In
layman’s term, experiential learning is simply learning through experience. There is more to it than its literal sense. It is a learning process wherewith the
learner is directly involved and acquires knowledge through actual exposure and
reflecting on ideas acquired. According to educators, it is one of the
most effective methods of teaching because the teacher only serves as a
facilitator during the learning process.
However, there are principles in experiential learning which is not
generally true.
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Experience is the Best Teacher
Yes it is, no one is arguing about
it. However, there are just some things
in life where you do not need to be exposed with in order to understand the impact
of cause and effect. For example, the
learner does not need to jump from the tenth floor of a building to know that
you either die or get injured afterwards.
Each one of us has different experiences and reflections about it. Experiences are sometimes dependent on the
physical and psychological framework of the learner. A person might want to know how to make a
clay pot but he is allergic to clay.
Thus, experiential learning does have some limitations.
Facilitated Learning is Better than Traditional
Teaching Methods
Several studies have shown that
traditional classroom methods do not work always; so does experiential learning. First, the ability of the teacher to
facilitate experiential learning depends largely on the training that the
educator receives. Thus, if the teacher
only absorbs so much according to her willingness to learn, the transfer of
ideas from the teacher to the students is limited. In worse situations, the teacher might use
experiential learning as an alibi for ill preparedness and ineffective
classroom management.
Experiential Learning Begins with Individual Desire to
Learn
If this is the case, there is no need
to insist on ideas which the learner has no motivation to gain knowledge of.
For example, why make him study theories of evolution when all the learner
wants is to tinker automotive engines?
The desire to understand and the need to teach require skills that are
at odds very often. Learning is also
dependent on what the individual wants to know and not on what the teacher intends
for the learner to be familiar with.
Experiential Learning is Effective in Learning New
Skills and Ideas
The truth about this learning theory
is that it pretends to be a new concept in teaching; however, we are already participating
in experiential learning all throughout our lives. It starts from the time we became conscious about
the things around us and will continue until our mind stops working due to
medical complications. Every day, we
learn new things through interaction with other people, reading, and
observation. These methods are effective
as well in acquiring new skills and ideas.
The learning process is not an
exclusive process. Thus, experiential
learning is not the ultimate answer to effectively teach students. Rather, it is only effective in ways where
the kind of knowledge and skills to be imparted needs experiential learning
method. Can you teach quadratic equations
without using the board? Do you need to
stage a mock war to learn more about world wars? These
are enough to prove the point.
Contributed by Alden I.Bula
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