Asking students to keep a journal throughout their experiential learning journey allows teachers to assess the effect of the learning experience while encouraging students to self-asses. Teachers can offer focused journal prompts to guide students writing on changes they see happening within themselves and within the experiential learning venue. A student could write about the changes he sees in the community, for example, if the experience is community-based.
Research-based projects in experiential learning ask students to do investigation about a topic beyond library books and journals although those materials certainly may add to the research. Depending on the nature of the experience, students can engage directly with research sources through interviews, case studies and observations.
Discussion boards can be a replacement for, or an addition to, traditional reflective journals. Teachers who want to assess experiential learning activities in an online course may find discussion boards useful. By offering focused prompts, teachers can engage students and students can engage each other in discussions of the impact of the experiential learning activities on themselves and on the community if the experiential learning activities are community-based.
Online games and simulations ask students to take the knowledge they have gained in class and use that knowledge successfully in a simulated virtual atmosphere such as Second Life. Teachers can ask students to complete a series of tasks in the virtual situation to measure student mastery of course material.