Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is the process of making meaning from direct experience. Simply put, Experiential Learning is learning from experience. The experience can be staged or left open. Aristotle once said, "For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them. Experiential learning focuses on the learning process for the individual (unlike experiential education, which focuses on the transactive process between teacher and learner). An example of experiential learning is going to the zoo and learning through observation and interaction with the zoo environment, as opposed to reading about animals from a book. American educational theorist David A. Kolb believes that learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. He states that in order to gain genuine knowledge from an experience, certain abilities are required: 1. the learner must be willing to be actively involved in the experience; 2. the learner must be able to reflect on the experience; 3. the learner must possess and use analytical skills to conceptualize the experience; and 4. the learner must possess decision making and problem solving skills in order to use the new ideas gained from the experience. Experiential learning can be a highly effective educational method. It engages the learner at a more personal level by addressing the needs and wants of the individual. Experiential learning requires qualities such as self-initiative and self-evaluation. For experiential learning to be truly effective, it should employ the whole learning wheel, from goal setting, to experimenting and observing, to reviewing, and

finally action planning. This complete process allows one to learn new skills, new attitudes or even entirely new ways of thinking.

Cognitive Learning Theory

Is assumed to be compromised of a number of sub theories and is widely used in education and counseling The Key to learning and changing is the individuals Cognition Cognition- perception, thought, memory and ways of processing and structuring information. Cognitive Learning- is a highly active process largely directed by the individual, involves perceiving the information, interpreting it, based on whats already known and then reorganizing the information into new insights or understanding. Cognitive Theorists maintain that reward is not necessary for learning. More important are learners goals and expectations which create disequilibrium, imbalance and tension that motivate them to act. A learners metacognition , or understanding of her way of learning, influences the learning as well. Cognitive learning theory includes several well-known perspectives. One of the oldest psychological theories is Gestalt Perspective which emphasizes the importance of perception in learning and laid the ground work for various other cognitive perspective that followed. Gestalt perspectives principal assumption is that each person perceives, interprets and responds to any situation in his or his own way. Basic Gestalt Principle: Simplicity, equilibrium and regularity.

 Perception is selective which has several ramifications. First,because no one can attend to all the surrounding stimuli at any given time. Second, what individuals pay attention to and what they ignore are influence by host factors: Past experiences, needs, personal motives and attitudes, reference groups and the particular structure stimulus or situation. Information processing- is a cognitive perspective that emphasize thinking process: thought, reasoning, the way information is encountered and stored and memory functioning. Memory Process: Stage 1: Attention- paying attention to environmental stimuli Stage 2: Processing-information is processed by the senses. Its is important to consider the clients preferred mode of sensory processing(visual, auditory, or motor manipulation) Stage 3: Memory storage- the information is transformed and incorporated briefly to the short term memory after which it is either disregarded or stored in the long term memory. Long term involves organization of information by using the preferred strategy such as imagery, rehearsals or breaking the information into units. Stage 4: Action- the individuals makes on basis of how information was processed or stored. 9 Corresponding Cognitive Processes that effective activate learning: Gain learners attention Inform the learner of the objectives and expectations Stimulate the learners recall of prior learning Present information Provide guidance to facilitate learners understandings

Have the learner demonstrate the information or skill Give feedback to the learner Assess the learners performance Work tolerance retention and transfer to application and varied practice.

Piagets Theory of Cognitive Development Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, introduced concepts of cognitive development.Piaget defined four stages of cognitive development ( sensorimotor, Preoperational, concrete, Formal operational thought) within each stage are finer units called schemas.These stages become evident over the course of infancy, early childhood, middle childhood and adolescence respectively. According to Piagets theory, children take information as they interact with people and environment. They either make it fit with what they know (assimilation) or change their perception and and interpretations in keeping with new information (accommodation).

