About

The Immersion Method

Learning Is Rooted in Direct Experience

The Miami Valley School’s academic program is guided by the school’s signature pedagogy, the MVS Immersion Method. The Immersion Method is grounded in our shared belief that learning is rooted in direct experience, which leads to engagement and the discovery of passion by each individual student. At MVS, teachers serve as guides and collaborators rather than lecturers, and deep knowledge of concepts is privileged over rote memorization.

Here, teachers create opportunities for real-world learning and academic achievement in a one-of-a-kind school environment. Our advanced courses are designed to replicate the experience and small-group dynamic of a college-level seminar, favoring depth over breadth in course content.

Explore, Connect, Share and Reflect

List of 4 items.

Explore

At MVS, students and teachers explore by mentally, physically, and virtually venturing from where they are today to expand the footprint of their collective experience and the boundaries of their comfort zones. Through exploration, students and faculty combine big ideas and themes and begin authentic problem-solving on a wider scale.
Connect

At MVS, students and teachers connect by linking frequently, closely, and authentically to the past and future, considering their own backgrounds, perspectives, and goals. Students and teachers collaborate in learning with and from a wide range of other people, places, backgrounds, and experiences.
Share

At MVS, students and teachers share their work by designing, creating, building, making, discussing, publishing, presenting, and otherwise contributing original and derivative work in real time to the collective body of human knowledge and experience. Students and teachers take their findings outside the four walls of the classroom and make their learning public.
Reflect

At MVS, students and teachers make a habit of stepping away from the everyday routines of a typical school day and seeking understanding about the why, how, and what if of the learning process. Students and teachers consider their position within the work of learning and think deeply about how their work can be integrated with their other interests, passions, and expertise.

Students Learn More Thoroughly Through Actual Experiences

While immersive learning has been a key part of an MVS education since the school’s founding, the Immersion Method was formally defined by the MVS faculty through a rigorous design thinking process, leading to a 2018 national webinar through the Independent Curriculum Group. When you visit MVS, you will see a graphic illustrating the key tenets of the Immersion Method in every classroom, inspiring teachers and students and reminding them of the importance of experiential learning at the school.

Learn more about the Immersion Method by watching our webinar.
Watch the Webinar

Peter Gow, Independent Curriculum Group

The national buzz is out there that The Miami Valley School is up to good things: taking a new approach to education based on what we now know about how kids’ brains actually learn. At MVS teachers are designing a curriculum that is not only focused on understanding but also on making things stick. Through the Immersion Method, they are connecting classroom experiences to real-world challenges and opportunities that matter to kids. The learning is serious.