Over the next three semesters (summer semester 2025 to summer semester 2026), a group of lecturers at RPTU in Kaiserslautern and Landau will be offering courses to obtain a certificate in experiential education. The certificate is partly embedded in courses of the compulsory study program, partly additional courses are offered. After completing the entire range of courses, you will receive certification from the university.

The participants ...

- ... acquire knowledge of the theoretical background of experiential education (including history, concepts, findings on effectiveness and the current state of research).

- ... learn about the differences and differentiation from other educational settings such as adventure education, leisure education, etc. but also the proximity to ESD.

- ... acquire safety-relevant knowledge.

- ... acquire skills and competencies to use various experiential education methods and measures (e.g. exercises, tasks, activities) for their own future professional context, also with a focus on ESD.

- ... face experiential educational challenges themselves in different experiential educational activity spaces, recognize barriers and problems, develop solutions and possible courses of action alone and in the group and reflect on themselves and the overall situation.

- ... develop an understanding of how their students (or other addressees) feel during similar activities through their own primary experiences. Through their own experiences, students have the opportunity to recognize and reflect on personal ways of thinking and feelings and thus develop their own personality.

- ... develop their own (small) projects for the targeted use of experiential education in their own subject/(pedagogical) profession and carry them out or participate in experiential education projects at school.

- ... present these projects to the group of participants for evaluation and reflect on their own experiences with regard to planning and implementation.

The certificate comprises four modules, which participants complete over a period of one to one and a half years.

1 theory-practice module (3-4 days): Participants learn about theoretical concepts of experiential education (historical background, learning models, "reflection models", etc.), building on initial experiential education exercises and activities (e.g. flipping foil, spider web or slackline exercises, etc.). (SoSe 2025 also SoSe 2026)

2 Module Mastering your own challenge: Participants make their own experiences of the effects of experiential education measures during a total of 4 to 5 days of excursion(s) (e.g. experiential education hike in the region) and reflect on these with the aim of transfer. They document their experiences in their own (reflection) diary. (Summer 2025)

3 City Bound module: Participants experience experiential education exercises in urban spaces over 1 to 2 days (each at a different study location) and learn about the origins, principles and benefits of City Bound. They will develop their own ideas for implementation for their own location as an example. (Fall/Winter 2025)

4 (Own) practical module on experiential education in the intended professional field of action: The basic knowledge acquired in modules 1, 2 and 3 is used to implement their own event or measure, thus incorporating knowledge of experiential education, group dynamics, regional studies, ecology and safety. Participants develop an experiential education unit and carry it out with a suitable group of participants (e.g. pupils, extracurricular youth work, students, sports teams or employees), depending on their own field of study. The participants prepare a report with their own reflections. The certificate is completed with a presentation of the participants' projects.

Target group:

Students of all teaching professions as well as students of education and sports science, DISC students, especially in the degree programs Adult Education and Human Resources Development.

Dr. Michael Zimmer-Müller, Center for Empirical Pedagogical Research (zepf; LD);
Dr.in Anna Thomas, Dr.in Claudia Reidick and Jonas Dully, research group Sports Science (KL);
Dr. Ralf Naumer, Institute for Sports Science (LD);
Jun.Prof.in Dr. Susanne Wißhak and Leike Graue, Institute for Company Pedagogy/Personnel Development (LD);
Prof. Dr. Florian Kiuppis and Dirk Sponholz, Institute for Special Education (LD)