move away from frequent, rigid written forms. Instead, educators should encourage varied formats (oral discussions, video logs, group presentations) and, most importantly, re-center the process on advisor feedback. Reflection should be treated as a two-way conversation that guides students toward authentic self-discovery, not a one-way reporting mechanism.
Leverage the 'Lived' Curriculum Case 2 reveals that some of the most powerful experiential learning happens not in planned activities, but in the daily, unstructured interactions between students from diverse backgrounds. Educators should recognize this "lived" curriculum as a core asset. Schools can intentionally facilitate this by designing activities (such as structured dialogues, collaborative projects, and cultural sharing events) that prompt students to explore their hybrid identities, reflect on their unique position as global citizens, and learn from one another's perspectives.
Codify the "Why" and "How" The success of the MIS program in Case 3 lies in its clarity and intentionality. To avoid having experiential education become a series of disconnected, and potentially superficial, activities, schools should formally articulate their program's philosophy, goals, and processes. This "codification" ensures alignment with the school's overarching mission, provides a consistent framework for teachers to implement, and gives students a clear understanding of the purpose behind their experiences. It transforms a collection of good intentions into a coherent and high-quality educational program.
Ultimately, these case studies reveal a central tension in designing truly effective programs. Educators must balance the deliberate architecture of formal frameworks with the organic, student-driven learning that emerges from the daily intercultural landscape, all while ensuring that authentic reflection serves as the bridge between doing and understanding. Navigating this tension is essential for preparing students with the empathy, self-awareness, and intercultural competence required to contribute to our complex, interconnected world.
Cruz, N. I., Hou, M., Ichikawa, A., & Glass, C. R. (2023). International Schools as Transnational Spaces for Global Learning and Identity Development. Journal of Research in International Education.
Experiential Education - Mahindra International School. (n.d.). Retrieved from MIS website.
Perry, S. L., & Martin, R. A. (2016). Authentic reflection for experiential learning at international schools. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 4(1), 53-68.
Perspectives by Learning in Practice, 2025
A significant disconnect exists between traditional classroom pedagogy and the complex demands of the 21st-century world. Data reveals that 68% of students feel their school learning does not connect to their real lives (OECD PISA), and 54% of employers report that recent graduates fall short in crucial areas like self-awareness (Institute of Student Employers, 2025). This skills and engagement gap presents a critical challenge for educational institutions aiming to prepare students for future success.
Experiential education offers a powerful, evidence-based solution. It is a deliberately structured pedagogy that moves students from passively learning about the world to actively learning within it. Grounded in established learning theories, this approach is not an isolated trip or project but an embedded practice that transforms direct experience into durable knowledge, skills, and values through a structured cycle of action, reflection, conceptualization, and application.
By systematically integrating experiential education, international schools can directly address the graduate skills gap, foster deep and lasting student engagement, and produce graduates who are more resilient, globally-minded, and prepared for complexity. Implementing a robust experiential education framework is no longer an optional add-on but a strategic necessity for leading international schools committed to aligning their educational mission with the tangible outcomes of student success.
Today's international schools face a growing challenge: a widening rift between conventional academic instruction and the skills required for students to thrive personally and professionally. This disconnect manifests in critical gaps related to student engagement, graduate readiness, and the very nature of in-school learning.
The relevance of classroom learning is a primary concern for students themselves. According to landmark OECD PISA data, 68% of students report that their school learning does not connect to their real lives. This perception of irrelevance undermines motivation and prevents the deep learning necessary for long-term retention and application. When students cannot see the value of what they are learning beyond the context of an examination, engagement suffers, and the educational mission is compromised.
The disconnect is acutely felt by employers. A 2025 report from the Institute of Student Employers found that 54% of employers believe graduates fall short in self-awareness. This is part of a broader "skills gap" where graduates, despite their academic knowledge, lack the essential soft skills demanded by the modern workplace.
Research confirms this gap between the skills developed in higher education and the needs of industry.
A 2024 analysis of over 63,000 job postings found that the most in-demand soft skills were teamwork, business communication, and organization skills (Romanenko et al., 2024).
Similarly, a study in the electrical and electronic industry identified decision-making skills, teamwork, and discipline as top priorities for employers (Noor et al., 2024).
These studies consistently reveal that employers prioritize competencies like critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration, skills that are difficult to cultivate through traditional models of education alone.
Sociologist James Coleman (1977) contrasts the process of "information assimilation" typical in schools with that of "experiential learning."
