Experiential Learning
Experiential Learning Features
Experiential learning (EL) can be defined broadly as learning through experience, and by critically reflecting on experience. It positions lived experiences and hands-on learning as foundations for acquiring new knowledge and critical thinking skills.
EL can encompass a very wide range of common course components, depending on whether the focus of interest is on enriching education in ways that deepen knowledge and insight, or helping students acquire transferable skills so that they become ‘job-ready.’
The University of Winnipeg offers a wide variety of EL opportunities. In addition to classroom-oriented approaches like simulations, laboratories, or roleplay, many projects and initiatives involving out-of-classroom experiences are available to students, with a focus on:
- Field Trips
- Field Placements and Research
- Internships (Work-Integrated Learning)
- Community-Service Learning
- Co-Op Program
True to their exploratory nature, EL opportunities often contain many intersecting definitions and components.
