While this is positive and usually cuts the amount of time instructors need to lecture, it does not necessarily mean that course preparation time will decrease. Yet active participation in learning seems too important to be quashed by these drawbacks. These subjects participated in a four-day laboratory that provided a planned experience in a prescribed environment with a focus on learning about nature. In his statistical evaluation of the laboratory, Jernstedt found that individuals who participated in experiential learning activities were significantly more efficient workers and achieved higher grades than those who were taught passively or through highly directed learning. This can be seen in terms of a feedback loop.
Students participate in an activity that helps link theory and practice.
As students begin to understand concepts and apply them, they become excited and motivated to learn, thus spurring on new experiential activities. Another benefit of using experience in the classroom is the increased ability of students to transfer salient learning to other settings and situations. Experiential education, therefore, promotes the transference of knowledge and skills. Perhaps the community as a whole benefits most from bringing experiential learning into the environmental studies classroom. Students who experience the environment behave differently.