Received: 10th Dec, 2025; Revised: 4th Feb 2026; Accepted: 12th Feb, 2026; Available Online: 28th Feb, 2026
This study presents a bibliometric review of experiential learning in higher education, which is a teaching method that focuses on active, reflective, and applied learning to improve the engagement of the students and their competence in the real world. Based on the information that has been retrieved in the Scopus database, the analysis is conducted on 1,737 documents published in the period between 1976 and 2025. Biblioshiny and VOSviewer were also used to discuss the trends, intellectual structure, and the development of the themes in the field. The production of scientific content on an annual basis shows a gradual and exponential increase in the number of publications especially since 2010, a sign of increased academic attention. The major sources such as Salinas-Navarro and powerful periodicals such as the Journal of Experiential Education are the major contributors. The United States, United Kingdom and Australia were the best publishing countries and the international collaboration networks were highly visualized with the co-authorship mapping. Thematic maps and evolution analysis identified such core themes as pedagogy, sustainability, and student engagement and some new ones like gamification, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. The co-citation and keyword co-occurrence networks promote theoretical backgrounds as well as interdisciplinary intersection points that define the discourse. Literature gaps were observed in poorly explored topics and areas with a high priority on the wider inclusivity and theoretical advancements. Practical implications imply the increased use of technology and global cooperation and skills-based learning as a possible step to the further evolution of experiential learning in higher education.
Keywords: Experiential Learning, Higher Education, Bibliometric Analysis, Biblioshiny, VOSviewer.
How to cite this article: Abdulla A, James J. Pedagogies in practice: mapping the intellectual landscape of experiential learning in higher education. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(5s): 428-439; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.5s.58
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None