Skills and capabilities

Browse skills and capabilities developed through classroom-based experiential learning designs.

A diverse range of capabilities and skills were specifically targeted by different piloted activities or developed incidentally through the students’ work. These were often recognised by students through self-reported data or demonstrated in their assignments. Skills are commonly considered in relation to the idea of transferability to future careers. The development of capability, a term defined by Markauskaite et al. (2022) as " human qualities and potential to do certain things and achieve desired outcomes" (p. 2) has become particularly important due to the emergence and adoption of AI. These uniquely human capabilities include self-regulated learning skills; learner agency; knowledge construction; awareness of own learning practices; effective judgement and critical discernment; creative thinking; meaning and sense making; awareness of own values; and ethical positioning in relation to other in society (Markauskaite et al., 2022). Recently, the term adaptive capabilities has also emerged to describe high-level capacities that allow students and graduates to adapt their skills and knowledge to different contexts, particularly in AI-enabled environments (Lodge et al. 2026).  Developing these capabilities requires exposure to diverse authentic activities where creation – rather than consumption – of knowledge is key, supported by effective scaffolding and feedback mechanisms. The range of authentic and experiential learning activities that are highlighted in this toolkit all encompass elements of these important capabilities and are grouped below based on broad commonalities.

  • Integration of theory into practice is central to experiential learning. Getting students to transfer abstract ideas into real-world contexts enhance their understanding and builds ability to think critically and apply judgement. Active learning in contexts that simulate the everyday reality mitigates the perception that theory classes only involve a lot of difficult readings and assignments which are only loosely connected to the real world (Eglitis, 2010). It incentivises learning, builds imagination and interaction, promotes information processing and synthesis, and cognitively complex thinking (Simpson & Elias, 2011). Immersion in real-world contexts develops empathy, social awareness, and acceptance of diverse viewpoints (Siegel-Stechler & Gee, 2023).

    Browse examples of knowledge transfer.

    • Learning media through simulated play: Real-world media agency task of producing written media piece allowed practical and theoretical work to be combined and enhanced understanding of concepts and application of theory.
    • Learning social theory through everyday conversations: Transforming Sociology texts into real-world dialogues allowed students to capture essential elements of the theories and explain their real-world relevance.
    • Stepping into francophone cities: Video immersion into four diverse francophone cities allowed students to gain first-hand knowledge of classroom language in the ‘real’ world.
    • Diving into Global Politics: Involvement in representing nations for a UN simulation allowed students to understand the nuances and constraints of applying international political theory to a real-world case.

  • When experiential designs engage students in collaborative work, students can co-create real-world outputs or engage in purpose-driven collective inquiry. These activities, in turn, build their ability to collaborate, exchange ideas and work towards shared goals. Positive interdependence, where students perceive that each member's contribution is necessary for successful completion of the task, develops both individual and collective accountability and builds students' abilities to support and facilitate each other's work (Scager et al., 2016). Group tasks with elements that are open-ended and provide students with the autonomy to self-direct their own learning prompt deeper collaboration and a shared sense of competence and satisfaction at completion (Elsdon et al., 2026).

    Browse examples of co-creation and collaborative inquiry.

    • Follow the Guide! Virtual exhibitions: Co-creation of exhibition related to Italian society and/or history through virtual exhibition software required students to collaborate closely, communicate precisely, and support and depend on each other.
    • Objects as lasting experiences: The multiple interpretations generated through engaging with ancient objects provided opportunities for groups of students to co-create possible understandings by navigating difference and sharing knowledge.
    • Learning media through simulated play: Working in teams to co-create media outputs necessitated collaborative generation of ideas as well as accountability to each other to develop the skill of meeting deadlines.
    • Learning social theory through everyday conversations: Co-scripting dialogues focused on key theoretical readings created the impetus to engage deeply with the reading and co-create understandings through expressing concepts in their own words.

  • Experiential designs can bring authenticity to language learning. While this supports the development of language skills, it also enhances students’ intercultural understanding. Digital tools can be utilised to immerse students virtually in places and spaces not easily accessible to students physically, fostering language competency and cultural knowledge in real world-like situations (Berns et al., 2018). Interaction with visual art and artefacts creates experiential opportunities for students to go beyond a largely functional focus of language learning to a more personal and engaging learning experience that is culturally connected (Abdelhadi et al., 2020). Experiential learning activities which enable students to practice in real-life settings and utilise artifacts which capture the real world can enhance fluency, deepen understanding, and foster reflection and critical thinking (Raach & Bellemmouche, 2024).

    Browse examples of activities that develop language skills and intercultural understanding.

