the benefits of experiential learning

Every student can bond over the shared experience of being bored out of their minds while reading a textbook. The traditional teaching methods that take place in your typical classroom are only good for memorizing concepts, rather than learning them. However, I find that experiential learning can help students deeply understand a topic and help them become more passionate about learning. 

Experiential learning, as defined by the University of Waterloo, is “learning that is based on students being directly involved in a learning experience rather than their being recipients of ready-made content.” In more simple terms, experiential learning is a hands-on approach in which students engage with what they are studying in class by actually doing it. Personally, I didn’t even know what experiential learning was before attending the York school. I guess this makes sense considering that York’s motto is Experientia Docet, experience teaches.

I will always remember my first truly memorable “experience teaches” moment. It was in the middle of the 9th grade during ICE when my class had been studying the Canadian North and Indigenous populations in Nunavut. While we didn’t make it to Nunavut, the whole grade took a trip to Haliburton in the dead of winter for ICE winter camping. While Halliburton is only about 3 hours away from Toronto, it certainly felt like we were in a whole new world. I was absolutely terrified to see the harsh conditions and to feel the brutally cold weather that we would have to endure for an entire week.

Whether I refer to the personal experience of going winter camping or experiential learning in general, it is clear to see how many benefits students gain on an academic and personal level. Without this experience, or the implementation of experiential learning at York, I would not have developed such an interest in what we were studying about in the classroom. I would not have the confidence to take either academic or personal risks. I would not have found school to be so engaging, enjoyable, or worthwhile. Finally, I would be stuck in the never ending state of boredom that comes with reading a textbook in class, in an attempt to learn about anything from science to history. After all, Aristotle did say “for the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them”. 

Here are some highlights from ICE winter camping (in photos):

And last but not least, possibly the best picture from the trip. What a sunset!