LEARNING -WHICH WAY ??

Experiential learning V/S  Conventional learning

Experiential Learning is: ‘developing personal understanding, knowledge, skills and attitudes through the analysis of, and reflection on, activity’.

In this definition ‘Activity’ can include anything from an individual explaining an idea or completing a simple task to highly complex group interactions involving a wide range of mental attributes and behaviours

Experiential learning is sometimes referred to as activity based learning or active learning.

What makes experiential learning special?

• experiential learning is an active process which engages the learner, not a passive process that happens to the learner.
• in ‘experiential learning’ the experience provides the platform for learning, whilst the careful analysis and reflection of the experience develops the learning
• individuals are encouraged to work things out for themselves, they are guided to and through their learning rather than being taught
• the learning individuals develop is appropriate for them: it is implicit in the approach that there are no ‘right ways of thinking’, ‘set rules, or ‘perfect behaviours’ that anyone has to learn and apply
• the commitment developed by the learner to make best use of their learning: they are central to the learning process, it is their learning.

Article resourced from www.mtalearning.com 

Read more @http://www.mtalearning.com/mta/experiential-learning.html

The essence of effective experiential learning is that the entire process is centered on the learner - not the task, not the qualification standard, not the group, and certainly not the trainer's or the teacher's personal opinions. 

conventional learning	experiential learning
learning-centred/focused - theoretical	learner-centred/focused - really doing it
prescribed fixed design and content	flexible open possibilities
for external needs (organisation, exams, etc)	for internal growth and discovery
transfers/explains knowledge/skills	develops knowledge/skills/emotions via experience
fixed structured delivery/facilitation	not delivered, minimal facilitation, unstructured
timebound measurable components (mostly)	not timebound,
suitable for groups and fixed outcomes	individually directed, flexible outcomes
examples: powerpoint presentations, chalk-and-talk classes, reading, attending lectures, exam study, observation, planning and hypothesising, theoretical work, unreal role-play.	examples: learning a physical activity, games and exercises, drama and role-play which becomes real, actually doing the job or task, 'outward bound' activities, teaching others, hobbies, pastimes, passions.