I commented on Kathie Nix (Group 3) and Jessica Schul-Solow (Group 5) Blogs

Experiential Learning Theoretical Categories and Role of Educators

Jan Miller

Ball State University

Experiential Learning:

Learning through experience was introduced by John Dewey in 1938 through his book Experience and Education.  The concept was developed in response to traditional education which relied upon textbooks, transfer of knowledge from teachers and passive learning from students.  David Kolb, who drew from the works of Dewey, Piaget, Jung and Rogers, further developed the theory.  Kolb defined learning as “the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (as cited in Kolb, 1984, p. 41).  It is a form of learning from life experience as opposed to lecture and classroom learning.    Experiential learning is now commonly incorporated into formal and non-formal education.

General Themes:

Dewey stated “all genuine education comes about through experience does not mean that all experiences are genuinely or equally educative.”  (Dewey, 1938, p. 13). Aspects of experiential learning are utilized in other learning methodologies such as transformational, embodied, spiritual, self-directed and narrative.  Tara Fenwick further defined experiential education in five categories:  1) Constructivist; 2) Situative; 3) Psychoanalytic; 4) Critical Cultural and 5) Complexity.  To determine teaching methodology, educators need to define the type of experiential learning that will occur.   This literature review will provide a definition of the theories, practice in learning and the role of the adult educator.

1) Constructivist Theory – Reflecting on Concrete Experience

The constructivist theory includes a concrete experience (such as role play), reflection on the experience (what did I observe, what did this mean to me?), conceptualization (what have I learned?) and active experimentation (adoption of the learning).  (Fenwick, 2001).  In this model, adult educators have four distinct roles:  1) Facilitator – encourage learner to recall, talk about and analyze their past experience; 2) Instigator/Catalyst – create an event or activity to engage the learner experientially; 3) Coach/Mentor – guidance on short term (coach) or long term (mentor) to reflect on learning; 4) Assessor – this is the analysis and evaluation of learning outcomes.  (Fenwick, 2001). Specific methods include in-class activities and field experience.  This theory is a very grounded approach and has been closely associated with David Kolb.  Of all the theories, it is the one that I believe has the strongest implications in the classroom.

2) Situative Theory – Participating in a Community of Practice

Situative learning takes place in a community of practice (i.e. medical practitioners).  The purpose is to become fully engaged in the community of practice, not to learn about the practice. (Fenwick, 2001).   Anthropologist, Jean Lave and Computer Scientist, Etienne Wenger further developed this theory with the development of Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LLP), which involves participation in activities where individuals learn the norms of the community.  (Lave and Wenger, 1991).  The role of adult educators is to develop real life experiences and assist in development of participation in their community of practice.  Practical experiences in this theory could include service learning, internships and job shadowing.  As I was researching this topic, most of the practice of this was being done in workplaces.  There were several articles about this in medical settings.

3) Psychoanalytic – Getting in Touch with unconscious fears or desires

Fenwick also titles this theory as Interference (Fenwick, 2001).  This theory explores the dynamics of learning through the unconscious, as well as the conscious mind of the learner.   The unknown of the unconscious mind can interfere with conscious perception, therefor making it difficult to learn.  The role of the adult educator is not to be a psychoanalyst, but to understand the fact that the conflict between what is known and not known are both important.  Fenwick refers to a statement by D. P. Britzman that the teacher needs to be aware of his or her own unconscious as well as the students. (Fenwick, 2001).  Activities that help students become more aware of their unconscious minds, such as paying attention to dreams, and activities that stimulate emotion are tools in this theory (Merriam, Caffarella and Baumgartner, 1991).  When I first started studying this, I was uncomfortable that it seemed to be a therapeutic tool, more than an educative one.  In further research, I can see its use in specific learning environments, such as those where the learner population has substantial barriers. 

4) Critical Cultural – Resisting Dominant Social Norms of Experience

This theory “seeks to transform existing social orders, by critically questioning and resisting dominant norms of experience.” (as cited in Merriam, 2007, p. 160).  This theory places less emphasis on individual learning, but focuses on power and works towards emancipation.  Activities would include setting up experiences that assist learners in evaluating their own life experience.  Other learning activities are social action and     Experiences utilized in critical cultural activities are linked to transformational learning.  Mezirow refers to critical reflection as one of the tools towards transformation. This methodology is one that I believe is essential as we work in a changing culture.

