Many people claim that experiential learning can outperform traditional forms of education in secondary schools and higher education. As far as I am concerned, they both can be complementary, if implemented correctly.
On the one hand, human beings are naturally programmed to excel in learning through practice. Firstly, the learning process itself heavily relies on the process of reiteration. It helps to exercise the paramount skill of the human brain – pattern recognition. This future-proofs the educational process, ensuring the matter of the subject will not be forgotten easily. Moreover, people value personal experience over anything else, making the information more memorable and attached to the individual itself. In addition, while it is true to say that you shouldn’t reinvent the wheel in your workplace, in fact, it is the most informative and engaging path of learning.
On the other hand, experiential learning is not a panacea. Traditional education shines in the delivery of information-heavy topics, especially in universities, where any other implementation is not feasible. Formal lectures and seminars can present the empirical knowledge in a well-structured manner, comprehensible for students. Fundamental understanding of a subject is paramount for any educational process. What is more, traditional educational systems have been established worldwide for decades, resulting in an enormous amount of accumulated pedagogical experience and research. Needless to say, that experiential learning, being a novel approach, lacks the crucial expertise and the background in research.
In conclusion, while experiential learning is a more engaging, informative and productive method, it still lacks some of the core advantages of more well-established forms of education. Experiential learning is already being adopted by a plethora of primary schools, as children are the main beneficiaries of this approach. However, considering the disadvantages it carries for more complex topics, I believe a hybrid approach, featuring the best of the two worlds is soon to come, improving the educational experience in secondary schools and universities globally.