    • Follow the Guide! Virtual exhibitions: Engaging with art and artifacts associated with periods of Italian history and creating student-led narratives presented as gallery walk-throughs transformed classroom-bound language into language of life.
    • Stepping into francophone cities: Video immersion into diverse francophone cities enhanced students understanding of cultural and cultural complexity of the global settings where French is spoken.

  • When integrated with technology, experiential designs can create opportunities for building digital literacy and sensibility. Particularly where they are tasked with creating their own digital tools, individually or in groups, students not only develop practical skills, they are also enabled to develop and internalise their own strategies for regulating and taking ownership of learning (Yang, 2026). Tutor support and scaffolding, cyclical engagement, and self-reflection phases are important aspects for technology-integrated activities to be fully beneficial (Martins et al., 2024). It is also important to focus on the design and learning benefits first before selecting a suitable tech tool.

    Browse examples of activities that develop digital literacy.

  • Exposing students to simulated real-world contexts and situations prompted them to be empathetic and put themselves in someone else’s shoes. Students may be more open to the perspectives of their fellow students through deep and engaging group work. Working with objects and real-world art and artifacts is a strong catalyst for social interaction and peer learning (Kukhareva et al., 2020), allowing students to be “surprised by the different perspectives of other [students]” (Kador et al., 2017, p. 62). Activities that activate imagination and immerse students in the experiences of others allow them to gain experiential understanding of historical, cultural and/or social structures and forces, and how these affect individuals (Simpson & Elias, 2011).

    Browse examples of activities that develop empathy and encourage perspective-taking.

    • Follow the Guide! Virtual exhibitions: Students worked with virtual objects to identify and represent the real-world narratives that these relate to. Along with deep research, this activity allowed students to gain understanding of the lived reality of these people during these periods of Italian history.
    • Stepping into francophone cities: Immersive video walkthroughs of diverse global cities gave students skills to better imagine the lives of others.
    • Objects as lasting experiences: Students had the opportunity to interpret the use or purpose of ancient objects through their own and other students’ analytic engagement, allowing them to imagine life in the ancient world.
    • Diving into Global Politics: Participating in and reflecting on the UN simulation built students’ subjective engagement with their learning and the ability to better understand the different beliefs and intentions of the nations involved.

  • Experiential designs can develop students independent research capability by getting students to solve real-world problems or create authentic outputs. An open-ended brief and wide-ranging potential solutions to a real-world task or research project provide students with autonomy to self-direct their own learning and activate their interest and motivation (Elsdon et al., 2026). These activities are a meeting point between workplace-like tasks, student's interests, and academic assessment, and provide "real-world relevance, collaboration, reflection, and practical outputs in measurable terms” (Peltola, 2018, p. 325).

    Browse examples of activities that build students’ independent research skills.

    • Building a chatbot to learn with and about learning with AI: Students needed to draw on their research skills in finding relevant sources to effectively train an AI chatbot to converse about their topics.
    • Follow the Guide! Virtual exhibitions: Developing virtual exhibitions required students to research their topics deeply and identify artworks and/or objects which effectively represent their findings.
    • Objects as lasting experiences: Working directly with unfamiliar objects from the ancient world, students needed to rely on their research skills to allow them to formulate possible interpretations of the objects function and/or purpose.

  • Reflection is a key feature of effective experiential learning designs. Getting students to reflect in action or on action creates opportunities to extend learning and engage in meta-learning (Panadero, 2017). Through embedded reflections students strengthen their subject matter knowledge, while also improving how they learn through self-regulation. Supporting student reflection with timely and targeted feedback guides metacognition and scaffolds students to effectively internalise strategies for regulating and taking ownership of learning (Yang, 2026).

    Browse examples of activities that build self-regulation and metacognitive skills.

    • Building a chatbot to learn with and about learning with AI: A built-in pedagogical reflection in their assessment prompted students to develop metacognitive skills to appraise the value of the learning activity they undertook in educational terms.
    • Diving into Global Politics: Specified pauses for reflection that were built into the UN activity gave students space to step back and contemplate the positions of their allocation nation and those of other students, enhancing understanding and learning.
    • Learning social theory through everyday conversations: In transferring concepts from theoretical readings into everyday language through dialogue creation, students were able to understand how various forms of expression can consolidate understanding.

  • Authentic collaborative situations encourage students to communicate, plan, build consensus, and manage their time while being accountable to others. Students, thus, strengthen their teamwork skills and their ability to self-manage and develop greater self-awareness (McKay & Sridharan, 2024). Other benefits of well-designed group projects include developing students’ recognition of the importance of diverse teams in contributing different perspectives and ideas for a better outcome, and experiencing the value of inclusion, not just in terms of diverse contributions but also in considering other’s difficulties (Elsdon et al., 2026).