5) Complexity Theory – Exploring Ecological Relationships between Cognition and Environment

            The emphasis in this approach is to seek change within complex systems (Merriam, 2007).  The purpose is not to influence change within an organization, as in the Critical/Cultural Model.  Instead, it is designed to study complex systems and analyze the changes within these systems.  The role of the adult educator is to help the learners discuss and point out the changes.  This was the most difficult theory to research.  There are strong associations with computer technology, as well as systems development.

IMPLICATIONS

            Adult educators, whether in a formal or informal learning environmen have many options on how to teach.   It can be difficult to determine how best to teach in a certain environment.  This literature confirms that adult education is a vast field.  Even within the more narrowly focused experiential learning model, there are multiple teaching styles and methods that can be utilized to meet specific needs.   As potential adult educators are working towards their education goals, the type of work within these models can help define the education path.

REFLECTION

            This was my first literature review in my Masters program, and I will admit to being intimidated.   I started work on this two weeks ago with the thought of researching evaluation of experiential learning, but found it difficult to find enough literature that could help define the groups project.  Next, narrowing the topic of Experiential Education was difficult.  I spent countless hours reviewing journals and books, but had difficulty determining a clear research topic.  It was the enormity of the field and literature that led me to focus specifically on the five theories outlined.  The one recommendation I would have made to myself would have been to ask for assistance from Dr. Chang earlier.  As far as process, I began this work well in advance, but got lost in the literature.  I certainly have learned a bit about many topics surrounding experiential education.  What I found the most unique from this research was the clear categorization of adult educators roles in different types of learning theory.

Main Themes/Ideas in Literature	Application of the Main Ideas
1. Experiential Learning is utilized in multiple learning theories	The role of the adult educator is defined by the type of learning model being utilized
2. The learning theory or theories that are utilized will be determined by the purpose of the education.	The adult educator’s role will often be defined by the purpose of the education.  If social change is the goal, the model of Criticial/Cultural will best fit.  If the purpose is to increase knowledge of business students, the Contructivist model would be utilized.
3. The activities chosen as the experiential tool will directly tie to the learning methodology	Some of the experiential tools can be utilized for several approaches.  For example, internships and field experience are utilized in constructivism and situative learning.  Dream reflection will be closely aligned to psychoanalytic approach.
4. Although there are five different learning theories, they all depend upon adult educators to guide or facilitate the process.	1. The adult educator will need to have a clear and distinct understanding of process.  2. Adult educators come from different training backgrounds and those will help determine the type of employment the educator seeks.  Business and employment training is vastly different than working to implement social change.

Sources:

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education.

Fenwick, T. (2001). Experiential learning: A theoretical critique from five perspectives.  (Report No. ED454418.  Retrieved from ERIC Data Base.

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Merriam, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. (2007). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

           

Experiential Learning Methods

I commented on Lesley Smith, Group 4 and Alexandra Barrett Group 8

  Experiential Learning Methods

Laura L Smart

Ball State University

EDAC 634 – The Adult as a Learner

February 14, 2015

Introduction

     Experiential learning typically requires reflective exercises in which the learner has direct contact with the phenomenon being studied rather than merely thinking about or discussing the potential for such contact.  It is believed that the learner's subjective experience(s) lead to more long lasting and perhaps more meaningful learning (Borzak 1981, Brookfield 1983, and Jarvis 1995).  As discussed by Reynolds (2009:  pgs. 388-389), "In practice, experience-based methods are more likely to be used to reinforce ideas proscribed by a curriculum rather than encourage new ones-more recovery than discovery learning."

Experiential learning is adaptable for individual style, preferences, strengths, direction, etc.  As such, it is more likely than conventional prescribed training or teaching to produce positive emotional effects, notably confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of personal value and purpose.  People need learning, which is adaptable for them as individuals, and also the traditional prescriptive teaching and training, focused on external needs, typically of an organization, or to pass exams or gain qualifications.

Only a balance of methods can satisfy organizational and external needs, and also help the individual grow as a confident and contented person.  Teaching and training people must focus on individual potential and styles, as well as on the needs of the surrounding system.  This paper will explore methods of creating learning opportunities, appropriate environment, initiate the learning process and framework conducive to guided thinking and challenge a development of understanding.

