Albert Einstein once said - Learning is experience, everything else is just information. This quote effectively sums up the concept of experiential learning. Learning outside of the traditional classroom setting, which may include, among other things, internships, mentored research, study abroad, field work, public performances, studio practice and such real-world hands-on experiences is what makes it experiential. There is an old adage - I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand! Experiential learning makes understanding better and contributes hugely to quality of education. It helps students gain vital insight into the professional world and future careers, develop job-related skills, and help them contribute more effectively to the professional as well as the social sector.

Experiential learning however needs to be embedded in the pedagogy and regarded as an intrinsic element of the educational experience, and not as an “add-on.”  As John Dewey, the acclaimed American philosopher and scholar, famous for his pragmatist approach to epistemology put it, “Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and when the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results”. Experience plus reflection equals learning.

Learning by Doing

There is an increasing realization amongst educators now that just watching and listening to lectures or even reading from textbooks does not lead to retention of course material by the students. Such education merely creates the illusion of learning. It is also clear that when engaged in hands-on activities, students understand concepts more deeply and apply them appropriately. Project-based, case-based learning and problem-solving based approaches allow students to become creators rather than mere recipients of knowledge.

Design education by nature is experiential and learning by doing take several forms. Students might document a community or a craft, annotate a text, critique a work of art, analyze & visually represent data change over time. They may hold ‘Jams’ or ‘sprints’ or do ‘crowd-sourcing’ to find innovative solutions to the critical challenges of our time.  Finding solutions to real-world challenges is a proven way to nurture a community of engaged creative learners.  Design institutions today are creating maker spaces & innovation incubators, where innovators (faculty, students or others from outside) can work individually or collaboratively on projects in a supportive environment. It is in such space that students driven by their entrepreneurial aspirations create apps, find start-ups, and devise creative solutions to a host of pressing problems.

Individualized Learning
One of the outcomes of experiential learning that It allows a move away from the course-based, term-based educational model being followed currently where all students are expected to acquire a common body of knowledge at the same pace.  It allows for individualized learning and alternate modes of assessment. It also supports faster or slower pace of learning and mobility of students across streams and across institutions.

Campuses without Walls
One defining approach at WUD has been the creation of a campus without walls. Unlike the ‘Ivory Tower’ model of many universities, this approach allows WUD to integrate its campus seamlessly into their surroundings - nearby schools, workplaces, the community in which it is located, and other institutions in the state, country and around the world. A campus without walls stands for transcending the typical internal and external barriers of current educational model i.e. the rigid division of campuses into departments and programs; the divide between curricular and extra-curricular, between theories and practical. Universities without walls encourage collaboration across institutional boundaries, creating communities of problem-solvers or communities of practice.

Opening up the electives

A university calendar is organized around fixed-length terms with standard credit hours to easily determine workload of faculty or course load of students. It is expected that students will complete a major by choosing a certain number of prescribed courses in optimized pathways which are career-aligned. In such cases curriculum and learning objectives work well for some students, while many students feel constraint as they may not share the same goals and priorities.  Some may have an entrepreneurial bent. Opening up the electives allow all this and more. Typically, open elective courses are interdisciplinary, addressing issues in art, aesthetics, literature, ethics, moral & political philosophy etc., but they may also be offered by other departments allowing cross-disciplinary applications.

Open electives also offer the opportunity for campuses to expand on their life-long learning objectives; for faculty to develop their interest area; and for institutions to build their continuing education programs. Graduating students turn life-long learners, who will turn to their alma mater as and when they need to re-learn or upgrade their skills.

Conclusion

One basis premise of our NEP is that in higher education, the institutions must ensure that all students have access to the opportunities they need to fulfill their potential and ambitions. A multidisciplinary, immersive & experiential education can help the students to transition from university to a job and prepare them to be more engaged citizens. Such an approach increases the likelihood of students being able to use the knowledge, critical abilities, and habits acquired during their studies, throughout their lives. Such a change is going to require complete acceptance of the concept and leadership on part of the faculty & management alike, else experiential education will remain at the periphery and its promise will not be realized.