The Promises of Experiential Learning Vivian Neal Educational - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

The Promises of Experiential Learning

Vivian Neal

Educational Developer Simon Fraser University Canada

Session Overview

• What is experiential learning?
• What models of experiential learning are we talking

about?

• What do we know about how people learn?
• What are the implications for teaching strategies?

Exercise

• Think about an experience you had from which you had

profound learning.

 What specifically did you learn?  What made it impactful and stick with you today?  When did you know you had learned what you did?  Was there a generalizable lesson learned from this experience

and of so, where else have you used the general lesson?

 Share?

Is this a new thing?

• Experiential learning is as old as humans have been learning from each
• ther – eg. imitation, and trial and error.
• Craft, guild and trade learning have always focused on apprenticeship.
• While didactic learning has also been around, experiential learning has

always been a component.

• Philosophers such as Descartes and Locke referenced the importance
• f experience for learning, and later more contemporary theorists such

as Dewey embraced experience as a central feature of learning.

What is Experiential Learning?

• Experiential Learning: a change in a learner’s

knowledge, skills, understanding or beliefs as a result of an experience. Eg. backpacking through Europe with friends and picking up an additional language or changing your perspectives on what is important in life.

• In the university setting it involves the purposeful

engagement of students in direct experience and focused reflection to enhance knowledge, development of skills, and/or clarify values.

Individual Activity

Using your computer or phone, Log on: www.menti.com Use the code: 17 36 43 and attempt the two questions.

How do people learn from experience?

Some contemporary theories and models describing Experiential Learning:

• Kolb
• Schön
• Lave and Wenger
• Mezirow

Kolb’s Model (1984)

• describes a four-stage model that the learner continuously

moves through, in an iterative manner. Typically a learner starts with a concrete experience, followed by formulating a set of observations and reflections about that experience, after which the learner begins to form abstract generalizations which they later test in new situations (which would then create a new set of concrete experiences and so on).

Schön’s Reflection In and On Practice (1983)

• the learner engages iteratively with the

problem situation often resulting in the re-framing of their original conception of the problem, and changes in subsequent strategies and actions.

• Schön conceives of this as “reflection in

action” and talks about learners engaging in “reflective conversations” with the practice situation.

Lave and Wenger’s Situated Learning (1991)

• the learner and their learning cannot be separated from the world in

which the learning occurs – all learning is situated and often stuck in the context within which it is learned.

• knowledge always undergoes construction and transformation in

use, and this occurs uniquely within a community of practice within which the learner. Knowledge is then a social construct.

• legitimate peripheral participation is the learning process where

students or newcomers slowly move toward complete participation in a community of practice as they progressively master the required skills and knowledge of that community.

Mezirow (1991): Transformative Learning

• transformative learning is “a process in which we

become critically reflective of our own assumptions, arrive at an insight, and are able to justify our new perspective through discourse”.

• Transformative Learning theory encourages learners

to engage in personal and social change by removing themselves from previously held assumptions and belief systems

• Three core elements are identified: Experience,

Critical Reflection and Dialogue.

Transformative Learning (cont’d)

• It is this type of learning that international education

proponents speak about and which learners reflect upon as having been most powerful.

• It is firmly grounded in constructivism -- learners

interpret their experiences in their own way and how we see the world is a result of our perceptions of our

• experiences. Transformative learning is the process
• f examining, questioning and revising those

perceptions(Taylor and Cranton, 2012).

Snapshots of Experiential Learning

 Nicky Didicher – English Literature  Community-Based Project Learning (2.5 min)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWNmdBJ351Q  Glyn Williams – Earth Sciences  Role Play, Field Trip (2 min)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28mzYMgWw3g&t=4s

Exercise: Think, pair, share

• Based on the experiential activities described in the videos

and the learning theories discussed, sketch out a plan for an experiential learning activity in your classroom.

 3 min sketch out an experiential activity (Think)  5 min share your idea with a partner (Pair)  Share with others - one example from each site (Share)

• Subject, programme, number of students, description of activity

What are the commonalities across these models that describe how people learn?

• Learning is an iterative process: the learner experiences, makes

meaning, generalizes, then tests (transfers) their generalizations/understandings in new contexts. This is often repeated several times (practiced) as the problem and meaning/solutions get refined.

• For learners to create/ascribe meaning requires reflection, often

through conversation, use of metaphor etc. both during and after the experience.

• Sometimes this reflection and meaning making disturbs the learners

core assumptions and beliefs, leading to experiences that could be described as transformational.

• Most often learning is a social process that needs to be framed and

supported by the educator.

Design implications for experiential learning

• Throughout the experiential learning process, the learner is

actively engaged in posing questions, investigating, experimenting, being curious, identifying problems, testing solutions, assuming responsibility, being creative, and constructing meaning.

• Learners are engaged intellectually, emotionally, socially,

soulfully and/or physically. This involvement helps make the learning task authentic.

• The results of the learning are personal and form the basis

for future learning. Educators must strive to be aware of their biases, judgments and pre-conceptions, and how these influence the learner.

Design implications for experiential education programs (cont’d)

• The educator and learner may experience success, failure,

mistakes, adventure, risk-taking and uncertainty, because the experiences (and their natural outcomes) cannot totally be predicted.

• The design of the learning experience incorporates the educator

recognizing different possible outcomes and understands how to turn them into spontaneous opportunities for learning.

• Opportunities are nurtured for learners and educators to explore

and examine their own values.

Evaluation Methods for Experiential Learning

• Traditional assessment tools (tests, essays, exams) may be

used for the informational elements of the curriculum.

• Different tools are needed to assess learning from experiences

and reflections.

 Self-evaluations – verbal and written  Group presentations  Narratives, eg. journaling  Case study analysis  Surveys to elicit perceptions  Checklists of evidence of behaviour or cognitive change  Concept mapping – depicts graphical synthesis of concepts

References

• Dewey, J. (1938). Experience & Education. New York, NY: Kappa

Delta Pi.

• Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the

Source of Learning and Development. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentrice-Hall.

• Lave, J., Wenger, E. (1991). Situated Learing: Legitimate

peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.

• Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning.

San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass.

• Moon, J.A. (2004). A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential

Learning: Theory and Practice. Abingdon, Oxon: RoutledgeFalmer.

• Schön, D.A. (1987). Educating the Reflective Practitioner:

Toward a New Design for Teaching and Learning in the

• Professions. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Thank You

• Thank you for your interest and participation. For more

information regarding this presentation please contact:

Vivian Neal vneal@sfu.ca