Experiential Learning in Online Courses: How to Get Started

Let’s face it, managing experiential learning in online courses can be tricky. Forget hands-on project work, team meetings in bustling coffee shops, or fieldwork at the local park—online classes often seem stuck with just chats and video calls.

But here’s the good news: experiential learning doesn’t need to disappear from your online course. Just stick around, and you’ll find practical tips on easily incorporating real-world experiences into your digital classroom.

Coming up, we’ll cover the perks, actionable strategies, possible bumps in the road, and what the future holds for experiential learning online.

How Experiential Learning Enhances Online Courses

Have you ever sat through an online class and thought, “this would be so much better if I could actually do something instead of just watching?” Yeah, me too.

That’s where experiential learning steps in—that hands-on, practical approach that doesn’t just tell you stuff but lets you try it yourself.

In regular online courses, you’re mostly just watching videos or reading stuff, then taking quizzes—but with experiential learning, you’re actively involved through tasks like projects, simulations, or real-life problem solving.

It feels way more natural, doesn’t it?

Studies show that about 68% of people who complete hands-on experiential learning receive job offers afterward—meaning employers clearly value practical experience, even if the learning happened online.

For example, if you’re taking an online digital marketing course, you might not just watch lectures—you’d actually run real social media ad campaigns or design website landing pages.

This isn’t just cool—it’s super helpful because it builds actual skills employers want to see.

And a bonus: Experiential learning keeps you from zoning out or feeling overwhelmed, making it way easier to follow along and remember what you learn.

Benefits of Experiential Learning in Online Courses

Okay, so what’s really in it for you if you enroll in an online course using experiential learning?

For starters, you’re going to feel way more connected to what you’re learning.

Normal lectures or readings can sometimes feel like a chore, let’s be honest—but actually doing stuff keeps you awake and interested.

According to research referenced by universities, hands-on learning massively boosts student engagement compared to passive learning, although exact stats for online experiential learning aren’t fully detailed yet.

Also, you’ll become way more confident when applying knowledge because you’ve already practiced it.

This makes a huge difference, especially when you’re trying to land a job afterward—you can actually say you’ve done this stuff instead of just learned theory.

Need another perk? Experiential learning helps you build your problem-solving muscles.

Instead of panicking when you hit a real-world snag because you’ve only seen theory, you’ll already know how to handle unexpected challenges in practical scenarios.

Strategies to Implement Experiential Learning

Want to incorporate experiential learning into an online course you’re creating or instructing? Awesome—let’s talk strategies that actually work.

First off, ditch pure theory; instead, create assignments and tasks that mimic realistic situations your students will face later.

For instance, in online business courses, have students create a business plan or pitch their ideas to a panel in a virtual shark-tank scenario.

Setting clear learning goals for each activity is also key because experiential learning thrives when students understand exactly why they’re doing what they’re doing.

If you’re new to online teaching, you might want to check out some effective teaching strategies to help guide your lesson planning.

Another thing—don’t just throw tasks at people and walk away; make sure you’re offering useful guidance and feedback to keep things productive.

Consider also mixing solo tasks with group projects, because experiential learning often works better when people collaborate like they would in real jobs.

Tools that encourage real-time collaboration, like virtual whiteboards or video breakout rooms, can really enhance these group experiences.

Lastly—and this one’s an easy win—include online quizzes or reflective discussions after activities to help learners solidify their knowledge and clarify any questions.

You can easily learn how to make a quiz for students online to keep things engaging without a ton of extra work.

Tackling Challenges in Online Experiential Learning

Wondering what roadblocks you might run into when adding experiential learning to an online course?

You’re not alone—bringing hands-on activities online isn’t always straightforward.

One common problem is technology issues (no surprise there, right?), like unreliable video conferencing software or sketchy internet connections.

To minimize this, choose reliable platforms with solid track records, and always have a backup plan handy, like pre-recorded sessions or downloadable materials students can use offline.

Another concern is that online learners might feel isolated because there’s less face-to-face interaction, and building group cohesion online can be tricky.

To fix this, encourage regular check-ins and use collaborative tools like Slack or Zoom breakout rooms for group discussions.

It helps if you actively build a sense of community by starting casual chats, icebreakers, or group activities that help learners bond beyond course materials.

A biggie that instructors face is giving timely and personalized feedback—it’s easy for students to feel left hanging if feedback takes too long.

A smart way around this is setting a routine; for example, post assignment reviews at a consistent time every week, making feedback a predictable part of the learning process.

If you’d like more tips on structuring feedback effectively, take a look at this guide on effective teaching strategies.

Also, keep an eye on possible barriers to hands-on activities depending on the student’s location—things like lack of available materials or limited local opportunities.

You can tackle this by designing flexible assignments or simulations that don’t rely heavily on physical resources or access to specific facilities.

The Future of Experiential Learning in Online Education

So what’s next for experiential learning in the world of online education?

The good news is that the online learning industry keeps growing, with an expected annual growth rate of about 9.1% from 2018 to 2026, meaning experiential learning online isn’t going anywhere—it’ll probably expand even more.

With tech improvements becoming a regular thing, expect more advanced simulations and virtual reality that will let you practice skills online almost as if you’re doing them in person.

Fancy trying out surgery techniques or piloting an airplane from your living room? Virtual tech might just make that routine for online coursework in the next decade.

Another trend is more personalized and adaptive experiential learning pathways.

This means online courses could eventually recognize your learning style and adapt activities to fit better—for example, if you’re a visual learner, the platform might offer more video or graphic-rich activities instead of text and lectures.

As employers appreciate hands-on experience more, online courses might include increased employer collaboration.

This could translate into more real-world projects, virtual internships, or mentorship opportunities to further bridge the gap between online learning and actual careers.

And with more than one in four students already dipping their toes into online learning since 2014, expect online and experiential learning methods to become even more commonly combined as tech gets better and demand from students increases.

Overall, the future looks bright and packed full of practical experiences—exciting times ahead for students (and instructors!) passionate about hands-on learning.

FAQs