    Browse examples of activities that build teamwork and self-management skills.

    • Follow the Guide! Virtual exhibitions: Students learnt to collaborate deeply and rely on each other to accomplish the required steps to co-create a virtual exhibition space.
    • Objects as lasting experiences: Sharing their interacting with unfamiliar artifacts with other students in groups and discussing variations between their interpretations created an enriching learning experience.
    • Learning media through simulated play: Emulating the process of working in a team to produce written media in the real-world, student could experience a collaborative practice and develop negotiation, listening and consensus seeking skills.

  • Abdelhadi, R., Hameed, L., Khaled, F., & Anderson, J. (2020), Creative interactions with art works: Engaging approach to Arabic language-and-culture learning. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 14(3), 273-289.

    Berns, A., Mota, J.M., Ruiz-Rube, I., & Dodero, J.M., (2018). Exploring the potential of a 360° video application for foreign language learning. TEEM'18: Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Technological Ecosystems for Enhancing Multiculturality , 776-80.

    Eglitis, D. S. (2010). Performing Theory: Dramatic Learning in the Theory Classroom. Teaching Sociology, 38(4), 340-349.

    Elsdon, M., Hayman, R., & Agrawal, P. (2026). The impact of group-based experiential learning in developing undergraduate societal engineering skills: a case study within a United Kingdom Post-92 university. European Journal of Engineering Education, 51(3), 643-659.

    Kador, T., Chatterjee, H., & Hannon, L. (2017). The materials of life: Making meaning through object-based learning in twenty-first century higher education. In B. Carnell, & D. Fung (Eds.), Developing the higher education curriculum: Research-based education in practice (pp. 61-74). UCL Press.

    Kukhareva, M., Lawrence, A., & Koulle, K. (2020). Layers of interaction: Object-based learning driving individual and collaborative active enquiry. In S. Pratt, U. Richter, & M. Warnes (Eds.), Innovation in active learning in higher education. Open Press University of Sussex.

    Lodge, J. M., de Barba, P., Ainscough, L., Brazil, J. R., Broadbent, J., Ebbert, D., Frankland, S., Gabriel, F., Gašević, D., Hennicke, T., Lim, L.-A., Male, S. A., Mirriahi, N., Oliveira, E. A., Pacitti, H., Raković, M., Russell, J., Taylor-Griffiths, D., & Yang, S. (2026). Assuring quality learning in a gen AI-integrated future: The role of adaptive capabilities. Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.

    Markauskaite, L., Marrone, R., Poquet, O., Knight, S., Martinez-Maldonado, R., Howard, S., Tondeur J., De Laat, M., Buckingham Shum, S., Gasevic D., Siemens, G., (2022). Rethinking the entwinement between artificial intelligence and human learning: What capabilities do learners need for a world with AI? Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 3, 1-16.

    Martins, L., Fernández-Ferrer, M., & Eloi Puertas, E. (2024). Analysing conversation pathways with a chatbot tutor to enhance self-regulation in higher education. Education Sciences 14(6), 590-611.

    McKay, J., & Sridharan, B. (2024) Student perceptions of collaborative group work (CGW) in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 49(2), 221-234.

    Panadero, E., (2017). A review of self-regulatedlLearning: Six models and four directions for research. Frontiers in Psychology 8, 1-28.

    Peltola, A. (2018). The classroom as think tank: Small groups, authentic exercises, and instructional scaffolding in an advanced writing course. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 30(2), 322-333.

    Raach, E. & Bellemmouche, H. (2024). The Role of Experiential Learning in Teaching Language Skills. Journal for Educators, Teachers and Trainers, 15(3), 312-320.

    Scager, K., Boonstra, J., Peeters, T., Vulperhorst, J.,  & Wiegant, F. (2016).Collaborative learning in higher education: Evoking positive interdependence. CBE Life Sciences Education, 15(4).

    Siegel-Stechler, K., &  Gee, G. (2023) Political and international affairs simulations and college students’ civic development. International Studies Perspectives 24, 115–127.

    Simpson, J. M., & Elias, V. L. (2011). Choices and chances: The sociology role-playing game—The sociological imagination in practice. Teaching Sociology, 39(1), 42–56.

    Yang, L. (2026). Empowering the autonomous learner: How AI-assisted language learning environments shape self-regulation, autonomy, and self-directed behaviors. Language Teaching Research, 1-23.