Learning Through Experience

Prepare
yourself

Learning
through experience is a vital form of learning, for it uses emotions
which can cause the learning experience to be remembered longer and
more vividly. Although online drivers ed talks students through what
to do if tire pops or if they skid on ice, these are easy to forget
for they are simply told and expected to be memorized for a permit
test. Like many tests, students tend to learn all the information and
then simply discard it after the test is over. Drivers Ed is a vital
part in a driver’s training, for it gives students vital
information, yet is it really given in an effective way? A good
solution to this issue is utilizing experience to remember what to do
in possible emergency situations. This would be best implemented with
a driving instructor, where possible conditions could be simulated in
a game or teaching program. Adolescents enjoy games and movies, and
often hold on to those memories for long periods of time for they
enjoy them. Creating a game for new drivers to play would help them
make a positive emotional connection with the information, which
could save many lives. Another good way to make drivers more
responsible is by having all high schools partner with organizations
like Every 15 Minutes. Every 15 Minutes stages a car crash using
students from the school and allows students to watch as they are
pulled from cars, put in body bags, or placed in ambulances. They
also bring some drivers to jail for DUI’s and show the consequences
poor judgement can bring. Using students from the school makes the
experience more personal and more effective. After this experience,
most of my school was in tears, and everyone appreciated the
experience. Using programs like this give the students real world
experience with the tragedy without having to go through it
themselves. Thus, students can learn in an effective manner that
stays with them for many years without harsh consequences. I have
seen my parents on their phones while driving, with little attention
on the road, and never fail to pry their phones from their hands. I
understand the consequences unsafe driving has due to videos I have
watched and programs I have been a part of. I feel by making programs
like this mandatory in high schools and using experience guided
learning, fatal car crashes can be reduced and thousands of lives can
be saved.