“Experience” vs. Experiential learning - Tackling the Confusion

Humour me…

Head to any top international school website and search for the word “experience”. I guess that the process of locating the term didn’t take you long. Now look again on that same page, or indeed the entire website, and tell me: is the “experience” mentioned ever defined?

I’m guessing not.

During a recent meeting with a parent in Abu Dhabi, she informed me that she liked the school her son went to because it had “experience learning”. When I probed her for what that meant, she informed me it was due to the Duke of Edinburgh award.

An academic told me that one school experience was the “French Rococo architecture, distinguishable uniforms and celebrity alumni”.

Finally, a teacher friend of mine in China was asked to help “create the same experience for students here as the experience they would receive in our parent school in the UK”…

Confusing much?

Well, the term experience is rather vague, and academics keep fighting about how we define or conceptualize it. From Latin we find experiri: to ‘try’ and we assume (perhaps incorrectly) it requires some form of active verb and doing. But that doesn’t really help us either, as surely no school website wants to market itself as a place to come and just ‘try’.

To be clear, the “experience” marketed on school websites is not the same as experiential education, the two terms are not synonymous with one another and are by no means interchangeable. Allow me to explain further.

Experiential Learning

Let’s start with the easy easier one.

Within a school context experiential learning is a form of teaching, and it’s overwhelmingly positive. It is rooted in some respected theory that combines pedagogy, psychology and philosophy (see Dewey, Kolb, Piaget, Lewin). It is learner-centred and allows for moments of synthesis and reflection. What makes it fun is that it is engaging, participatory, sensorial, memorable, immersive and co-authored. Pupils understand topics rather than know about them.

Some schools are already doing this, and some are doing it well. They understand that it is high time we stopped delivering didactic modes of imparting knowledge through traditional teaching methods and instead designed experiences for/with pupils. Bloom World Academy in Dubai is a good example, with over 100 learning pathways and 50 learning activities for pupils to choose from. Some of the practical examples I have gleaned from different schools around the world include internships, fieldwork, role-play, cooking and learning walks.

Is it beneficial? From my personal practice, undoubtedly. It permits modes of critical thinking and problem-solving. It builds confidence and allows for creativity. It provides moments of reflection all the while cultivating curiosity. It calls upon emotional and social intelligence and increases the chance of retention through the creation of memorable moments. Kids get it because they are a part of it.

My tip is that if you see “experiential education” on a school website – then keep reading.

Experience

Education does not exist in a place cut off from the reaches of market demands, specifically that of an experience economy. What once was a cup of coffee is now a coffee experience, train journey = customer experience, eating out = dining experience, education = the school experience. So, what does it mean?

The “experience” referred to on most school websites is clever marketing, it’s a buzzword that benefits from its ambiguity whilst simultaneously invoking feelings of brand quality and prestige. It’s not mendacious per se, but it's murky. I have dedicated the last six months to figuring out exactly what schools are gesturing towards when they use the term, and I have my theory on it. I have a list of 21 component parts of what I think some of them are referring to, and all those secrets (and more) will be released in my chapter submission within the 2026 Edward Elgar Research Handbook on International Schools.

The UAE boasts the highest number of international school-educated students in the world. That’s a lot of different “experiences” being marketed and traded to consumers. So how do customers choose the right “experience” for their child? It is within this conjecture that Carfax Education kicks in. We are leading experts in understanding the international school market, and we are well poised to match the “experience” your child needs to what schools can realistically provide. Our service is bespoke, immersive, and creative and it’s co-authored by the customer. Sound familiar?

My tip is that if you see “experience” on a school website – tread carefully – and then give Carfax a call.

Written by: Tyrone Leon Ruth – Director: Carfax Abu Dhabi – Doctoral Candidate

Tyrone Ruth - Director: Carfax Education Abu Dhabi

Tyrone is privileged to have had a wealth of experience founding, leading, training and teaching at some of the very best international schools around the globe. Further, as a doctoral researcher in international education, he understands the global education market at a granular level. His research interests have led him to become respected as a contributor at conferences, in the media, as well as in academic writing; with a work currently in publication. Tyrone’s unwavering ambition to “help curious minds navigate tumultuous times” allows him to keep the pupil journey at the very centre of his work. A seasoned educationalist, Tyrone has the breadth of knowledge required to deliver bespoke and co-authored solutions for families looking to enhance their chances at success.