The Experiential Learning Cycle by David Kolb

Reflecting on an experience gained can lead us to acquire learning when the experience is transformed into knowledge through application of what we have learnt from the experience.

David Kolb represented acquisition of learning into four-stage learning cycle.

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The below is a videoclip of how experiential learning cycle being applied to healthcare practitioner.

Concrete Experience (Gain an experience through hands-on)

A learner gains new experience through personal experience or encounter. It can also be a revisit of past experience.

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Very often, teachers provide the experience through hands-on activities like the science lab sessions or use of Math manipulatives.

Learners gain authentic experience through conducting or doing the required tasks.

Reflective Observation (Review/Reflect on the experience)

Having an experience does not mean a learner has gained knowledge.

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A learner needs to reflect on the experience gained probably about its pros and cons or areas of strengths or weaknesses to make an experience meaningful.

Abstract Conceptualisation (Learn from experience)

This is the third stage where a learner attempts to draw out the learning points of the experience gained after reflecting on it.

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Through reflection, a learner can draw out learning points and key ideas that enable them to learn from the experience.

Active Experimentation (Apply and try out learning)

After identifying the learning points, a learner can apply the learning points into different situation to test out the theory formulated.

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After learning about the four-stage experiential learning cycle, you can do further reading on your own about the learning styles of different learners to see the interconnectedness.

Implication of the experiential learning cycle

In the past, teachers usually focused on didactic teaching to provide the theoretical knowledge to cope with examination.

I agree that didactic teaching is still an effective method for students who are unable to conceptualise information on their own.

With the growing trend of the need for experiential learning, teachers are tasked to provide real-world experience to bring the problems of the world into our classrooms.

Teachers should and must craft the learning experience meaningfully to achieve the desired learning outcomes.

It is not enough to gain an experience but the need to reflect on the experience to achieve meaningful learning.

In conclusion

Modern classrooms can no longer be simply confined to the four walls but the need for outdoor activities as well as problem-based learning have been sounding loudly as a worldwide educational need for many years.

As teachers, we need to move out of our comfort zone to provide rich learning experience for our future generation so that they can cope with future problems adaptively through exposure from young.

Reference:

Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT press.

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.

Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2012). Experiential learning theory. In Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning (pp. 1215-1219). Springer, Boston, MA.

Disclaimer: This is my personal reflection and I am not in any position to instruct anyone what they should do. I am not responsible for any action taken as a result of this post. My post can only be a reference for your further research and growth. By reading this post, you acknowledge and accept that. All images and pictures were taken from google images that are free from copyright under labelled for reuse.

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