Chapter 13: International Experiential Learning: Promise, Pitfalls, and Future Directions

Based in the works of Lewin, Dewey, and Piaget, and popularized by Kolb (1984), experiential learning (EL) is the process of learning through a cycle of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract hypotheses, and active testing (Kolb & Kolb, 2005). Importantly, EL theory focuses on learning as a process, rather than on the content or outcomes of that process (Kolb, 1984).

EL is particularly important in comprehensive internationalization, as many of the strategies institutions use to internationalize their campuses involve engaging students in EL (e.g., education abroad and internationalizing the co-curriculum). This is not surprising; direct experience with people from other cultures is generally the best way to learn about other cultures and develop cross-cultural understanding (Allport, 1954; Pettigrew & Tropp, 2005). However, not all experiences are created equal. As Dewey (1938) argued, we must pay attention to the quality of the educational experiences we are facilitating with and for students, noting, “the belief that all genuine education comes about through experience does not mean that all experiences are genuinely educative” (p. 25). Without clear learning objectives, facilitation, and opportunity for reflection, it is possible that international EL programs might lead to “mis-educative” rather than desired outcomes.