From Theory to the Real World: How Experiential Learning Bridges the Gap

Experiential learning is an approach to education that focuses on practical, hands on experiences to enhance the learning process. This approach is becoming increasingly popular as more employers recognise the power of experiential learning in engaging and motivating learners, helping them to develop critical thinking skills, and preparing them for the real world.

The core idea behind experiential learning is that learners learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning process, rather than simply listening to PowerPoints or reading textbooks. This means that learners are encouraged to take an active role in their own learning, by participating in activities that allow them to apply what they have learned in a real-world setting.

One of the key benefits of experiential learning is that it helps learners develop critical thinking skills. By engaging in hands on activities, learners are forced to think on their feet and make decisions in real time. This helps them to develop their problem solving abilities and to learn how to think more creatively about solutions to problems they are likely to encounter. At Fieri, we engage learners in an experiential scenario and follow up with a debriefing session, where learners are encouraged to reflect on their participation, what went well, and what they would do differently.

Experiential learning is also effective in engaging learners outside of the office. When studying in their day-to-day office, many learners find it difficult to focus on learning for extended periods of time without thinking about the tasks they need to catch up on at work. Experiential learning provides an alternative environment that allows these learners to learn in a way that is more engaging and interactive.

Another benefit of experiential learning is that it helps learners to develop relationships will colleagues working across different teams. By working together on projects and activities, learners develop a deeper understanding about the processes and challenges faced by those working in a different area of the business whilst also opening themselves up to different ways of thinking. These skills are essential for success in the real world, both in personal and professional settings.

Fieri experiential learning is also effective in giving learners practical skills that they can directly use in their work environment. Many traditional learning settings focus on theoretical concepts and abstract ideas, but do not provide learners with the opportunity to practice and develop these skills until they return to their office. Experiential learning, on the other hand, provides learners with a theoretical understanding of the skills they need to develop, in addition to the skills they need to have to put that theory into practice.

Apprenticeships are an excellent example of experiential learning, which provides learners with hands-on experience in a professional setting. This type of experiential learning allows learners to gain practical skills and knowledge that they can use in their future careers, and also provides them with valuable opportunities to work with colleagues in different teams. The Fieri apprenticeship programme delivers theory to learners in small segments, then allows them to trail the new skills at work before coming back to Fieri to evaluate how the implementation went.

By engaging learners in activities that allow them to apply what they have learned with Fieri to real-world situations, experiential learning helps to develop critical thinking and prepares learners for current and future scenarios they are likely to encounter over their careers. As employers continue to recognise the value of experiential learning, Fieri continues to grow as an organisation and make a difference to every sector we work in.

Interested in learning about how our experiential learning sessions work? Contact our team directly at: [email protected]