Information Assimilation: A learner first receives information through a symbolic medium (lecture, book), understands the general principle, infers how to apply it, and only then, if ever, takes action. Motivation is largely extrinsic (grades, tests).
Experiential Learning: A learner first acts, sees the effects of that action, understands the consequences and general principles, and then applies this learning in a new circumstance. Motivation is intrinsic, as it is driven by action and its real consequences.
The traditional school model almost exclusively relies on information assimilation, a process that is time-efficient but often fails learners who have not mastered complex symbolic systems and rarely progresses to the crucial stage of action.
Experiential education is the strategic response to the shortcomings of traditional pedagogy. It is not simply "hands-on activity" but a comprehensive educational philosophy that deliberately structures learning through experience.
Experiential education is "a philosophy that informs many methodologies in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people’s capacity to contribute to their communities." (Association for Experiential Education, cited in Gross & Rutland, 2017).
Simply experiencing something is not sufficient for learning. For an experience to be truly educational, it must be deliberately structured and integrated with specific learning outcomes.
The most widely recognized model for this process is David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle, developed in the 1970s and 1980s and drawing on the work of theorists like John Dewey and Jean Piaget. Kolb defined learning as "the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience" (Kolb, 1984). The cycle posits four essential modes that must be addressed for effective learning to occur.
Concrete Experience (Doing/Feeling): The learner actively engages in a hands-on experience. This generates raw emotional and contextual data and forms the basis for reflection.
Reflective Observation (Watching): The learner steps back from the experience to review what has happened, noticing patterns and asking questions. This is where the raw data of experience is processed into meaningful insight.
Abstract Conceptualization (Thinking): The learner forms new ideas or modifies existing concepts based on their reflections. They integrate their insights with theory and previous knowledge to form general principles.
Active Experimentation (Applying): The learner applies their new ideas to the world around them, testing theories and acting with greater intention in new situations. This action generates a new concrete experience, and the cycle continues with increasing depth.
More recent frameworks have expanded on Kolb's cycle to explicitly include the development of student identity as a central outcome. Learning is not merely about what a student knows, but who they are becoming. This expanded cycle links each stage to a deeper outcome:
Experience → Data: Immersion in a moment generates emotional and contextual information.
Reflection → Insight: Pausing to make meaning of the data leads to new understanding.
Application → Impact: Acting with greater intention based on insight creates behavioral change.
Assimilation → Identity: Integrating insights into one's self-concept internalizes beliefs and values.
This focus on identity directly addresses the "self-awareness" gap identified by employers and fulfills a key strategic priority for school leaders, 60% of whom cite "measuring student impact beyond academics" as a top concern (ECIS/IDC, 2024).
The power of this learning cycle is supported by neuroscience. Research by James Zull connects the modes of the learning cycle to distinct regions of the brain.
Concrete Experience involves the sensory cortex.
Reflective Observation engages the back integrative cortex to create meaning.
Abstract Conceptualization uses the front integrative cortex for planning and analysis.
Active Experimentation utilizes the motor cortex to facilitate action.
This research frames education as "the art of changing the brain," demonstrating that learning from experience results in actual physical changes in the brain's neural networks.
While experience is the catalyst, reflection is the engine that transforms that experience into learning. Leading theorists state that "experience alone is not the key to learning" (Boud, Keogh, & Walker, 1985); rather, it is the practice of reflecting on activities that is essential to "turning service into learning" (Wilczenski & Cook, 2009).
For reflection to be effective, it must be authentic. Paulo Freire popularized "authentic reflection" as a process that clarifies past and present actions to inform future action. This is a dynamic, purposive activity. However, research at international schools reveals a significant challenge: students often view reflection as an inauthentic chore. A study by Perry and Martin (2016) at six International Baccalaureate schools found that a majority of students expressed "considerable discontent with the reflection process," viewing it as documentation "to show what work we’ve done" or to "please our advisor."
One student captured this sentiment, stating: "When I’m filling-out reflection forms, I’m really not me..I’m someone else… I didn’t give them my experience: I gave them what they wanted me to experience in their imagination." This inauthenticity arises when reflection is poorly implemented, becoming a repetitive, forced exercise rather than a meaningful process of self-discovery.
Integrating a comprehensive experiential education framework provides clear, measurable benefits that align directly with the strategic goals of forward-thinking international schools.
1. Enhanced Student Engagement and Purpose By connecting curriculum to real-world situations, experiential education directly combats the feeling of irrelevance reported by 68% of students.
