Helpful Tips for Preparation
Preparation for Experiential Learning focuses on setting up students for success in these opportunities. The five components of Preparation are:
Intention
From the outset, all parties must be clear about why experience is the chosen approach to the learning that is to take place and the knowledge that will be demonstrated, applied, or result from it; not all learning needs to be experiential. Intention represents the purposefulness that enables experience to become knowledge and, as such, is deeper than the goals, objectives, and activities that define the experience.
Outcomes, Competencies, Growth, & Skills
Along with Intention, what are the concrete learning outcomes, professional competencies, personal growth, and skills students should gain from completing the Experiential Learning activity. Knowing what these are in advance of participating in an activity will greatly help with the Experiential Learning design and assessment. It is difficult to measure "something" when you do not know what that "something" is.
Preparedness & Planning
Participants must ensure they enter the experience with sufficient foundation to support a successful experience. They must also focus from the earliest stages of the experience/program on the identified intentions, adhering to them as goals, objectives, and activities are defined. The resulting plan should include those intentions and be referred to regularly by all parties. At the same time, it should be flexible enough to allow for adaptations as the experience unfolds. Think of this as a curriculum or syllabus; what are the steps along the way that will make this a successful experience for students.
Orientation & Training
For the full value of the experience to be accessible to both the learner and the learning facilitator(s), and to any involved organizational partners, they must be prepared with important background information about each other and the context and environment in which the experience will operate. Once that baseline of knowledge is addressed, ongoing structured development opportunities should also be included to expand the learner’s appreciation of the context and skill requirements of her/his work. Orientation is in the beginning and helps set the stage and expectations for the experience; however, training can (and should) continue throughout the Experiential Learning opportunity.
Guidance
In experiential learning, guidance plays a critical role in helping students make meaning from their experiences rather than simply completing tasks. Guidance frames experiences with clear learning goals, prompts critical reflection, and connects practice to disciplinary theory. Without intentional guidance, students may miss key insights or reinforce misconceptions. Thoughtful mentoring, feedback, and structured reflection enable experiential activities to become rigorous, transformative learning opportunities rather than isolated experiences. With academic internships, often, guidance is through an external source. It is important that this person is someone with discipline expertise and can help the student grow throughout the experience.