Central Methods

Many educators have used games in higher education as an experiential learning pedagogy.  Having students play games has increased participation, interaction, interest and learning (e.g., Azriel et al. 2005, Haytko 2006, Reinhardt and Cook 2006).  Games have also been used to examine competitive and collaborative strategies (Fawcett and McCarter 2006) and in conjunction with problem-based learning (Kanet and Stoplein 2008).

The use of games by business instructors often involves a game designed by the instructor based on a popular TV or board game.  The instructors in Azriel et al. (2005) generated a Jeopardy game for mid-term exam reviews with "answers" selected from the textbook, readings, and lecture materials.  Students in an experimental section of strategic management were divided into two teams and played the game against the other team.  Students in a control section of the same course received a traditional lecture-based mid-term review and a question-and-answer session.  Students expressed favorable attitudes and perceptions about the game, but there were no significant differences on a mid-term exam between the experimental and control groups.

Reinhardt and Cook (2006) used a version of the TV game show, "Who wants to Be a Millionaire," to conduct numerous mid-term and final exam review sessions for both undergraduate and MBA students.  The instructors designed the game and selected four-answer multiple-choice questions from test banks and/or prior exams.  The questions mirrored the kind of questions students could expect to see on an exam.  Student perceptions about the game were generally positive, and students' performances on the exams were enhanced experienced similar student perception and learning outcomes in employing a version of the TV game Jeopardy  (Haytko, 2006).

In the context of medical education, the term experiential learning is most commonly applied to experiences, which has been included in a curriculum design to bring the learner into contact with others in a particular role and context.  Through authentic practice-based experience, authentic workplaces are concurrently involved in education and delivering real-life services, which is the most important medium through which people learn to practice as healthcare professionals.

In discussions about students and professionalism, one question that often arises is whether professionalism can be "taught."  Professional socialization, which is the process by which students learn and adopt the values, attitudes, and practice behaviors or a profession, can be taught or at least influenced. It is understood that formal curricula, including experiential learning, help to socialize students, hopefully in a positive direction.  "Hidden curricula" (i.e., attitudes and behaviors that are not formally taught) and experiences outside of a formal curriculum help to socialize students in positive or negative directions.  In medicine and nursing, several longitudinal studies identified factors that were most predictive of students' practice behaviors after they concluded their training (Beck et al. 2003):

·         The values, attitudes and behaviors of the students when they entered the program

·         The environment in which they learned

·         The role modeling of those from whom they learned

Support Methods

Ted Powers suggests the following (Powers, 2009, para 33)

     "You can facilitate learning by using funny movie or television clips to bring to life course concepts or by asking students if the example was accurate or not, and in what ways.  Students often enroll in psychology course expecting to see clips from A Beautiful Mind, Silence of the Lambs, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Rainman.  Why not show them clips from Me, Myself & Irene (Dissociative Identity Disorder), Monk (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and Deuce Bigalo: Male Gigolo (Narcolepsy)?  Sometimes merely referring to a funny show can recapture students' attention.  For example, during a discussion of brain structures you could note that anyone who has seen The Waterboy (a slapstick comedy about a simpleton who works for a college football coach as his waterboy and is found to be an excellent defensive player; he is then added to the team and must attend class) should be familiar with the medulla oblongata.  If you could say it like Adam Sandler, the film's star, you may have students laughing out loud."

The teacher has an important role in implementing and planning experiential learning, and that requires great skills.  Teacher must be able to empathize in participants, have to ask himself which areas in participants would like to touch, what are the aims and purposes, but also have to take into account the circumstances – what they are, on which they can influence and on which they cannot (Marentic Pozarnik, 2000).  As a facilitator, one can use humor as well to affect the student's attention and motivation.  There may be a use of cartoons, humorous video clips and stories.  However, humor should be used with some understanding such as appropriateness, fit the personality of the facilitator, avoid sarcasm and make it relevant to the topic.

Implications

Experiential learning most certainly offers ways to address personal feelings of confidence, fulfilment, sense of purpose, etc. Developing people as individuals, which is at the heart of experiential learning, also implicitly enables learning methods to fit each person's own preferred learning styles and natural preferences, because learners are encouraged and helped to learn and develop in their own ways, using methods which they find most comfortable and therefore enjoyable. A facilitator should help create learning opportunities and enable others to recognize and make good use of these opportunities. 

