How to Set Up Your Experiential Learning Classroom

What is experiential learning in the classroom, and what does an experiential learning classroom look like? Experiential learning can take place anywhere, including a classroom, and there are particular ways to make experiential learning in a classroom or homeschool learning environment more conducive than others.

For example, experiential learning doesn't include a lot of direct instruction, so having chairs arranged toward the front of the room where a teacher might lecture wouldn't be effective or catering to what experiential learners need.

I worked at a high school with an experiential philosophy for ten years. The school as a whole and my classroom evolved greatly over the years from trial and error. Much of that evolution came from what we were seeing and hearing from the students. We observed their needs and gathered their input, which ultimately led to school and classroom learning environments that supported experiential learning.

In this post I will go over what my learning space looked like. That learning space was designed with the characteristics of experiential learning in mind as well as guidance from the students themselves.

Your school/classroom does not have to look exactly like mine. Describing my learning environment is simply to inspire ideas for your own learning space. 

I encourage you to grab some Post It Notes or a notebook to write down ideas as you read. Take the foundation, the elements of experiential learning, and develop a classroom that works for you and your students.

Put those design elements into place as soon as you can, try them out, and if they don't work try something else or modify the original plan a bit. Begin the evolution of your own incredible experiential learning classroom today and watch it change and grow.

How to Set Up an Experiential Learning Classroom or Homeschool Room

The following is a list of elements to help guide you in designing your experiential learning space. Support experiential learning in your classroom by promoting...

1. Collaboration

Active community collaboration and collaboration with other students in the classroom and school is an important piece of experiential learning, so creating a learning environment that offers space and freedom to effectively collaborate is helpful.

• We have doors between classrooms and we keep those doors open during work time to encourage movement, discussion, and collaboration between students from different classes. 
• A collaborative workspace within the classroom is ideal. I have a large round table in the center of the room where my students spend a large chunk of the day.
• Try to provide collaborative spaces in the school as well. We have a "commons" area where students from all over the school can meet to work on projects. We also have a conference room where students can meet with community collaborators. 

2. Effective Communication

Because experiential learning is real-world, the experiences are not limited to the classroom (figuratively or literally). My students do a lot of self-directed project-based learning, and that entails connecting with community experts. I have a variety of supplies and systems in place to make this part of the learning process easier for everyone.

• Invest in technology that makes communication easier. You may not have the flexibility to get your students out and about working directly with community experts. But virtual communication is an option. So I have a space in my room dedicated to connecting with community experts.
• Have a space where experts can come in and speak. As I said above, we have a commons area, which has a stage where we can support speakers. We also have a conference room for students to meet with experts for self-directed projects one-on-one if the expert is able to come to the school. 
• There is a "front" of my room with a whiteboard and a projector. I rarely use that space to lecture, but when speakers come to my classroom they have somewhere to speak and props to use if needed.

3. School Community

Community within the school builds the foundation for experiential learning. The school community is a learning resource for students. Helping students get used to a more collaborative, active, place-based learning experience starts with the school community and culture that is built together. Community building is essential from the start.

• Have a space where the entire school can come together. Again, for us, this is the commons area. We have weekly, school-wide meetings in this space, advisory challenges, school wide speakers, celebrations, presentation nights, and so much more.  

4. Personalization 

All students work differently. Some students are more productive when they work collaboratively, while others need a quiet, calming space to focus. Some students love to listen to podcasts to gather information for a project, while another might prefer reading, and another interviewing.

We try to get students doing all of these things in time, but each student is unique with specific needs, interests, strengths, challenges, etc. Personal learning is an essential characteristic of experiential learning, so creating a classroom learning environment that is conducive for personalized learning is absolutely essential.

• I have a quiet reading corner with comfy chairs and a small table and a large book shelf with a revolving door of books for students that prefer quiet or like to gather information from books and podcasts.
• I have a larger table in the center of the room where students can work cooperatively if they wish.
• The perimeter of my room is lined with individual desks. Students can sit quietly and read, write, draw, etc. They can check out Chromebooks and bring them to the table where they can work on individual projects.
• Experiential learning has the tendency to be hands-on. The back of my room is a small maker space. It has one rectangle table and bins filled with a variety of tinker, design, and art materials. 
• Our school has a variety of work spaces as well to encourage interest-based learning. We have a science lab, a recording studio, an art studio, and a woodworking shop. 

5. Self-Direction

Experiential learning is self-directed. Students design and lead their own learning experiences that are based around who they are as individuals (personalized experiences). Set up your room in a way that makes self-directed learning smooth and organized to prevent confusion and overwhelm for everyone. 

• I use templates to help students through self-directed learning experiences, such as self-directed project-based learning. I have a specific space in my classroom dedicated to those templates so that my students know exactly where to find them. The templates never move from that spot, encouraging work independence. Students don't have to ask me where the templates are or what to do next, because the room and schedule are both structured around self-directed learning.
• I also have sign up sheets on my wall for various checkpoints. Again, my students do a lot of self-directed PBL, so when they are ready to have a project approved, for example, they sign up for an approval meeting on that sign up sheet. Those sign up sheets are ALWAYS in the same place so there is no confusion or over-asking.
• Checkpoint visuals help. My students have a variety of organizational tools, such as their PBL calendars, but it also helps to have a quick reference for each checkpoint. Having a post on your wall with the major steps in the PBL process might be helpful, for example.

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6. Real-World

Real-world connections is the essence of experiential learning, in my opinion. It all boils down to making learning relevant and meaningful for the kids, and that means connecting learning experiences with real-life. But how can your learning environment support real-world learning, especially for those of you that do not have the flexibility of getting beyond the walls of your classroom? Make the world accessible.

• Similar to the communication piece of this post, make sure your classroom is set up in a way that promotes communication and collaboration within the community. That might mean hosting a weekly video conference with an expert on a specific topic, for example. Have the supplies and space in place to do things like this.
• I have made it a point to invest in research tools that are real-world and credible. My students have access to a variety of online libraries and scientific publications, the school has made it a point to subscribe to a variety of magazines, we pay for a variety of news publications, and more. This is important for those of you that can't get outside of the building. Bring the real-world content and issues to your students.

7. Innovation

Design your workspace and have supplies that encourage innovation. One of my favorite parts of self-directed project-based learning is how students demonstrate learning. They are required to produce an innovative final product to showcase learning vs. taking a test or quiz. They then add learning outcomes to their own personal learning portfolios to showcase learning. 

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I have seen students create the most amazing, innovative final products in my 10 years in experiential education. It is fascinating to watch and be a part of. But it is important to have an experiential classroom that encourages innovation. 

• Have a variety of materials available to students. I have found that a maker space and digital product creation resources available is all you need. Occasionally I'll get a request for something that we don't already have access to, but that is rare. Digital final product creation resource examples include Canva, iMovie, Google Sketchup, etc.
• It is also helpful to use your school as a blank canvas. I understand this approach isn't for everyone. Just be open-minded. Our students have developed much of our school layout themselves. We have student murals all over our walls, our students built our stage, and they even built our desks. Our students built a photography studio, a screen printing room, and our recording studio (all with donations/grants).

As I've already said, these are just ideas. You will get to know your students, learn about their interests and needs, discover and work around limitations, and those things will guide you in the process of developing the best experiential learning classroom for YOU and your STUDENTS. 

Reach out anytime for guidance or questions! 

And check out my free experiential learning poster for classroom decor. Put it up on your wall to remind your students of what experiential learning really means.

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