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

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