Utilizing Experiential Design

Written By Laura Lawson

Learning by Moving: Why Experiential Design Matters More Than Ever

As learning designers, we’re constantly encouraged to “make it interactive” — but what does meaningful interactivity look like in practice?

True interactivity isn’t just about clicks or quizzes. It’s about engaging mind and body through experiential learning, where learners construct knowledge through direct experience, reflection, and application (Kolb, 1984).

Lately, I’ve been exploring how embodied cognition and kinesthetic learning can elevate digital learning experiences. The idea? That cognition isn’t confined to the brain — it's shaped by the entire body and environment (Wilson, 2002).

Here are a few recent prototypes I created that embody these principles:

🎤 Pitch Explorer
Learners physically engage with pitch by listening, vocalizing, and experimenting — reinforcing audio-linguistic connections through repetition and feedback.

🌀 Dynamic Movement
This activity invites learners to consider movement as an expressive tool, linking physical motion to concepts like intention, musical weight, and volume — aligning with constructivist and somatic learning theories.

🎵 Tempo & Rhythm
An exploration of musical tempo through active, timed interaction, encouraging learners to embody rhythm in a tactile, timing-based sequence.

These activities draw on several key principles:

  • Experiential Learning Theory (Kolb, 1984): Knowledge emerges through experience, reflection, and experimentation.

  • Multimodal Learning (Fleming & Mills, 1992): Combining auditory, visual, and kinesthetic modalities improves comprehension and retention.

  • Embodied Cognition (Barsalou, 2008): The body actively shapes the way we think and learn.

  • Constructivism (Piaget, Vygotsky): Learners construct meaning through authentic, context-rich engagement.

In a time when digital learning is often passive, we need to ask:
📌 How are we encouraging learners to experience concepts — not just observe them?

Let’s keep pushing the boundaries of what "interactive" can mean in instructional design.

I’d love to hear how others are incorporating movement, sensory experience, or physical metaphor into digital learning spaces.

#LearningDesign #InstructionalDesign #ExperientialLearning #EmbodiedCognition #Elearning #EdTech #LearningScience #ArticulateStoryline #IDCommunity #DesignThinking

References

Barsalou, L. W. (2008). Grounded cognition. Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 617–645. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.59.103006.093639

Fleming, N. D., & Mills, C. (1992). Not another inventory, rather a catalyst for reflection. To Improve the Academy, 11(1), 137–155. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2334-4822.1992.tb00213.x

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice-Hall.

Piaget, J. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children (M. Cook, Trans.). International Universities Press. (Original work published 1936)

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

Wilson, M. (2002). Six views of embodied cognition. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 9(4), 625–636. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196322

Thank you for joining me today! Let’s keep learning altogether, as lifelong #LearningMatters.

Best,
Laura Lawson
LearningMatters, LLC
Instructional Designer

Laura Lawson
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