Effects of Experiential Learning | Meenakshi Mehra |

Experiential learning is based on learning things by experiencing, experimenting, creating, interacting, and practically indulging in simple activities in the surroundings. Specific characteristics of experiential learning:
• It is suitable for all age groups and helps kids who are full of curiosity and have excellent learning potential.
• It is usually very flexible and doesn’t have a rigid structure. Fewer rules, more learning.
• It utilizes safe, simple activities that require little adult supervision.
• Kids are free to explore nature and can go on according to their own pace and comfort.
• Awareness through their surroundings through creative learning, imaginative playing, fun activities like dance, music, painting, or travel or excursions.
The kids answer the questions like did they notice that, why or how that occurred, if it happens in real life, and where they could utilize it. 

The Importance of Experiential Learning
1. Experiential learning enables children to pursue their own areas of interest and to work through problems as they arise in a real-life situations. They are not simply working out what 2 + 2 equals because the teacher says it’s important, they are working out how many toys they have, how many biscuits the dog eats, or how many pairs of shoes they need to pick up. A common complaint from both primary school and high school-age children is that they don’t see the point of some of the work they are being asked to. Experiential learning demonstrates the practical uses of maths, science and other learning areas.
2. Experiential learning can also be important for letting kids experience the reality of ‘failure’ and how to overcome setbacks and challenges. They can feel pride when they eventually find a way to do something because they learned to do it themselves, not because someone told them the answer.
3. Experiential learning is collaborative and enables children to work out their own unique strategy (with some support), rather than following a set formula to arrive at an answer. They will be more likely to think creatively in the future, rather than assuming that all problems have “right” and “wrong” answers and “right” and “wrong” ways of getting there.