Experiential Learning - Essay Example

THEORIES ABOUT AND MODELS OF LEARNING STYLES By + Introductions Learning is a team that must be understood as every action taken, for some people still understand learning as activities that are undertaken or sometimes associated with or linked to educational context. As young babies learn how to eat, to have attention, crawl and walk etc, until they develop into children our bodies pass through a process as we become more functional as more skills are acquired. Traditional, a lot of research and studies have been carried our around learning which focused mainly on the early years of learning right from childhood to adolescent age, therefore, it is now clear realized that learning seem to be a gradual continues process that set of immediately from birth until death (Beard, Wilson & Beard, 2006). The process employs our experience which helps us to go through new experiences and at the same time develop relationships. Most of the human learning happens in random manners throughout lifetime, this may be from experiences, the way we get information and finally our perceptions, for instance, reading a news paper or rather watching some news, chatting with yours associates and unexpected experiences. Some of this many experiences we come across in life provide us with a platform for learning from which choices have to be made whether or not to accept learning (Kolb, 2014). However, this kind of experiential learning totally contrast with more formal approaches that are known of learning like training, mentoring, coaching as well as teaching which have a form of structure that involve a facilitator. According to Wurdinger & Carlson, (2010). Experiential learning as a form of learning that involves a process where students develop knowledge, values associated with direct experience away from the traditional academic setting and skills. Experiential learning focus on how we process our daily experiences, particularly our critical reflections basing on our experiences. The idea behind this module argues that experiential education is the main approach behind students-centered learning for any sustainable future. But many writers and researchers in the experiential learning field as explained above have different views and they use it in two contrasting senses (Marlow & Inman, 2005). The first school of thought describes the kind of learning which is undertaken by lucky students who get a chance in their life to acquire or apply knowledge, relevant skills and feelings within proper setting. It has to be noted that experiential learning thus focuses mainly on direct encounter with influential phenomena under study rather than just thinking only about encounter and possibility related to question. This kind of education is proposed by many institutions that might use it during their training programmes targeting professionals such as social work, teachers and other field study programmes like social administrations. The second school of thought view experiential learning as an occurrence that happens abruptly due to taking part in an event of life. In this view learning is not a condition for formal education institutions but by individual initiatives (Silberman, 2007). Experiential learning can be achieved through reflection on the basis of everyday experience and the way we conduct our learning. In experiential learning the procedure is not necessarily valid since it lacks some components; the issue here is that this model cannot be used to apply into all situations. It appears to have alternatives which is linked to information assimilation and memorization, aspects that seems appropriately applied into different situation. (VAK) learning style is widely used model by many institutions as a form of learning style, this model asserts that many people possess a certain dominant or particular preferred learning style although some individual possess multiple and evenly balanced mixture of about three styles at ago namely, Visual learners/seeing, Auditory learners/listening and Kinaesthetic learners/moving/doing/touching (Walsh, 2011). With the visual learning, individual learn by seeing using eyes, for instance, looking at the picture and immediately create a mental image so that they can retain information, having a visual image of maps, charts, videos and movies, having ability to retain visual skills which can be demonstrated by playing a puzzle building, creative writing, reading ability and being able to understand well charts or graphs, defined sense of direction, able to create visual metaphors fixing stuffs, manipulation of images, designing practical objects etc (Lisle, 2010). Auditory learners are able to learn through listening or by the use of their ears this is because the learners are having well developed auditory skills naturally, they are superior in speaking and presenting which means they are also good with words more rather than pictures contrary to experiential learning and visual learners, they are adapted to receive well through verbal lectures and discussions, listening to other, good story tellers or in explanations, remember information in details and they are good to analyze language use (Sadler-Smith & Evans, 2006).. Kinaesthetic learners therefore tend to learn through moving, doing or sometimes touching. Movement is the key factor by which they express themselves; they have perfect sense of balance as well as eye-hand coordination, this learners tend to remember and at the same time process information by interacting with available space. Find it so difficult at one point to be still for long, they tend to be distractive because they are energetic and activity oriented. They have skills which are physical, for instance, athletic ability, craft, dancing and miming etc (United States, 2009). Critical comparison between the experiential learning is that, both employ some sort of knowledge behind learning although in experiential learning, it a process where students develop knowledge, values associated with direct experience away from the traditional academic setting and skills which is not necessarily true with the (VAK) learning style. The model of (VAK) is common and widely use because many people associate themselves with it. It brings out the real learning situations in three dimensions which are Visual learners/seeing, Auditory learners/listening and Kinaesthetic learners/moving/doing/touching (Martin, Franc & Zounková, 2004). Conclusion The learning ability of an individual varies considerably and apart from ability other factors may be of great influence too, for example, motivation, personality and the adapted learning style process. To cultivate the individual awareness so that to understand the learning process, it means an individual must understand how to learn first. Since learning is an internal activity which is essential for personal development skills, this makes it impossible to directly observe learning in others, however, is possible to be able to point out the outcome of learning in ourselves as well as in others. This means that, formal learning situations are very important in teaching process. References BEARD, C., WILSON, J. P., & BEARD, C. (2006). Experiential learning: a best practice handbook for educators and trainers. London, Kogan Page Ltd KOLB, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. [S.l.], Financial Times Pren Hall. MARLOW, L., & INMAN, D. (2005). Activating the primary social studies classroom: a standards-based sourcebook for K-4. Lanham, MD., ScarecrowEducation. SILBERMAN, M. L. (2007). The handbook of experiential learning. San Francisco, Pfeiffer. http://www.ECU.eblib.com.au/EBLWeb/patron/?target=patron&extendedid=E_268574_ 0. WURDINGER, S. D., & CARLSON, J. (2010). Teaching for experiential learning: five approaches that work. Lanham, Md, Rowman & Littlefield Education WALSH, B. E. (2011). VAK self-audit: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic communication and learning styles : exploring patterns of how you interact and learn. Victoria, BC, Walsh Seminars Pub. House. LISLE, A. M. (2010). Reflexive practice: dialectic encounter in physiology and education. [Philadelphia], Xlibris. SADLER-SMITH, E., & EVANS, C. (2006). Learning styles in education and training. Bradford, England, Emerald Group Pub. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10132662. UNITED STATES. (2009). Aviation instructors handbook. New York, NY, Skyhorse Pub MARTIN, A., FRANC, D., & ZOUNKOVÁ, D. (2004). Outdoor and experiential learning: an holistic and creative approach to programme design. Aldershot, Hants, England ; Burlington, Verm, Gower. Read More