The Association for Experiential Education (AEE) defines experiential education as “a philosophy and methodology in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills and clarify values.” Anyone who teaches her students through direct experience is considered by the AEE to be an experiential educator.
Experiential Learning and the Millennial Generation
The Millennial Generation (also known as “Generation Y”) – children born in the 1980s and 1990s – are a particularly active, impatient group. They are heavily involved in extra-curricular and community activities, and they want to know that the activities they engage in, particularly in a classroom setting, will have an impact on their present and future lives. Actively engaging this generation both inside and outside the classroom will help them to better learn and retain information.