A learning activity is a means to an end, not an end in itself.  The purpose of an experiential learning activity is to create an opportunity for valuable and memorable personal learning.  The ideal activity will engage, stimulate and challenge with individuals becoming absorbed in the task as themselves.  It will not involve role-play in a conventional artificial sense.  All activities must be designed, managed and facilitated carefully so that the activity has impact, but it isn’t so memorable that these 'activity memories' override the impact and memory of the learning.  If this happens, the lasting memory may be an aspect of the activity, not the learning that was realized.

An effective activity provides the opportunities for learning with as few distractions as possible.  It can be great fun to run 'big activities' and there is no doubt that 'ropes' courses and outdoor team challenges can generate real learning opportunities, but take care.  Besides the risk of big events overpowering their intended lessons, the duration of these activities often means that many learning opportunities are lost; valuable incidents can be forgotten, overlooked, or submerged in the complexity of the task.  Although less memorable in themselves, running several short activities (10-30 minutes) each followed by its own review will often have far greater long term impact than one big activity.

Reflection

I had a professor who once told me that one of the greatest sins in teaching is to be boring.  I thought of him as I wrote this paper. I think he would be proud. I really tried to emphasize the effective use of humor, socialization, games, video clips and experience interaction, which can help teachers engage students and establish rapport.  Instructors need to become more creative in keeping and regaining the student's attention, which I feel is vital in keeping a learning environment energized.

I have had personal experience with implementing some of the methods discussed in this paper and I am convinced that they work. I am a strong believer in the use of humor. I have a big sense of humor and I have discovered that my students relate to me well because of it. I think it makes them feel comfortable and more at ease.

                                                        Main ideas in the literature           Application of the main ideas

Idea 1 – There are many methods of experiential learning which can be divided into two groups.	Central methods-simulations, role playing, social games and structured games	Helps students increase participation, interaction, interest and learning through the use of games, role-play and implementation of projects.
	Support methods – process observation, the time for consideration, visualization, terrain experience, project method and the use of audiovisual means.	Allows students to learn real-world and globally competitive problem solving skills
Idea 2 – Experiential learning helps solve complex problems.	Dimensions – require for their solution the integration of several players with different skills	Groups and teams solve complex problems because it frequently happens that the current solution turns out to be a new problem.
	Integration of qualitative and quantitative analysis.	Humans incapacity of mental power and human's cognitive dissonance.
Idea 3 – Experiential learning is a meaningful mode of learning.	Adaptable for individual style, preferences, strengths and direction.	Experiences outside of the typical curriculum produce opportunities to improve confidence, self-direction and social skills.
Idea 4 – Instructor serves as a facilitator in order to plan successful experience.	The activity must be real and engaging-not based on artificial impact.	Create an opportunity for valuable and memorable personal learning. The activity should engage, stimulate and challenge with individuals becoming absorbed in the task as themselves.

                                                                          References

Azriel, J.A., Erthal, M.J., and Starr, E. (2005), Answers, questions, and deceptions:  What is the

     role of games in business education. Journal of Education for Business, 80, 9-13.

Beck DE, Krueger JL, Byrd DC.  Experiential Learning:  Transitioning students from civility to

     Professionalism.  In:  Berger BA, ed. Promoting Civility in Pharmacy Education. 

     Binghamton, NY:  Pharmaceutical Products Press, 2003.  Co-published as J Pharm Teach.

     9(3), 37-55, 2003.

Borzak, L. (1981).  Field Study:  a sourcebook for experiential learning, Sage Publications.

Brookfield, S. (1983).  Adult learners, adult education and the community.  Open University

     Press.

Fawcett, S.E., and McCarter, M.W. (2006).  The supply chain puzzle game:  Highlighting

     Behavioral issues in SCM.  Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education.

Haytko, D.L. (2006).  The price is right:  An experiential pricing concepts game.  Marketing

     Education Review, 16(2), 1-4.

Jarvis, P. (1995).  Adult and continuing education: Theory and Practice, 2^nd edition, Routledge.

Kanet, J.J. and Stoplein, M. (2008).  Using a supply chain game to affect problem-based learning

     in an undergraduate management program.  Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative

     Education, 6(2), 287-295.

Marentic Pozarnik, B.  (2000), Psychology of learning and Teaching.  DZS, Ljubljana.

Powers, T. (2005).  Engaging Students With Humor.  Association for Psychological Science. 

     Retrieved from http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=1904.

Reinhardt, G. and Cook, L.S. (2006).  Is this a game or a learning moment.  Decision Sciences

     Journal of Innovative Education, 4(2), 301-304.

