Experiential Learning and Student Development
When my sister Becky (the seventh child in our family) started school, I knew her first day would be different from our other first days of school. Becky’s first day wouldn’t be strange because we were in a new city or because my mother would be home with only two children for the first time in many years, but because Becky has Down Syndrome. Learning is difficult for Becky, and the learning process must be adjusted to help her understand concepts the rest of us can grasp easily; new teaching methods need to be developed to help people like Becky learn. However, new teaching methods can extend beyond those with special needs. Learning by experience, rather than rote study, can serve a major role in improving academic performance and teaching critical thinking skills.
Experiential learning is found in various forms across the education system, from specialized elementary schools to career and technical education in high school. At Brigham Young University’s new Inspiring Learning program, incorporating experiential learning consistently shows positive results.
Elementary Education
A New Kind of Teaching
Our first years of life consist entirely of experiential learning. The famed child psychologist Jean Piaget called this stage of learning the sensorimotor stage, during which infants observe their parents and the world around them. They bump into obstacles, listen to words, put everything into their mouth, and acquire an unbelievable amount of information. Early experiential learning programs often focus on extending this style of learning into young childhood, while introducing abstract concepts such as math and reading in an intuitive manner.
Among the most popular experiential learning programs is Montessori education. Developed in the early twentieth century, Montessori education discourages simple grading and tests in favor of student-led, hands-on learning sessions. While many nuances exist in how each school or teacher may lead their Montessori classrooms, the results are remarkably consistent and positive.
Not Just Grades
With regard to overall student performance, researchers Angeline Lillard and Nicole Else-Quest’s findings in the *Science* journal show a notable increase in student performance in spelling, reading, and math. The study also reveals an interesting phenomenon: while the academic benefits of experiential learning are stronger for younger students, the social benefits persist throughout the students’ lives.
Rather than study students’ academic performance, Rebecca Shankland and her colleagues at the *Higher Education* journal looked at the social development of students in several alternate-learning programs, including Montessori education. As shown in Figure 1, they found that when considering anxiety, depression, student life satisfaction, and academic confidence, students with a background in experiential learning fared notably better than their traditionally educated peers. Interestingly, Montessori-style education is found almost exclusively in the earlier grades, even as its impacts can be seen many years later. However, that does not mean that students’ opportunities for experiential learning vanish after elementary school.
Career & Technical Education
A New Perspective
My brother, Owen, has also felt the impact of experiential learning in his education. For most of his time in school, he’s been like the rest of our family, but in his last years of middle school, the increasingly complex study-oriented programs began challenging him to a greater degree than his siblings. For what felt like ages, my parents agonized over what they could do to help him. Finally, in his second year of high school, they struck gold.
My brother enrolled in a welding class at a local technical college and immediately took to it. Not only did he learn a valuable skill, but the class provided him with an anchor and sense of belonging that had been sorely lacking. Research has found that Career and Technical Education (CTE) can have a major impact on student performance.
Learning by Doing
Importantly, the experiential nature of CTE courses can help students understand topics that are otherwise obscure. One notable study in the *American Educational Research Journal* worked with teachers to build math instruction into their CTE curricula. Many students initially lacked the basic algebra skills expected to have been taught in middle school. However, by providing a chance for these students to take an experiential learning approach to their math education, the team of Stone, Alfeld, and Donna was able to bring participating students up to the level of their peers by the end of the school year.
In fact, students who incorporated math study into their CTE programs fared 30–40% better than their peers on two of the three tests administered. The tests they did better on were those dealing with general math ability and, notably, preparation for college entrance.
An Investment in the Future
Meanwhile, Michael LaForest in the *Journal of Human Capital* has studied the effects of CTE education after high school. Though the precise numbers are complex to explain, the results are clear: “Individuals who [enroll in CTE] education courses receive higher later-life wages than individuals who concentrate in general education courses,” showing that the inclusion of experiential learning in high school can provide an important boost to graduates’ futures.
Blazing Your Own Path
Another benefit of CTE education is its availability; ninety-eight percent of high schools offer some kind of CTE program, with nearly 90% of students graduating with at least one CTE credit. Furthermore, the skills taught in CTE programs are rapidly growing in demand. Erica Pandey of *Axios* reports that, despite a burgeoning construction industry fueled by federal investments, over half a million workers are still needed before the market can be filled.
Similarly, vocational jobs such as electrician or plumber have seen application rates drop by nearly half. And, despite the cultural stigma that such trades aren’t as valuable as a four-year degree, over 30 million jobs in the US pay at least $55,000 a year and don’t require a four-year degree. As a result, CTE education provides a two-pronged benefit: on the one hand, experiential learning which improves students’ academic performance, and on the other hand varied, practical skills that can pave a valuable and often under-recognized career path.
