Experiential Learning: The Learning Laboratory

Experiential learning is very different from traditional learning; it focuses on learning that involves the whole person and applies the learning in all aspects of being. The activities are unknown and unfamiliar to the participants; they involve simulations, outdoor challenges, and ropes course events, which create crises and chaos, similar to life at work. Knowledge is generated in this “practice field” to improve teamwork, communication skills, and collaborative problem solving.

What is different about the experiential learning environment that leads to its effectiveness? 

1.      Equality: It provides a common experience where all participants are equal in their knowledge. One year or twenty years with the organization doesn’t help in solving these unique problems.

2.      Relationships Build Quickly: This is accomplished by the communication skills, collaboration, cooperation, and physical effort needed to solve these exercises successfully. The end result builds trust and develops communication skills in an accelerated manner. People get to know each other more in a day than they have over the last one to two years.

3.      Disequilibrium: Because of the unknown and unfamiliar quality of the challenges, participants are put into a state of disequilibrium or disorder. Participants are removed of their normal status, roles, and defenses which creates a pure, learning environment for the group.

4.      Projective Technique: In organizing the instability or disequilibrium, the group projects their problem-solving skills, project management ability, and leadership style onto the experience. The learning is profound and revealing when presented in a more meaningful and relevant way than would come from an organizational assessment. This is one of the prime reasons experiential learning is an excellent “learning laboratory.”

5.      Decreased Cycle Time: The space between project initiation and outcomes are compressed, so consequences of organizational decisions can be examined and improved much faster.  Without experiential learning, the learning-from-doing is diluted and delayed.

6.      Meta Learning: In this “learning laboratory”, as the projections shed light on the managerial process, the group is asked to step back and evaluate itself. The learning is about themselves, their leadership, problem solving, teamwork, and communication skills. This reflection is usually not done with the same intensity within the organization.

7.      Chaos Management in a Safe Environment: Teams are able to experience chaos, disorder, and changing requirements for success in a safe environment where the consequences for failure are limited. 

8.      Kinesthetic Imprint: Participants have a kinesthetic imprint or whole body learning of cognitive principles because the learning is graphic as it involves physical, mental, behavioral, and even spiritual dimensions.

9.      Common Language/Story Making: The experience provides a common language, story, and imagery that can be transferred to work. The intense experience becomes the catalyst for continuing the same theme within the organization.

10.  Encourage Risk Taking: The experience allows participants to take new risks, try on new roles, and make mistakes with little costs to the organization. There are always individuals who shine in this environment, whose leadership ability hasn’t been noticed at work.

11.  Diversity of Strengths: The activities include physical and mental challenges, which require the resources of the whole team.  Differences become necessary strengths to solve the challenges. 

12.  Fun: Experiential learning provides a fun way to learn how to become a high-performing team.