Reynolds, M. (2009).  Wild Frontiers-Reflections on Experiential Learning.  Management

     Learning, 40, 387-392.

 Literature Review - Experiential Learning

Posted on Jennifer Warner - Andradogy in HR and Jessica Schul-Solow - African Indigenous Knowledge 2/15

Kristin Owens

Ball State University 

A Review of Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is the process during which individuals learn through experiences, both past and current. Kolb (as cited in Yardley, Teunissen, & Dornan, 2012) defined it as ‘a process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience’. It is often referred to as “hands-on” learning or involved learning (Austin & Rust, 2015). There are two main types of experiential learning. The first is nonreflective learning, where one remembers an experience and repeats it or does as they are told. The other is reflective learning, where a person reflects on their experiences (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). Experiential learning is becoming more popular in higher education because of evolving university missions and students looking for enhanced learning opportunities (Hawtrey, 2007). This paper will explore the general themes of experiential learning and how to connect those themes to practical application.

General Themes

In reviewing the literature, it is apparent that there is value in learning through experiences. Experiential learning is an emerging trend with a wide range of definitions and practical learning activities (Austin & Rust, 2015). Among the different thoughts, several themes that were highlighted. This section of the paper will focus on these themes.

Learning that is involved

Austin and Rust (2015) described experiential learning simply as “hands-on” learning. This allows the learner to be engaged during the learning process. When a learner is involved in active participation, they will get a better understanding of the content. In terms of adult education, experiential learning allows the learner to apply the content to their professional life (Calpito, 2012).  

In the experiential learning theory, the student is no longer a passive listener but an active participant. Hawtrey (2007) claims that experiential learning is on the rise because students are no longer satisfied with a one-size-fits-all classroom. Learners want to be engaged and to be able to utilize their knowledge outside of the classroom. Kolb (as cited in Calpito, 2012) explains that the first stage in experiential learning is concrete experience, which is when a learner is actively engaged and participating in the learning process. Students only remember a fraction of what they hear but a majority of what they do (Hawtrey, 2007). Participation is a core component in experiential learning.

Looking back at my own learning experiences, I would agree that when I felt engaged in the material and was an active participant, I learned the most. Not only do students learn in the moment but there is an increased retention of knowledge, by making a connection between the knowledge and how it applies to each student's life (Hawtrey, 2007).

Lifelong Learning and Reflection

Kolb’s (as cited in Calpito, 2012) second stage of experiential learning is reflective observation. In order to learn from an experience, the learner must reflect on the experience and look to see what the future implications are. Experiences by themselves do not produce learning, but the reflection the learner has on the experience, by adding meaning to the event (Dewey as cited in Austin & Rust, 2015). The Association for Experiential Education (as cited in Austin & Rust, 2015) defines experiential learning as a philosophy that uses many methodologies to engage the learner in direct experiences and focused reflection. Reflection allows the learner to take a step back and consider the experience from different perspectives. The goal of reflection is to gain deeper understanding of a situation that will lead to action (Merriam et al., 2007). Reflection is imperative to learn from an experience. 

Dewey (as cited in Yardley et al., 2012) notes that experiential learning is an organized focus for lifelong learning and developments.  A key factor of experiential learning is shifting the responsibility to the learner, this encourages lifelong learning.Experiences are a part of everyday life. When an individual takes time to reflect and examine their experiences, learning will take place. In reading the literature, I feel that when the learner takes responsibility of their education journey, experiential learning and self-directed learning become intertwined with living your best life.

Implications for Application

There are a variety of ways educators can incorporate learning through experiences with their students. Activities such as service learning projects, study abroad opportunities, internships, job shadowing, and even a reflective journal (Austin & Rust, 2015) are ways to implement experiential learning. Internships and service learning projects are probably the two most recognized activities. I know that my undergraduate work required the completion of one internship, and several of my courses incorporated service learning projects. Medical education has used “learning on the job” for centuries, through clerkships and residency (Yardley et al., 2012). Learners' ability to learn from their experiences is critical not only in a school setting but also in the workplace.

Reflection and Conclusion

In reviewing the literature, it became apparent to me how important reflecting was to learning. So it comes as no surprise that part of this assignment was reflection. It felt daunting at first to know I would be responsible for reviewing five or more articles, journals, etc. Where did I even begin? The fact that I had could choose my own literature pieces shifted the responsibility of learning onto me. This assignment engaged me from the beginning to go out and search for articles I found interesting. I focused on the program aspect of experiential learning. I looked for titles that dealt with taking the theory of experiential learning and putting it into practice. That would be my tip – to narrow down your search to one piece of the puzzle. My leadership role in the group is program design, and now I feel more prepared for my role.