Inspiring Learning
Learning That Lasts
Experiential learning opportunities are also found in college, and taking advantage of them provides great benefits. My own Brigham Young University is leading a major redevelopment of the way it looks at education through an initiative known as “Inspiring Learning.” At the inauguration of the program, former BYU president Kevin J Worthen said, “Just like classroom learning, experiential learning can produce the kind of inspiring learning that our [the BYU] mission statement challenges us to provide.” Following the start of the Inspiring Learning program, BYU is focusing much more on helping students have meaningful learning experiences outside the classroom.
Taking the Reins
One of the premier experiential learning options for business students at BYU is participation in the *Marriott Student Review (MSR)*, a professional journal published through BYU’s BePress. By writing and submitting their own articles, students “connect the leaders of tomorrow with the issues of today,” and in the process gain potent experience. As found by Marianna Richardson, Ryan Stenquist, & Jennifer Stenquist, students greatly enjoy their work on MSR, with the associated class being rated an average of 12% higher than other business classes. Students also report that they found the skills developed while putting together a professional publication, from communication to leadership to creativity and more, to be most important.
From Experiential Learning to Experience
Those seeking to participate in experiential learning need not fear sacrificing their chances of employment; a common refrain among recruiters is how much they prize soft skills—communication, adaptability, and critical thinking, among others. When it comes to hiring, companies often put just as much weight (if not more) behind internships, projects, and applicable experience, versus area of study. Their priorities are with good reason.
As seen in Figure 2, a Gallup survey found that students who had an internship, participated in extracurricular activities, or worked on a project that lasted longer than a semester were twice as likely to be engaged in their work. Companies are nothing if not careful about where they put their money, and regarding workplace engagement, the evidence shows that experiential learning is a worthwhile investment.
What Have We Learned?
Many forms of experiential learning are used across the education system, and its impact is broad and powerful. Test scores are strengthened, hard and soft skills are developed, and maturity is formed. My own family is evidence of these profound impacts. My sister has just recently learned to write her name. My brother’s confidence has increased immensely now that he’s found a skill he can call his own. I’ve had the opportunity to discover and share these findings due to my university’s decision to inspire learning, and not simply impart facts.
Our stories are not unique. In fact, the benefits of experiential learning are an asset more and more of the world is waking up to. While optimal learning is not a one-size-fits-all process, experiential learning is a powerful method for not just acquiring knowledge but learning to think in a new way.
1. Jean Piaget, “Cognitive Development in Children: Piaget, Development and Learning,” *Journal of Research in Science Teaching* 2, no. 3 (September 1965): 176–186, https://doi-org.byu.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/tea.3660020306.
2. “Core Components of Montessori Education,” *About Montessori*, American Montessori Society, accessed November 2023, https://amshq.org/About-Montessori/What-Is-Montessori/Core-Components-of-Montessori.
3. Angeline Lillard and Nicole Else-Quest, “Evaluating Montessori Education,” *Science* 313, no. 5795 (29 September 2006): 1893–1894, DOI: 10.1126/science.1132362.
4. Rebecca Shankland, Christophe Genolini, Lionel Riou França, Julien-Daniel Guelfi, Serban Ionescu, “Student adjustment to higher education: the role of alternative educational pathways in coping with the demands of student life,” *Higher Education* 73, no. 4 (March 2017): 507–522, DOI: 10.1007/s10734-016-0103-9.
5. Ibid., 507–522.
6. James R. Stone III, Corinne Alfeld, Donna Pearson, “Rigor and Relevance: Enhancing High School Students’ Math Skills Through Career and Technical Education,” *American Educational Research Journal* 45, no. 3 (September 2008): 767–795, DOI: 10.3102/0002831208317460.
7. Michael LaForest, “The Effects of High School Career and Technical Education on Employment, Wages, and Educational Attainment,” *The Journal of Human Capital* 14, no. 1 (Spring 2020): 53, https://doi-org.byu.idm.oclc.org/10.1086/707924.
8. “Public High School Students’ Career and Technical Education Coursetaking: 1992 to 2013,” *Institute of Education Sciences*, November 2016, https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2016/2016119.pdf.
9. Erica Pandey, “The Decline of the Trades,” *Axios*, March 17, 2023, https://www.axios.com/2023/03/17/technicalworker-shortage-trade-education-construction.
10. “Inspiring Learning,” *BYU Speeches*, Kevin J Worthen, August 22, 2017, https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/kevin-jworthen/inspiring-learning/.
11. Image by wayhomestudio on Freepik.
12. Marianna Richardson, Ryan Stenquist, and Jennifer Stenquist, “Experiential Learning in Business Communication: Starting a Peer-Reviewed Student Journal and Podcast,” *International Dialogues on Education* 6, no. 2 (2019): 106–118, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3625047.
13. “Great Jobs Great Lives,” *Gallup-Purdue Index Report*, 2014, https://luminafoundation.org/files/resources/galluppurdueindex-report-2014.pdf.
14. Gallup, “Great Jobs, Great Lives.”
Taking the Reins