Role of Experiential Learning in PGDM

Experiential learning experiences help to complete students' preparation for their chosen careers which reinforce course content and theory. Students learn through students rather than instructor-centered experiences by doing, exploring and applying.

Experiential Learning is a concept in which educators purposefully engage with students in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills and clarify values. 

Experiential learning boosts learners' willingness to learn. It generates more autonomous learners, expands knowledge/skill transfer to the workplace. It cultivates more meaningful learning when incorporated into corporate training programs. The PGDM/MBA programs of top business institutes like IPS Business School, Jaipur; IIHMR, Jaipur; and Poddar Business School, Jaipur provide Experiential Learning. Experiential learning activities can include, but are not limited to, hands-on laboratory experiments, Internships, field exercises, study abroad, research and innovation, etc.

Poddar Business School organized an International Conference on ‘Sustainable Business Environment and Innovative Practices’. The Conference comprised thought provoking sessions with many management learning activities and interesting games. Well-planned, supervised and assessed experiential learning programs can stimulate academic inquiry by promoting inter-disciplinary learning, civic engagement, career development, cultural awareness, leadership, and other professional and intellectual skills.

PGDM program of Poddar Business School offers Internships and here students can also work as volunteers. Experiential Learning encompasses all the following components:

• Reflection, critical analysis and synthesis
• Opportunities for students to take initiative, make decisions and be accountable for the results
• Opportunities for students to engage intellectually, creatively, emotionally, socially or physically
• A designed learning experience that includes the possibility to learn from natural consequences, mistakes and successes
• Experiences are carefully chosen for their learning potential (i.e. whether they provide opportunities for students to practice and deepen emergent skills, encounter novel and unpredictable situations that support new learning or learn from natural consequences, mistakes, and successes)
• Experiential learning in Top PGDM/MBA programs helps students develop healthy professional habits like reflection, experimentation and continuous development. This makes them more competitive in the job market. Experiential learning opportunities also enables students explore what lies beyond their comfort zones and
• Learners are engaged intellectually, emotionally, socially and physically, which produces a perception that the learning task is authentic. Relationships are developed and nurtured: learner to self, learner to others and learner to the world, at large

Poddar Business School organized a Workshop on Creating an Ecosystem for Start-ups for nearly 250 students. These events encourage learning by doing concept. It was found that the most-desired skills for business school graduates were inter-personal skills, leadership, ability to manage decision-making processes, motivation and learning. Experiential learning strengthens all of these skills. Experiential learning encourages collaboration as students work together for problem solving.

Growing Popularity of Experiential Learning in Management Education

The popularity of the experiential learning methodology is due to many factors like the increasing discontent with traditional education, the desire to create more inclusive and active learning atmosphere and identifying a role that individual differences play in management learning. Further, a renewed interest in Experiential Learning has introduced new and expanded conceptualizations of what Experiential Learning means.