Experiential Learning
From Learning and training wiki
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Experiential learning emphasizes the central role that experience plays in the learning process. Its intellectual origins is rooted to the argument that all learning is grounded in experience – hearing a lecture, reading a book, painting a picture, campaigning for a cause, and that there can be no learning without experience.[1] Notably, much learning, perhaps the most important learning, is acquired through daily life, without planning.
There can be activity without learning, but for experience to be educational, the focus has to be centred on the conditions of the learning activity. These give concrete form to abstract ideas – it may even make abstract knowledge more useable. In contrast to information assimilation, experiential learning begins with action and moves through the generalisation of a principle derived from that action and its application in another situation. [2]One of the attractions of experiential learning is the possibility of improving the learners’ ability to apply their learning focused on their intrinsic motivation. Learners learn experientially by reflecting on experiences, developing personal insights and understanding through involvement in intellectual, emotional and physical activity. Experiential learning has the capacity to elicit a wider range of learner responses than conventional classroom learning, ethical and emotional reactions are called forth along with physical activity and social engagement.[3]
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Learning Style | Examples |
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Concrete Experience (Feeling) | Attending training workshops |
Reflective Observation (Watching) | Self-reflection, peer observation and assessment |
Abstract Conceptualization (Thinking) | Readings and personal development |
Active Experimentation (Doing) | Put lessons learned into practice |
Experiential learning enables each individual to learn according to the learning style which is more comfortable for him/her. While conventional learning is focused on the organization's needs and aims to transfer some pre-determined skills to participants, from outside and for an external purpose; experiential learning is meant to encourage people to develop as individuals, from the inside out and for internal growth. In experiential learning participants are supposed to feel positive emotions and, therefore, to develop a positive attitude toward future learning. |
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Step by Step
Example of one-day Experiential Learning workshopThe warm-up exercise can be crucial to establishing the right kind of openness to experience. A simple and safe exercise is to ask participants, in pairs, to spend five minutes each telling each other about a rich and rewarding learning experience they have had, and how that felt.
Facilitator’s Role
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Job Aid
Conducting an Experiential Learning Process
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Link | Content |
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Guide to facilitating effective experiential learning activities | Sample experiential learning activities, concepts and principles. |
References
- ↑ [Dewey, J. (1859-1952). An American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer.
- ↑ [Coleman (1977) « Differences Between Experiential and Classroom Learning ». In Experiential Learning: Rationale, Characteristics, and Assessment by M.T. Keeton and Associates. San Fransisco: Jossy-Bass Inc.
- ↑ [Experiential Learning Programs for Youth, Stephen F. Hamilton in American Journal of Education , Vol. 88, No. 2 (Feb., 1980) 179-215, The University of Chicago Press. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1085305.
- ↑ Consalvo, C., Experiential Training Activities for Outside and In. 1993. HRD Press., www2.glos.ac.uk (9 September 2009), www.businessballs.com (9 September 2009)