Experiential Learning Overview

This learning approach is focused on hands-on learning and reflecting. When selecting an objective to learn, students will do so by gaining knowledge on the topic and then extending that learning with hands-on experience. Once the exercise has been completed, the student will then reflect and explain what they learned. This helps them to understand what does and doesn’t work to be most effective in their learning goals.

Applying Experiential Learning to Social Media Awareness

When specifically looking at the topic of how social media affects kids, this can be a beneficial learning approach.

As an example, learners can gather information through a lesson and then put notes from their learning into action. When understanding that the negative points from social media come from what appears online, even without specifically searching for something, social media can still strengthen one’s identity.

As an exercise, learners can, instead of randomly scrolling, look for individuals with similar interests who expand on that topic. This could be about sports and how to improve skills, how to bake a cake, or even how you can better study for math.

Reflection and Benefits for Parents and Youth

Once spending time to complete this, they can reflect on how this activity went, whether they found this easy or difficult to do, if this was still engaging, and if this left them with a better mindset about themselves, rather than what they are watching damaging their self-esteem.

This learning approach is very effective as it would help parents understand how kids could better be consuming social media with the right intentions.

References:

EdTech Books. (n.d.). Using the first principles of instruction. https://edtechbooks.org/lidtfoundations/using_the_first_principles_of_instruction