If you look through any of the popular training providers’ websites, sooner or later you will find the infamous word “experiential”. And it’s no surprise! After all, an experiential learning event carries a promise of a fun, interactive, relevant, and applicable experience that goes beyond theory and builds real-world skills. So, we thought we’d take you on a journey through experiential learning and help you apply it to your own L&D interventions.
What is experiential learning?
To answer this question, we need to go back to the 1970’s and visit David Kolb and Ron Fry, who first developed the model. It says that people learn best when they go through 4 stages in a continuous cycle of experience, reflection, thinking, and action. Here they are in more details:
Concrete Experience: doing something, having an actual experience.
Reflective Observation: stepping back and thinking about what just happened.
Abstract Conceptualization: the “What if?” phase, forming hypotheses and ideas based on your reflections.
Active Experimentation: testing the ideas and hypothesis.
Pros and Cons
Experiential learning isn’t just another training buzzword—it actually works. It keeps people engaged and makes learning stick. Instead of just listening, participants do things, which makes the experience more interactive and memorable. Plus, it pushes people to reflect on what happened, helping them connect the dots and learn from real situations. And the best part? It’s super practical. What you learn isn’t just theory—it’s something you can take straight to work and use right away.
Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Experiential learning takes time. You can’t just throw people into an activity and expect magic to happen—it needs planning and debriefing. It can also be pricey, especially if you need special tools, props, or environments. And sometimes, you may need highly skilled facilitators to guide the experience properly. If not done right, it can turn into just another fun activity with no real learning.
How to use it in L&D? + Example
To truly master experiential learning, it takes two things: understanding David Kolb’s experiential learning cycle and practicing it over and over again.
Stage 1: Concrete Experience
The first step – the action – is the foundation upon which learners build their observations, reflections, and insights. For example, I once ran a training session for a customer service outsourcing center. We were working on profiling customers, and I designed a role-playing exercise, in which participants had to respond to complaints from customers with different personality types. Through this, they experienced firsthand the importance of empathy, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness. They also learned practical skills like complaint handling and effective communication strategies. The exercise wasn’t just theoretical, I didn’t have to walk them through each step or deliver a lengthy lecture. It was something they could experience and feel, something that mirrored the challenges they faced in their daily work.
Stage 2: Reflective Observation
This is when learners step back and analyze what happened, comparing it to their previous experiences and knowledge. Reflection can be facilitated in a group, directed by a trainer, or done individually. In the role-play I mentioned above, I encouraged participants to re-evaluate their actions and emotions during the exercise. I asked questions like, “How did you feel when the customer pushed back?” or “What emotions would help you reach a better outcome?” Reflection allows learners to connect the dots between what they’ve done and what they know, setting the stage for deeper understanding.
Stage 3: Abstract Conceptualization
This is where learners need to start forming new ideas or adapting their behavior based on the insights they gained. It’s about creating strategies they can apply in real-world settings. For instance, during the same role-play exercise, I asked participants to compare their actions in the exercise to their actual customer interactions. I asked “What would do differently to reach a better outcome?” or “What could you take from this experience and apply to your next interaction with a difficult customer?” These questions pushed them to think critically and begin forming actionable strategies.
Stage 4: Active Experimentation
Finally, in the active experimentation phase, is where theory meets practice. Learners take the ideas they’ve formed and test them in real-world scenarios. If immediate testing isn’t possible, they create a plan for when and how they’ll experiment in the future. In our example, each participant created a cheat sheet outlining key strategies for handling different personality types. They left the session with a plan they could put into action the very next time they dealt with a complaint. This stage turns learning into doing, which is where the real growth happens.
Tip on using Kolb’s cycle
What makes Kolb’s cycle so versatile is that it doesn’t always have to start with a Concrete Experience. For instance, when coaching a first-time manager, they might come to you with a situation they’ve already encountered. Instead of re-creating the experience, you can start at the Reflective Observation stage by asking, “What happened? How did it happen? How did you feel about it?” Then, guide them into Abstract Conceptualization by exploring the “why” behind the event and brainstorming alternative approaches. Finally, help them plan for Active Experimentation by asking, “What will you do differently next time? What steps will you take? What resources do you need?”
Conclusion
Experiential learning isn’t just a trend—it’s how we naturally grow and improve. Whether you’re designing a training session, coaching a team, or just looking for better ways to help people learn Kolb’s cycle gives you a solid framework to make it happen. So, why not put it to the test? Try incorporating one of these stages into your next session and see the difference for yourself.