In this episode of Mindset in Motion, we delve into the realm of experiential education (EL) and explore its concepts, implementations, and potential for creating intentional, compassionate, and effective educational frameworks. Join us as we engage in a thought-provoking conversation with Josh Meyer, a seasoned educationalist in the field of experiential learning (EL), who shares his insights and experiences from his journey as a student to a successful career spanning many years in EL and higher education.
Together, we embark on a journey to understand the existing ideas and definitions surrounding experiential education and emphasize the need for further contextualization to enhance its long-term outcomes — for all stakeholders involved. Emergent from this episode is the importance of developing clear, concise, and collectively agreed-upon frameworks of EL and the recognition that a unified understanding of its descriptors can help pave the way for a promising and innovative future in post-secondary education (and learners’ lives).
Drawing inspiration from the powerful example of forest schools, Meyer highlights the lasting virtues inherent in students reconnecting with nature and how a holistic approach, like this, contributes to a deeper connection with not just learning but oneself and our natural world.
This enlightening episode is chock-full of insightful perspectives that help bridge the thinking gap between theory and practice in experiential education – supporting us get us started, together. As Meyer explores, it’s through our collective efforts that we can create intentional, compassionate, and effective experiential education frameworks – taking EL from ‘field’ to ‘pedagogy’ to “just good teaching”.
About Josh Meyer
Josh Meyer is an educationalist with expertise in experiential education; nature-based learning; mind, brain, and education; educational psychology; proficiency-based education; the foundations of education; and leadership studies. He currently resides in Bozeman, MT where he works as a researcher at Montana State University. Prior to that he coordinated the M.S. in Experiential Education at Minnesota State University. Outside of academia, Josh owns a small business called Innovative Adventures through which he consults, teaches leadership, and runs outdoor education programs. Looking ahead, Josh seeks to be part of the efforts to define and operationalize experiential education so it can be implemented more broadly throughout conventional education.
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