2. Superior Graduate Readiness This pedagogy is a direct solution to the graduate skills gap. It is a proven vehicle for developing the critical soft skills most in demand by employers, including teamwork, communication, problem-solving, leadership, and critical thinking (Noor et al., 2024; Romanenko et al., 2024). Students become globally minded, emotionally intelligent young people prepared for complexity.
3. Alignment of Mission, Curriculum, and Wellbeing Experiential education acts as a powerful connective tissue within a school. For the 60% of school heads prioritizing impact beyond academics, it provides a structured way to achieve and measure holistic student development.
4. Fostering Holistic Development Grounded in Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, experiential education offers a unique platform to develop a fuller range of human capacities. While traditional classrooms often focus narrowly on linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences, experiential programs actively engage students' bodily-kinesthetic, visual-spatial, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligences (Kraft). This commitment to educating the "whole person" is central to philosophies like that of the International Baccalaureate, which aims to develop balanced, reflective, and caring learners.
In a competitive global education landscape, a robust commitment to experiential education is a powerful differentiator. It is not an ancillary program but a core pedagogical philosophy that addresses the most pressing challenges facing students and schools today: the need for relevance, the demand for 21st-century skills, and the imperative to educate the whole child.
By moving students from a state of knowing to a state of being, schools can close the persistent gap between academic achievement and real-world readiness. The evidence is clear: a systematically designed and thoughtfully facilitated experiential education program produces more engaged, capable, self-aware, and globally competent graduates. For any international school dedicated to its mission of preparing students for the future, adopting this framework is a critical and necessary strategic evolution.
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Coleman, J. A. (1977). Differences between experiential and classroom learning. In M. T. Keeton (Ed.), Experiential learning. Rationale characteristics, and assessment (pp. 49-61). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
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Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York, NY: Basic Books, Inc.
Gross, Z., & Rutland, S.D. (2017). Experiential learning in informal educational settings. International Review of Education, 63, 1–8.
Institute of Student Employers. (2025). Graduate Skills Report.
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Kraft, R. J. (n.d.). Chapter 24: Experiential Learning. In Experiential_learning.pdf.
Noor, N. N. M., Rodzalan, S. A., Abdullah, N. H., et al. (2024). Skills of future workforce: skills gap based on perspectives from academicians and industry players. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE), 13(2), 774-783.
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Perry, S. L., & Martin, R. A. (2016). Authentic reflection for experiential learning at international schools. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 4(1), 53-68.
Resnick, L. B. (1987). Learning in school and out. Educational Researcher, 16(9), 13-20.
Romanenko, Y. N., Stepanova, M., & Maksimenko, N. (2024). Soft skills: students and employers crave. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(931).
Stirling, A. (n.d.). Experiential Learning 101. Experiential Learning Hub, University of Toronto.
Yorio, P. L., & Ye, F. (2012). A meta-analysis on the effects of service-learning on the social, personal, and cognitive outcomes of learning. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 11(1), 9-27.
Ed Cooke believes that having fun is a key to learning. When we are engaged, we become enchanted by the outside world and absorb enormous amounts of information. In regards to learning a second language, Ed explains how his experiential-based approach goes beyond the practical aspects and explores the power of magic, mystery, and joy of language.
Q: What is the primary distinction between 'experiential learning' and 'experiential education'?
A: Experiential learning is the individual's process of constructing knowledge through experience and reflection, whereas experiential education refers to the broader pedagogical philosophy and practices that purposefully facilitate learning through experience and reflection.
Q: What is David Kolb's seminal definition of experiential learning?
A: Experiential learning is "the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience."
Q: According to research by Perry and Martin, reflection is essential for converting what into what?
A: Reflection is essential for converting experience into learning.
Q: John Dewey's concept of the "experiential continuum" suggests that every experience influences what?
A: Every experience influences the quality of future experiences, either enhancing or hindering future learning.
Q: According to Dewey, why must educators design experiences carefully?
A: Poorly designed experiences may be miseducative and hinder future learning.
Q: What is meant by ‘authentic learning’?
A: Learning that involves real-world problems and tasks that are relevant, meaningful, and connected to actual practice.
Q: What is one common misconception about experiential learning?
A: That it is simply ‘learning by doing’ without the need for reflection.
Q: In Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, what are the four stages?
A: Concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation, and active experimentation.
Q: What does ‘concrete experience’ involve in Kolb’s cycle?
A: Direct engagement in a practical task or real situation.
Q: What does 'reflective observation' involve in Kolb’s cycle?
