Key to safe experiential learning: Experiencing what students would experience

“Experience is the fourth teacher,” stressed Simon Joyce, Head of Co-curricular activities, The ISF Academy as he discussed about experiential learning.

“The ISF Academy strongly supports experiential learning. We believe that through experiences, students have a deeper learning and a better understanding of subject curriculum through their experiences on overseas programs. In addition, they have opportunities to further develop soft skills like perseverance and determination. In short, experiential learning helps build their character so that they are more resilient to challenges in life.”

That explains why the ISF Academy have a large and diverse range of overseas activities and Hong Kong-based activities. While the school provides such learning experience, they are serious about safeguarding the students socially, emotionally and physically.

Said Simon, "When planning any of our programmes, we have to deal with risks and we need methods to manage and mitigate risks."

One method is for Simon and his team to visit destinations and experience first-hand what students will experience, this Simon feels is a risk management fundamental.

"We plan and go through the whole process ourselves before the students go to a destination. We conduct risk assessments. We meet the people involved in the programme. We participate in the activities that the students will take part in so that we have a very good understanding of the whole process."

The "micro-assessments" are divided into four sections, accommodation, food, transport and activities. For example, when checking a restaurant, there is a long list of items to watch out for, Do the staff wear badges and are they in uniform? Does the restaurant allow public access to the kitchen? Are the toilets clean, and is there hand soap and toilet paper?

Food and Beverage is examined in detail. Said Simon: "We need to know the cooking ingredients and establish if the food contains peanuts or shellfish, what type of cooking oil is used and many more. We are very cautious about food for two reasons: Firstly, food poisoning will affect a large number of participants. Secondly, food is significant to the experiences that the students have. For instance, when students are in Sichuan we want to include a few hot dishes for them to try. If we cannot have these dishes it limits the experiences for students and therefore the learning opportunities."

To Simon the importance of site visit cannot be emphasised more. Some places are eye-opening but all involve an element of risk for students.

Simon said, "If you select a destination just from a beautiful brochure or from a brief meeting and send the students there without any prior visit, then you are taking on significant risk. If a village has a social problem due to extreme poverty; or road access is limited during inclement weather; or medical care is not immediately available, then the destination may not be suitable for students, but you will not know until you go there!"

At ISF Academy, the first-hand experience from site visit is then passed along to staff accompanying students on the programme. Simon and his team give programme leaders a rundown of the destination which includes images.

"The slideshow has a lot of photos to let programme leaders know whom to meet at the airport, which bus they will be taking, where the activities take place, location of the hotel, etc."

The sharing of site visit experience helps equip the programme leaders, For example, simply for airport arrival, Simon would show photos of the coach, the pickup point, the person greeting at the airport and signage guiding the way to the pickup point. Presenting all necessary details with photos reduces uncertainties.

With diligent planning via first-hand experience, as well as the efforts and resources spent on action and reflection, the experiential learning provided by the ISF Academy gains parental trust. The participation rate of the experiential learning programmes exceeds 99 per cent.

The ISF Academy actively seeks parents’ participation in day outings in Hong Kong, this strengthens parents understanding of the benefits of experiential learning. "24 weeks each year," said Simon, "we have large groups of students and parents going out for day trips in Hong Kong. This exposure gives an opportunity for parents to see it, experience it and know it. They understand what experiential learning is the benefit of what experiential learning is. Parents see it and know it."