In conclusion, learning from experiences is critical in both formal and informal settings. I believe educators would be doing their learners a service by incorporating strategies that allowed the learners to become active participants. But more importantly, I think as individuals, we need to take the time to learn from our experiences, both past and current, good and bad. In my opinion, learning is a lifelong process but especially when it comes to learning by experiences.

	Main Theme/Ideas	Application
Idea 1	Experiential learning is “hands-on”/involved.	Following activities: service learning, internships, study abroad, civic engagement
Idea 2	Active participant vs Passive listener	Learners must be engaged. Establish communication between the learner and the educator – group work/discussions, critical thinking, surveys, etc.
Idea 3	A level of reflection must occur in the learning process.	Learners must be able to connect what they have learned through past and current experiences and apply it to the future. Journal writing, role playing and dialogue with others to making meaning of an experience are practical ways to bring about reflection.
Idea 4	Learning is a life-long process.	Life is made up of experiences. Educators can shift the responsibility of learning to the student and encourage lifelong learning.

References

Merriam, S.B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. (2007). Learning in Adulthood: A comprehensive guide (3^rd ed.). San Francisco: Joseey-Bass Publishers.  

Hawtrey, K. (2007). Using Experiential Learning Techniques: The Journal of Economic Education, 38 (2) 143-152. Retrieved from htttp://jstor.org.proxy.bsu.edu/stable/30042762

Yardley, S. , Teunissen, P. , & Dornan, T. (2012) Experiential learning: Transforming theory into practice, 34 161-164. doi: 10.3109/0142159X.2012.643264

Austin, M & Rust, D. (2015). Developing an Experiential Learning Program: Milestones and Challenges (Vol. 27). Retrieved from htttp://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/

Calpiton. K. (2012). Teaching Graduate Students through Experiential Learning Not Stress. The University of the Incarnate Word. Retrieved from htttp://jstor.org.proxy.bsu.edu

Spencer Matheny's Literature Review - Experiential Learning

I commented on Dan Ward's (Group 2) and Frances Robinson's (Group 4) Literature Review

Spencer Matheny
Ball State University
EDAC 634
Literature Review

Introduction

When you think of traditional learning styles you think of a group of students or people in one room, facing one direction, having note pads to write on, and are listening to one person, the teacher, speak in the front of the room. Lecturing is what all comes to our mind. As we get older, we realize that there are so many different types of learning styles and everyone adapts to different ones because we are all different. One of the most successful types of learning is experiential learning. Experiential learning has all kinds of broad definitions but one that I would like to mention is, “educational programs functioning outside of conventional school classrooms that place participants in responsible roles and engage them in cooperative, goal-directed activities with other youth, with adults, or both,” (Hamilton, 1980). Two quotes that I would like to mention are:

“Lectures are a way of transferring the instructor’s lecture notes to the students’ notebooks without passing through the brains of either,” – Eric Mazur (Experiential Learning, 2013).

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them. Men become builders by building,” – Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics (Experiential Learning, 2013). As you can see, experiential learning is something that gives you the opportunity to expand your knowledge in the fact that you can’t learn everything through a classroom and textbooks. From an experiential learning theory, history shows that the main contributors to the grown of experiential learning is reflected by the works of John Dewey, Kurt Lewin, Jean Piaget, William James, Carl Jung, Paula Freire, Carl Rogers and others (Kolb & Kolb, 2005). Along with the broad definitions that you can find on experiential learning, it can come in many forms as well, which can include internships, community service, service learning activities, practicums, classroom projects, etc., which are ways for an individual to interact with the real world and learn real world applications and situations whether try to retain information from a classroom.

Methods and Themes

            Throughout time, when experiential learning was first introduced and put into place, it was mainly an experiment to see if there was success to come from it. Today, it is not an experiment (DeMartini, 1983). It is now placed into schools, colleges, and universities as part of the institution’s curriculum. Two different themes I would like to focus on are classroom projects or integrating experiential learning into different curricula, and service learning activities.

