How People Learn: The Experiential Learning Model

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How People Learn The Experiential Learning Model

• How do you learn?

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TWO BASIC ASSUMPTIONS
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Assumption 1

• People learn from immediate, here-and-now
  experience, as well as from concepts and books.

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Assumption 2

• People learn differently that is, according to
  their preferred learning styles.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE MODEL

• The core of the model is a simple description of
  the learning cycle
• how experience is translated into concepts which,
  in turn,
• are used as guides in the choice of new
  experiences.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE MODEL

• People are thought to learn through experience,
  and
• the process is conceived as a four-stage cycle

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A Four-Stage Cycle

• 1. Immediate or concrete experience, which is the
  basis for
• 2. Observations and reflections
• 3. These observations and reflections are
  assimilated and distilled into a theory or
  concepthowever informalfrom which new
  implications for action can be drawn
• 4. These implications can be tested and serve as
  guides in creating new experiences

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Four Different Abilities

• If they are to be effective, learners need four
  different abilities
• Concrete Experience (CE),
• Reflective Observation (RO),
• Abstract Conceptualization (AC),
• Active Experimentation (AE).

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An Effective Learner MUST be able to

• involve themselves fully, openly, and without
  bias in new experiences (CE),
• reflect on and observe these experiences from
  many perspectives (RO)

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An Effective Learner MUST be able to

• create concepts that integrate their observations
  into logically sound theories (AC) and
• use these theories to make decisions and solve
  problems (AE).

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An Effective Learner MUST be able to

• rely flexibly on these four learning modes in
  whatever combinations the situation requires.
• Having developed "skills" in each area, he or
  she can call on them when they are needed.

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Flexibility

• Flexibility is the key to effective learning, and
  to high performance in any endeavor.

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Questions

• This ideal is difficult to achieve.
• Can anyone become highly skilled in all these
  abilities, or are they necessarily in conflict?
• How can one be concrete and immediate, and still
  be theoretical?

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Two Main Dimensions to the learning process

• Two main dimensions correspond to the two major
  different ways by which we learn
• 1. how we perceive new information or experience,
  and
• 2. how we process what we perceive.

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How We Perceive New Information

• The Concrete-
• Abstract
• Dimension

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Concrete Experience

• the tangible, felt qualities of the world
• as their favored means of perceiving, grasping,
  or taking hold of new information.

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Concrete Experience

• They perceive through their senses,
• immerse themselves in concrete reality, and
• rely heavily on their intuition, rather than
• step back and think through elements of the
  situation analytically.

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Abstract Conceptualization

• Others tend to grasp new information through
  symbolic representation
• or Abstract Conceptualization
• thinking about, analyzing, or
• systematically planning,
• rather than using intuition or sensation as a
  guide.

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Both are equally valuable

• One can think of this dimension as a continuum,
• with individual orientations falling at different
  places along it.

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Both modesthe concrete and the abstract

• are equally valuable
• both have their strengths and weaknesses.

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How We Process What We PerceiveThe
Active-Reflective Dimension

• The second essential element of learning is
• how we process or transform the information and
  experience we absorb,
• how we incorporate it.

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The Active-Reflective Dimension

• In processing a new experience, some of us (if
  given a choice) would choose to jump right in and
  try our hand,
• while others would choose to carefully watch
  others who are involved in the experience and
  reflect what happens.

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Active Experimentation

• The doers favor Active Experimentation,

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Reflective Observation

• The watchers favor Reflective Observation.

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Active-Reflective Continuum

• Like the concrete-abstract continuum, individual
  orientations fall at different places along the
  active-reflective continuum.
• Both modes, active and reflective, are valuable
• both have their strengths and weaknesses.

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Choice

• Each dimension presents us with a choice.
• Since it is virtually impossible, for example, to
  drive a car (Concrete Experience) and
• analyze a driver's manual about the car's
  functioning (Abstract Conceptualization),
• we resolve the conflict by choosing.

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Forced Choice?

• Because of our hereditary equipment,
• our particular past life experiences, and
• the demands of our present environment,
• we develop a preferred way of choosing.

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Resolving the Conflict

• We resolve the conflict
• between concrete or abstract and
• between active or reflective
• in some patterned, characteristic ways.

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Five identifiable sets of forces that shape our
learning styles

• personality type
• educational specialization
• professional career choice
• current job role
• current task/problem

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Four Types of the Learning Style Model

• People tend to make characteristic choices
  between the polar opposites of each dimension
  (concrete-abstract and active-reflective), and
  fall within
• one of the four types of the Learning Style Model

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Four Types of the Learning Style Model

• The Converger
• The Diverger
• The Assimilator
• The Accommodator

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GROWTH and DEVELOPMENT
in EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

• Besides providing a way to think about
  differences in styles of adaptation to the world,
  the Experiential Learning Model suggests how
  human growth and development are achieved.

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People grow and develop

• People grow and develop in four main areas or
  dimensions of their lives

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1. Affectively developing sensing-feeling
skills
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2. Symbolically developing cognitive or
thinking skills

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3. Behaviorally developing acting or
behavior skills
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4. Perceptually developing observingskills
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The Course of Progress and Skill Development

• the Acquisition stage
• the Specialization stage
• the Integration stage

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The End