Concrete Experience and Abstract Experience - Assignment Example

Task 1 - Analysing experience questions i) What are the strengths and weaknesses of this definition for expressing what you understand by experience’? “A particular instance of personally encountering or undergoing something” (Dictionary.com). The strengths of this definition are based on the fact that it touches on two keys aspects of experience. The first aspect of experience involves “encountering” whereas the second aspect involves “undergoing.” We gain experience by encountering or undergoing something unfamiliar or new to what we are used to. In this case, experience is gained through the participation of one in a series of activities or living through a series of events in our lives. One the other hand, this definition is limited to incidents and occurrences thus it fails to capture other aspect of experience that involve gaining knowledge or skills. ii) What would you say is the difference between our use of experience’ and an experience?’ (Give examples) In this case the use of the word “experience” is used to imply a common or mundane occurrence. For instance, “My experience of riding on a train to school every morning.” This example shows that this is an occurrence that commonly or routinely takes place. Another example that can be used in this case include; “My experience of writing articles every week has helped me to become more knowledgeable. On the other hand, the term “an experience” is used to imply the occurrence of an extraordinary or new event that is unforgettable. For example, “My ride on Thunder Mountain at the Disneyland theme park was an unforgettable experience” This example shows that this occurrence is new or extra-ordinary and that is not easy to forget. Another example that can be used in this case include; “My visit to the Netherlands was an experience that I will cherish dearly.” iii) What is the difference between a concrete experience’ and an abstract experience’? (Give examples) Concrete experience is realised through direct practical acquaintance or experience. It is based on the thinking of the world as a series of separate discrete events and objects. This experience is based on working with objects, hearing or seeing. A good example of concrete experience is represented in the following sentence. “My experience in school has helped me learn how to relate with others.” On the other hand, abstract experience is realised by having knowledge about something. People who have abstract experience tend to think that the only right way to do things is based on their first experience. As compared to concrete experience, people with abstract experience have a generalized view relating to events and experiences, they often relate or connect this experience to that of other people. They will often have a view of the world as a place where generalization of thinking is the only way to operate. A good example of abstract experience is represented in the following sentence. “The school experience can help one learn how to relate with others.” iv) What sort of experience are you likely to learn most from? Why is this? When the two forms of experience are taken into consideration, abstract experience enables one to learn more compared to concrete experience. This is so because the abstract experience enables one to be able to take not only their experiences but also those experiences of others into consideration when thinking. This allows other possible options of the outcome of an activity to be open and not narrowed down to a single outcome option like in the concrete experience. Abstract experience therefore is dynamic and not as static unlike the concrete experience which only has one outcome in the thinking process. Abstract thinking will therefore allow a generalized view of issues and this allows possible changes to be made for a better outcome to be established allowing one to learn from abstract experience. v) What do you think Kolb meant by “grasping and transforming experience”? Kolb used the term “Grasping and transforming experience” to refer to a learning process through which knowledge is developed through the transformation of experience. In this case, knowledge is created from grasping experience and transforming it (Kolb 1984). According to Kolb, grasping and transforming experience are two key dimensions of the learning process. People grasp experience by feeling and doing, this are concrete experiences and by also thinking or theorizing this can also referred to abstract conceptualization. On the other hand, people transform experience by watching or reflecting and by doing or applying (Kolb 1984). Task 2-How do you think? Critical thinking to a student means finding out where the best evidence lies for the subject to be discussed, being able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the argument, finally being able to come up with a conclusion based on the evidence that is available. The evidence will enable the student to come up with a line of reasoning towards a conclusion that will be based on the evidence (Cottrell 2005). Critical thinking is relevant as far as studies are concerned. It is challenging to implement all the aspects of critical thinking while making an analysis mainly because, it is not all the time that I have adequate knowledge of a particular subject to address the issues at hand. Moreover, the reading skills that I use make it difficult to employ different aspects of critical thinking (McWilliam & Dawson 2008). In some instance after reading I find it hard to evaluate the evidence that I have been