            As mentioned before, experiential learning isn’t just an experiment anymore. You see it put into place within curricula as either a class project or an entire internship within a certain major program. For this to happen, there has to be a combination between traditional learning and experiential learning. For it to be successful two aspects have to take place which include the ability to act at the concrete level as well as reflect at the abstract level (DeMartini, 1983). Kolb and Fry outline a model for experiential learning, which is made up of four different abilities. Those include:

1.     Concrete experience: the ability to involve oneself “fully, openly, and without bias in new experiences.”

2.     Reflective observation: the ability to “reflect on and observe these experiences from many perspectives.”

3.     Abstract conceptualization: the ability to “create concepts and integrate…observations into logically sound theories.”

4.     Active experimentation: the ability to “use these theories to make decisions and solve problems.”

(DeMartini, 1983)

            Applying experiential learning to the curriculum for an institution gives the opportunity for an educator to teach concepts and theories and then the students can reflect on those that they learned and apply it to real life situations. It can give a sense of reciprocal learning where the teacher can learn and the learner can teach. One example that comes to mind is Dr. Chang’s EDAC 632 class that I took last semester. We were able to learn about theories on how to conduct and manage a community education program. Week after week went by while learning about different theories and concepts and outside of the classroom we had the opportunity to form groups and conduct workshops. This gave us the opportunity to reflect and evaluate what we had learned.

            Service learning is just one other type of experiential learning. It is specifically geared towards an individual getting involved within the community through community service. This can be extracurricular or curricular. The focus on the extracurricular aspect enables an individual to gain experience and knowledge to where they are self-motivated in their learning. The retain information that they want to retain and then can apply those practices and theories into future endeavors. “Service learning provides an additional means for reaching educational objectives…” (Bringle &Hatcher, 1996).

Implications

            As a learner, I think it is vital to somehow participate in experiential learning. We always talk about how we are ready for “hands on work.” Take every opportunity you can get. When a student becomes a college student they will realize that experiential learning opportunities will be implemented into the curriculum. However, there are many more opportunities to get involved with internships, practicums, and service learning activities, etc., on their own time. Not only does it look good for you but also it helps you with life in general.

            One thing that is important to realize is that your experience will not be 100% exactly the same as someone else’s. Everyone’s perception is different and people evaluate different. That’s what makes us human. Not only can you learn from your experiences but also you can learn from someone who was in the same situation as you and you can learn something completely new from their perspective. Be open to other perspectives.

            Make sure that whatever opportunity you have to apply knowledge to practical experience that it can be something you can measure and evaluate. Evaluating and reflecting on experiences is one of the major keys to learning in general.  

Reflection

            When I think of experiential learning, I think of this class. From the first time we all posted on discussion board, to the different questions we have answered, etc., we have all come from different backgrounds and experiences. In a way, one individual can learn from someone else’s experience or past situation. It’s almost learning through third party experiential learning. One realization that has to take place is the fact that we are adults. What I mean by this is that we have already been through experiences for we all come in different ages. A lot of us have been through a lot and more than others. We have all been out of that “traditional” learning for quite some time because we all have real world lives now. That’s a difference between pedagogy and andragogy. Youth aged students haven’t had many experiences so it’s vital for them to have more opportunities for experiential learning.

            I completed this assignment by looking up different articles and journals for reviews and studies on experiential learning and different forms it can come in. I focused on the main themes of classroom projects and service learning activities. I put all of these thoughts together and organized them into a literature review. It’s kind of funny how broad adult education can go. Adult education can come in all different forms, and then when you define different learning styles through adult education, even those styles are broad in their own sense.

References

Bringle, R. G., & Hatcher, J. A.. (1996). Implementing Service Learning in Higher Education.The Journal of Higher Education, 67(2), 221–239. http://doi.org.proxy.bsu.edu/10.2307/2943981

DeMartini, J. R.. (1983). Sociology, Applied Work, and Experiential Learning. Teaching Sociology, 11(1), 17–31. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.bsu.edu/stable/1316921

Experiential Learning. (2013). Retrieved February 14, 2016, from https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/resources/integrative-learning/experiential-learning

Hamilton, S. F.. (1980). Experiential Learning Programs for Youth. American Journal of Education, 88(2), 179–215. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.bsu.edu/stable/1085305

Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A.. (2005). Learning Styles and Learning Spaces: Enhancing Experiential Learning in Higher Education. Academy of Management Learning & Education,4(2), 193–212. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.bsu.edu/stable/40214287