From Active to Experiential Learning

Active learning and experiential learning are closely related but not the same. Where active learning moves students from passive listening to purposeful participation, experiential learning goes further by asking them to apply knowledge and skills in authentic, practical, or real-world contexts and to reflect on their learning through the experience.

Making this distinction matters because active learning fosters engagement with concepts, while experiential learning develops skills, judgment, and professional capacity through application and reflection.

At the University of Alberta, experiential learning encompasses a range of approaches that help students connect theory and practice through hands-on work and reflection. These may include community-engaged learning, simulations, practicums, field experiences, applied projects, and other opportunities to learn in authentic contexts.

How active and experiential learning differ

Active learning is the foundation of experiential learning. The key difference lies in the use of authentic tasks, the complexity of the context, and the central role of reflection. Dobbs-Oates and Dorland help to draw out distinctions: 

Design Element	Active Learning	Experiential Learning
Core goal	Builds engagement by analyzing a short case.	Builds skills through application, such as designing a workshop for a community partner.
Context	Usually takes place in course-based settings, such as classrooms.	Often takes place in authentic or practice-based contexts, such as community-engaged projects, but can also occur in classroom and lab settings.
Structure	Often involves clearly defined tasks, such as solving a problem with a clear path.	Usually involves ambiguity, such as a project with no single correct answer.
Reflection	Reflection is usually brief, such as an exit ticket.	Reflection is central, such as a reflective journal.
Time scale	Often happens in short activities, such as a five-minute problem-solving task.	Usually unfolds over time, such as a multi-week team project.

Experiential learning in large classes 

Experiential learning can be incorporated into large classes, but it usually requires more intentional structure. In large enrolment courses, the challenge is not whether experiential learning is possible, but how to design for scale while preserving authentic application, collaboration, and reflection. 

In the context of large classes, it can be helpful to focus on:

• clear instructions and shared structures that help students participate independently or in teams
• manageable reflection built into the learning process rather than added at the end
• authentic but bounded tasks that are realistic without becoming unwieldy
• peer learning and peer feedback that deepen engagement while making feedback more sustainable
• accountability structures that support collaboration in large groups

Research on teaching in large classes points to several practical strategies for scaling experiential learning while maintaining engagement, reflection, and accountability. Agogué and Robinson focus on adapting experiential activities for large classes; Donovan and Hood highlight performative approaches to support interaction at scale; and Thangavadivelu and Joordens emphasize teamwork and student experience in large first-year courses.

Practical strategies for large classes include:

• breaking a lecture into small groups or breakout teams to solve a short applied problem
• using scenario-based exercises where students respond to a realistic dilemma and discuss the consequences of different choices
• building structured peer feedback into Canvas or other course tools so students can reflect on and respond to one another’s work
• assigning team-based mini projects with rotating roles to support participation and accountability
• using short reflection prompts before, during, or after an activity to help students connect theory and practice
• scaffolding larger applied assignments into smaller stages with feedback along the way

Putting it into Practice

As you plan your course, consider these questions:

• Is this activity designed mainly for participation, or to help students build a transferable skill or professional capacity?
• Which of your current activities provide quick engagement, and which create authentic, skill-building experiences?
• If your students were in the workplace tomorrow, what is one unpredictable problem they might face that you could simulate in your course today?
  

Learn more about experiential learning at the U of A

To learn more about experiential learning at the University of Alberta, visit the Experiential Learning Hub. The Hub provides an overview of experiential learning at the U of A and introduces the different types available across campus.

Connect with CTL

Join our monthly Experiential Learning Gatherings to explore topics such as reflection, assessment, and facilitating experiential learning in large classes. These collaborative sessions create space to share examples from your teaching context and work through challenges with colleagues.

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Learn More 

Agogué, M., & Robinson, M. A. (2021). “It does not do to dwell on teaching notes and forget to live”: Instructor perspectives on integrating and adapting existing experiential exercises in large classes. Journal of Management Education, 45(5), 690–714. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562920944976

Dobbs‑Oates, J. (2025). Making Experiential Education Visible Through Definition: A simple, three‑part definition helps practitioners communicate to other stakeholders. Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 8(1), 48–57.  https://journals.calstate.edu/elthe/article/view/4146

Dorland, A. (2024). Designing our thinking: Examining the effects of experiential learning and design thinking on creativity, innovation, and collaboration skills development in the undergraduate classroom. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.1.14235

Donovan, P., & Hood, A. (2021). Experiential learning in the large classroom using performative pedagogy. Journal of Management Education, 45(3), 344–359. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562920965625

Phillipson, A., Riel, A., & Leger, A. B. (2018). Between Knowing and Learning: New Instructors' Experiences in Active Learning Classrooms. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning,  (1). https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2018.1.4

Thangavadivelu, L., & Joordens, S. (2025). Bringing Teamwork and Experiential Learning to Large First Year Classes: The UTSC Approach and the Student Perspective. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2025.1.16493