able to obtain after reading. This is mainly because reading materials require one to internalize and be able to capture sentiments of the author. Critical thinking will require one to use evidence to support an argument and if the evidence is not sufficient, critical evaluation will lack credibility. At times, personal emotions will tend to influence the conclusions that I am able to come up with. This makes the conclusion to be biased hence it lacks the backing of the logical reasoning that is based on the evidence that has been carefully gathered and evaluated (Cottrell 2005). My assumption on criticisms has also contributed negatively in my critical thinking. I have realized that the criticism does not necessarily entail making of negative comments when making a judgment but it should involve critical evaluation. This critical evaluation will seek to identify both the positive and the negative aspects in an argument. This will enhance how one will draw their conclusion based on evidence and not false premise (Jackson & Shaw 2006). In addition to this, I find critical thinking to be challenging particularly with regards to aspects revolving around making comparisons. When reading or accessing information from other sources, I find it difficult to compare and evaluate different information at the same. It often takes me a lot of time to come up with a conclusion based on the available evidence. I have been able to implement some of the aspects of critical thinking. Some of these aspects include comparison of what I am reading with what I already know or I have learnt about the topic, looking for the authors’ point of view or the heart of the issue being put forward by the writer and comparing it to my opinion and summarizing the work that I am reading so that it can make some logical sense (Jackson & Shaw 2006). It is therefore important to always build on the skills of critical thinking for this will enable me to come up with conclusions based on evidence. This will be achieved by the correct implementation of the entire critical thinking process for accurate judgement to be made (Cottrell 2005). Task 3 - Critical thinking Lecture learning logs One of the significant lessons I learnt from our previous lecturers revolves around the importance of critical thinking in developing scholarly arguments. Critical thinking enables one to be able to carefully deliberate on an issue before making a judgment. It also involves the use of skills in the evaluation of communications, information as well as an argument. This is often realised through the identification of other people’s positions, arguments and even conclusions (Cottrell 2005). Critical thinking enables one to be able to evaluate the evidence provided and form their own opinion. This is often done after one rules out the false assumptions and premises. In critical thinking, the conclusion is based on reasons or evidence that supports the argument. For a scholarly argument to be established, various factors have to be put into account. A scholarly argument should present both side of case, it should have an objective and the findings depicted should be based on authoritative and reputable sources of evidence. The person also engaging in a scholarly argument should also be free from emotional persuasion as this will water down the effectiveness of a scholarly argument (Craft 2003). The ideas presented in these lectures are very valuable to my academic life, since they touch on crucial elements of developing scholarly arguments. In any area of study, it is required that a student should develop sound, rational and evidence based arguments. Therefore, knowledge on how to make scholarly arguments is essential. Through the ideas presented I believe I have been equipped to make scholarly arguments that are sound, rational and evidence based arguments. Moreover, another significant lesson I learnt from our previous lecturers are on the techniques for efficient reading. The ideas presented on these lectures have played an invaluable role in my academic life by providing insights on how I can read efficiently in order to learn or get evidence. From these lecturers I learnt that reading can be done for the purposes of initial learning or with the aim of obtaining evidence. There are various reading techniques which have been put forward with the objective of enhancing better and effective reading. One of these techniques is the SQ3R (survey, questions, read, recall, review) (Cottrell 2005). From the ideas presented in the lecturers, I have with time been able to grasp how to read quickly, efficiently, understand the sentiments of the author and thereafter form an argument or draw relevant conclusions. I have also leant how I can read academic articles and effectively evaluate the findings presented. For example, note taking while reading is one practice I have adopted. The taking of notes while reading, enables me as a reader to be able to understand better and make relevant judgments based on the information presented in a particular reading material (Moore 2004). In addition to this, the ideas presented in the lecture materials have helped to improve my critical thinking skills. From the lectures presented, I learnt that critical thinking entails active, interpretation and assessment of information, observation, arguments and any form of communication. It also involves a deliberate and careful determination of whether a certain judgment should be accepted suspended or rejected (Fisher & Scriven 1997; Moore & Parker 2008). Practicing these principles has enabled me to become a better problem solver. For