A: Thoughtfully reviewing the experience and considering different perspectives.
Q: What does ‘abstract conceptualisation’ involve in Kolb’s cycle?
A: Forming theories, concepts, or conclusions based on reflections.
Q: What does ‘active experimentation’ involve in Kolb’s cycle?
A: Applying new ideas or strategies to test what has been learnt.
Q: Why is feedback important in experiential learning?
A: It helps learners understand performance, refine skills, and adjust future actions.
Q: What is the purpose of a debrief after an experiential activity?
A: To analyse the experience, consolidate learning, and explore applications.
Q: What are ‘critical incidents’ in reflective practice?
A: Specific moments or events that prompt significant learning or insight.
Q: What is the purpose of reflective journals in experiential learning?
A: To encourage structured reflection, deepen learning, and track personal growth.
Q: What is meant by ‘metacognition’ in experiential learning?
A: The ability to think about one’s own thinking and learning processes.
Q: What does Schön mean by ‘reflection-in-action’?
A: Reflecting and adjusting while the experience is happening.
Q: What does Schön mean by ‘reflection-on-action’?
A: Reflecting after the experience to evaluate and learn from it.
Q: What is a key goal of experiential learning?
A: To develop adaptive, reflective, and self-directed learners.
Q: What is meant by ‘transformative learning’?
A: Learning that fundamentally shifts a person’s worldview or assumptions.
Q: What is a ‘disorienting dilemma’ in transformative learning theory?
A: An experience that challenges existing beliefs and triggers deep reflection and perspective change.
Q: Why might experiential learning be more memorable than traditional instruction?
A: Because it involves active participation, personal relevance, and emotional engagement.
Q: What role does emotion play in experiential learning?
A: Emotions can enhance engagement, deepen meaning-making, and strengthen memory of experiences.
Q: Why is context important in experiential learning?
A: Learning becomes more relevant and transferable when tied to authentic situations.
Q: What is meant by 'embodied learning'?
A: Learning that acknowledges the role of physical movement, sensation, and the body in meaning-making.
Q: What are ‘learning styles’ according to Kolb?
A: Diverging, assimilating, converging, and accommodating.
Q: What is Kolb’s ‘learning style inventory’ designed to identify?
A: Individual preferences for how people perceive and process information.
Q: What is a criticism of learning styles theory?
A: Limited empirical evidence supports the effectiveness of tailoring teaching to fixed learning styles.
Q: What does Vygotsky’s concept of the ‘zone of proximal development’ relate to experiential learning?
A: Learners benefit from guided support as they engage in challenging tasks just beyond their independent ability.
Q: Albert Bandura's social learning theory suggests that learning can occur through what process?
A: Modelling or imitating others' behaviour.
Q: What theory holds that long-term memory is enhanced when new information is linked to existing knowledge structures?
A: Schema theory.
Q: According to Lauren Resnick, what is one of the key differences between everyday thinking and academic thinking?
A: Individual cognition in school versus shared cognition in everyday problem-solving.
Q: Why is structured facilitation important in experiential activities?
A: It ensures that learners make meaningful connections rather than simply participating in activities.
Q: What distinguishes high-quality experiential learning?
A: Clear purpose, structured reflection, relevance, and meaningful engagement.
Q: What is the purpose of the 'Orientation' stage in experiential learning programmes?
A: To prepare learners, establish expectations, and clarify goals.
Q: What is the purpose of the 'Involvement' stage in experiential learning programmes?
A: To immerse students actively in tasks that contribute to meaningful experience.
Q: What is the purpose of the 'Internalisation' stage in experiential learning programmes?
A: To help students integrate learning and apply insights beyond the activity.
Q: What does Richard Kraft note about adventure settings in experiential education?
A: That activities immediately reveal the consequences of participants’ decisions.
Q: What is the purpose of the ‘Investigation’ stage in project-based learning?
A: Students identify their interests, skills, and the aspects of a topic they want to explore.
Q: What is the purpose of the ‘Preparation’ stage in project-based learning?
A: Students plan their approach, gather resources, and define their learning goals.
Q: What is the purpose of the ‘Action’ stage in project-based learning?
A: Students implement their plans and engage in hands-on learning activities.
Q: What is the purpose of the ‘Reflection’ stage in project-based learning?
A: Students evaluate their progress, challenges, and insights gained.
Q: What is the purpose of the ‘Demonstration’ stage in project-based learning?
A: Students present or showcase what they have created or learned.