1. Sensory Motor Stage Knowledge about objects and the ways that they can be manipulated is acquired. Through the acquisition of information about self and the world, and the people in it, the child begins to understand how one thing can cause or affect another, and begins to develop simple ideas about time and space. 2. Preoperational Thought

 Children usually go through this stage between the age of two to seven years old. During this stage, children's thought processes are developing, although they are still considered to be far from 'logical thought', in the adult sense of the word. The vocabulary of a child is also expanded and developed during this stage, as they change from babies and toddlers into 'little people Gradually during this stage, a certain amount of 'decentering' occurs. This is when someone stops believing that they are the centre of the world, and they are more able to imagine that something or someone else could be the centre of attention. Animism' is also a characteristic of the Pre-operational stage. This is when a person has the belief that everything that exists has some kind of consciousness. 3. Concrete operational thought This stage was believed to have affected children aged between seven and eleven to twelve years old. During this stage, the thought process becomes more rational, mature and 'adult like', or more 'operational', Although this process most often continues well into the teenage years. The process is divided by Piaget into two stages, the Concrete Operations, and the Formal Operations stage, which is normally undergone by adolescents. the child has the ability to develop logical thought about an object, if they are able to manipulate it. 4. Formal operational thought The formal operational stage begins around age 11 and is fully achieved by age 15, bringing with it the capacity for abstraction. This permits adolescents to reason beyond a world of concrete reality to a world of possibilities and to operate logically on symbols and information that do not necessarily refer to objects and events in the real world. There are 2 major characteristics of formal operational thought. The first is hypothetic-deductive reasoning

When faced with a problem, adolescents come up with a general theory of all possible factors that might affect the outcome and deduce from it specific hypothesis that might occur. They then systematically treat this hypothesis to see which ones do in fact occur in the real world. Thus, adolescent problem solving begins with possibility and proceeds to reality. The second is propositional in nature. Adolescents can focus on verbal assertions and evaluate their logical validity to real-world circumstances. In contrast, concrete operational children can evaluate the logic of statements by considering them against concrete evidence only.

Cognitive theory has been criticized for neglecting emotions so several slightly different cognitive orientation to emotion have been proposed and are briefly summarized in the following list. Empathy and moral emotions Memory stage and retrieval, as well as moral decision making involve both cognitive and emotional brain process Emotional intelligence entails managing ones emotion, self-motivation, reading emotions of others and working effectively in interpersonal relationships, which some argue is more important to leadership and, social judgment and behavior than cognitive intelligence Self-regulation includes monitoring cognitive process, emotions, and ones surroundings to achieve goals which is considered as key factor to successful living and effective social behavior. Implications:

Nursing and other health care professional education programs would do exhibit and encourage empathy and emotional intelligence in working with patients, family, and staff and to attend dynamics of self-regulation as a way to promote positive personal growth and effective leadership. Whats the benefit of Cognitive theory to health care? Encouragement of recognizing and appreciating individual and diversity in how people learn and process experiences. Definition of Multiple Intelligences This theory of human intelligence, developed by psychologist Howard Gardner and known as Gardners' Multiple Intelligences Theory, suggests there are at least seven ways that people have of perceiving and understanding the world. Gardner labels each of these ways a distinct 'intelligence' -- in other words, a set of skills allowing individuals to find and resolve genuine problems they face. Gardner defines an "intelligence" as a group of abilities that:

Is somewhat autonomous from other human capacities; Has a core set of information-processing operations; Has a distinct history in the stages of development we each pass through; Has plausible roots in evolutionary history. How Multiple Intelligences make an impact on students' learning

Curriculum --Traditional schooling heavily favors the verbal-linguistic and

logical-mathematical intelligences. Gardner suggests a more balanced curriculum that incorporates the arts, self-awareness, communication, and physical education.

Instruction -- Gardner advocates instructional methods that appeal to all

the intelligences, including role playing, musical performance, cooperative learning, reflection, visualization, story telling, and soon.

Assessment -- This theory calls for assessment methods that take into

account the diversity of intelligences, as well as self-assessment tools that help students understand their intelligences. While Gardner suggests his list of intelligences may not be exhaustive, he originally identified the following seven: Verbal-Linguistic -- The ability to use words and language Logical-Mathematical -- The capacity for inductive and deductive thinking and reasoning, as well as the use of numbers and the recognition of abstract patterns Visual-Spatial -- The ability to visualize objects and spatial dimensions, and create internal images and pictures Body-Kinesthetic -- The wisdom of the body and the ability to control physical motion Musical-Rhythmic -- The ability to recognize tonal patterns and sounds, as well as a sensitivity to rhythms and beats Interpersonal -- The capacity for person-to-person communications and relationships Intrapersonal -- The spiritual, inner states of being, self-reflection, and awareness