instance, I have leant to identify problems and find workable solutions for addressing these problems. Basically, the ideas presented in the lectures have helped me to become a better leaner, a critical thinker and an efficient scholar. Task 4 - Debate Report - Reflective Report The debate topic was “This house believes that TV does more harm than good”. My group was against the motion. Team work enabled us to win the argument. The contributions made by each member of the group helped us to build a strong argument against the proposed motion. Each member of the group came up with unique ideas and suggestions and it is through the integration of these ideas that we were able to win the argument. Nevertheless, we could have worked better by doing extensive research on the topic and finding stronger arguments to defeat the motion. The key points in the argument that my group developed included the following: The television is vital in relaying of instant information thus its keeps the audience informed about current world affairs. It provides an inexpensive means of entertainment Can be used to air advertisements thus creating awareness among the masses on what to buy. Provides unlimited source of information and entertainment. It provides an avenue where people can be informed and educated on various socio-cultural and economic issues. Through research, we found out that majority of the people who watched the television did it for educational purposes, to receive news and also entertain themselves. This information we collected formed a basis for our argument to oppose the motion. The strengths of our argument were supported by the evidence we gathered on the advantages of the television whereas the weaknesses of the argument was that not all the people had the same reasons for having the television set. The key points presented on the other side included: The television promotes immorality and violent behaviour through the display of some violent and pornographic programs. Payment of subscription fees to some channels is very costly. The television can be very addictive thus causing people to live a sedentary lifestyle characterised by minimal physical activities. Contributes to time-wasting The defending side argued that, research studies show that the increasing crime and violent trends among minors or children can be attributed to TV programs that violent in nature. Moreover, they argued that, research studies have confirmed that the increasing trends of childhood obesity are mainly as a result of children becoming excessively addicted to watching the TV and as a result the fail to engage in adequate physical activities. The strength of these arguments are that, they are founded on solid research findings. On the other hand, the weakness of these arguments is that they are one-sided and they mainly center on the effects that the internet has on children. These arguments can be countered by arguing that through adult supervision or regulation of the programs that children watch or the amount of time children spend watching TV, these impacts can be countered. From this debate, I learnt that in order for one to develop successful arguments, it is important to conduct extensive research on the topic of discussion. One should examine the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments and find ways of defending their arguments by providing relevant examples. Moreover, I learnt that when participating in a debate, it is important to present evidence-base arguments. It is not enough to present an argument that is not supported either through research studies or documented real-life experience. In order to present arguments that are evidence-based, it is important to examine evidence presented in different research studies, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the argument, finally come up with a conclusion based on the evidence that is available. Task 5 - Personal Statement In my years of study, I have been privileged to get opportunities to learn about fundamental aspects of business. Studying business has instilled in me a deep passion and interest to pursue a career in business management. Through the knowledge I have gained over the years, I believe that I am well equipped to work in diverse business settings. My studies have equipped me to become a critical thinker, it has also enabled me to become versatile, creative and knowledgeable on different subject matters in business. As a result, I believe I can become a resourceful and effective business person and make positive contributions to an organization and the society in general. References Cottrell, S., 2005, Critical thinking skills, Palgrave McMillan, New York. Craft, A., 2003, The limits to creativity in education: Dilemmas for the educator. British Journal of Educational Studies, 51(2), 113-127. Fisher, A. & Scriven, M., 1997, Critical thinking: its definition and assessment, Edgepress, UK. Jackson, N., & Shaw, M. , 2006, Developing subject perspectives on creativity in higher education. In N. Jackson, M. Oliver, M. Shaw & J. Wisdom (Eds.), Developing creativity in higher education: An imaginative curriculum. London: Routledge. Kolb, D., 1984, Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. McWilliam, E., & Dawson, S., 2008, Teaching for creativity: Towards sustainable and replicable pedagogical practice, Higher Education, 56, 633-643. Moore, T., 2004, The critical thinking debate: How general are general thinking skills? Higher Education Research & Development, 23, 3-18. Moore, B. & Parker, R., 2008, Critical Thinking, McGraw-Hill, UK. Read More