About Experiential Learning and High-Impact Practices

Experiential Learning Definition

Experiential Education vs. Experiential Ldeaerning

Experiential learning (EL), also known as applied learning, is an engaged process of learning whereby students “learn by doing” and “reflecting on that experience" (Kolb, 1984).

Rather than through lecture alone, experiential learning actively involves students in hands-on experiences within real-world, expert guided, laboratory, role-play, or simulated situations and settings. As a result, students are placed in the center of the learning process, and the entire campus and world becomes their classroom. This provides for authentic and meaningful learning for students, through which their potential and transformation is unleashed.

Across the university, experiential learning activities integrated throughout the curriculum and co-curriculum both on- and off-campus take many different forms for students such as capstones, entrepreneurship, internships, research, study abroad, and much more. However, all of these types of experiential learning activities allow students to have "direct hands-on experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop individual capacity to contribute to their communities" (AEE, 2024).

Types of Experiential Learning Activities

Experiential learning is a broad term that encompases a variety of types of experiential learning activities. The university has categorized these experiential learning activities into four experiential learning categories: Field and Work Based Experiential Learning, Global and Community Based Experiential Learning, Project and Problem Based Experiential Learning, and Research and Writing Based Experiential Learning. A few examples include internships, research, entrepreneurship, study aboard, labs, capstones, leadership positions, community service, projects, intensive writing, practicums, e-portfolios, learning communities, simulations, volunteering, competitions, and more.

High-Impact Practices

AAC&U defines High-Impact Practices (HIPs) as "techniques and designs for teaching and learning that have proven to be beneficial for student engagement and successful learning among students from many backgrounds. Through intentional program design and advanced pedagogy, these types of practices can enhance student learning and work to narrow gaps in achievement across student populations." To be a high-impact practice, the experience must satisfy the definition established by George Kuh (2008, Kuh & O’Donnell, 2013) and his colleagues at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U): achievement of deep learning, significant engagement gains, and positive differential impact on historically underserved student populations.

Benefits of HIPS and EL

High-Impact Practices, aslo known as HIPS, for experiential learning through research have demonstrated "evidence of significant educational benefits for students who participate in them - including and especially those from demographic groups historically underserved by higher education" (AACU, 2024). Students, alumni, faculty, staff, employers, and community partners directly benefit from participating in experiential learning activities and they report that these opportunities helped them in many ways. Learn more about the Benefits of High-Impact Practices and Experiential Learning.

Research and Scholarship of Experiential Learning

At the institutional, location, state, national, and global level there is great surge of interest in the research and scholarhip of experiential learning including: