Learning through Doing

A Chinese proverb states, "Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I will understand."

This notion is at the heart of experiential learning. Experiential learning comes in many different forms: service-learning, internships, practicums, study abroad, outdoor education, transfer and cultural tours, hands-on projects, real-world applications, and so on. The unifying theme behind these different methods is learning through doing.

Ideally, faculty and staff involve experiential learning in courses and activities. Also, as a student taking responsibility for your own learning, you have the power to seek out such opportunities. You might talk with faculty about incorporating an experiential opportunity into class. Or you might seek out extracurricular opportunities to practice your learning. The possibilities are many.

Service-Learning connects academic learning outcomes with community service projects. An example is learning how to write a grant in English 122 and then helping a local non-profit create a grant proposal.

Internships/Practicums give students the opportunity to apply their learning in a supervised, professional work environment. An example is a Human Services student interning with a low-income housing agency over the semester.

Study Abroad involves students traveling outside the United States in order to take coursework at a different university for a few weeks or a full semester. An example is a CCD student taking two courses at Shanghai University over the summer.

Outdoor Education connects students with the ecology, sociology, and art of the natural world through nature trips. An example is a two-day trail restoration project to explore how human activity interacts with plants, animals, and geology of a particular place.

Transfer and Cultural Tours bring students off-campus to experience the social, cultural, and academic opportunities that exist in a particular place. An example is the TRIO Transfer and Cultural Tour to New Mexico.

Hands-on projects and real-world applications often take place within the classroom but involve students applying learning through hands-on activities. An example is a group of students learning how to test and interpret DNA in a Biology lab.