Chapter 2 Summary

Leveraging Experiential Learning Techniques for

Transfer 

Authors: Nate Furman, Jim Sibthorp 

Presented by: Jacob Oostra

CCE (AHE) 582

Chapter Outline:

Introduction

Learning Transfer

Experiential Education and Experiential Learning

Learning Transfer and Experiential Learning

Integrating Experiential Techniques

Conclusions

Reflection Question Thinking ahead:

Have you ever been apart of an experiential learning experience?

If yes, please reflect and share a brief summary of a prior training program where you were the program designer, instructor, or learner, and how it enhanced (did not enhance) your learning transfer? Did you use any of the techniques discussed today?

If no one has an experiential learning experience to share, please reflect on a technique or concept that stood out to you in this presentation.

Introduction This chapter describes how experiential

learning techniques can be helpful in encouraging learning transfer as these techniques can foster a depth of learning and cognitive recall necessary for transfer.

Briefly describe what transfer of learning means to you thus far.

Learning Transfer

Adult education and training programs are very diverse (Furman & Sibthorp, 2013).

Programs are characterized by the emphasis on using the skills learned after the end of the program, an idea commonly referred to as learning transfer (Furman & Sibthorp, 2013).

Learning transfer is the goal of program training, yet it’s often a real challenge, and has become a major noticed problem in teaching.

Experiential Education Experiential education is a method of education informed

by the philosophies of Dewey, the social constructivism by Vygotsky, and the developmental theories of Piaget (Roberts, 2011).

Places a “premium” on constructing individual meaning, honors the prior experience of students, and values ideals central to social change.

Prioritizes active learning components, frequently uses reflection activities as a tool to develop further meaning, and emphasizes peer-to-peer interaction.

Deemphasizes rote learning, memorization, and inflexible, didactic (instructional) interactions between teacher and learning?

Experiential Learning Although similar to experiential education, experiential

learning on the other hand, is not bound by the social milieu (environment), traditions, or philosophies.

Experiential learning structures include individual teaching techniques used by an instructor to achieve learning goals. In fact, experiential learning might not even require an instructor at all. Most often however, the instructor serves more as a facilitator or guide

Are their any examples or techniques of experiential learning that someone would like to share, or that comes to mind?

Common EL Techniques:

Project based learning

Problem-based learning

Reflective learning

Cooperative learning

Service learning

Five types of day-to-day EL Instructional Activities:Starting on p. 19, Bonk and Cunningham (1998) provide some examples

Group processing and reflection

Social dialogue and elaboration

Learning communities

Assessment

Multiple viewpoints

Team choice and common interests

Frontczal (1998) Expands on Experiential Learning

Experiential learning:

Is student-centered

Emphasizes firsthand experience,

Emphasizes student responsibility for their own learning,

Flexible and tilts away from regiment, and

Includes a holistic combination of cognitive, affective, and behavior process

Learning Transfer & Experiential Learning:

Experiential learning enhances transfer because it:

Encourages for reflection and processing information (Cranton, 2002; Jordi 2010,

Encourages active learning (Cox, 1997),

Encourages discovery learning (Mayer, & Wittrock, 1996),

Encourages feedback plus remediation (Lee & Khanweiler, 2000), and

Encourages analogical approaches to thinking (Alexander & Murphy, 1999).

The National Outdoor Leadership School Study

The instructor can be very important as they sometimes can provide interpersonal support, personal inspiration, be a role-model of a support

The environment in which learning takes place (they were out in the deep back country with no distractions). They were out of the typical classroom.

Length can be a factor: I believe this retreat-program was 75 days long.

Group dynamics

Perceived value of content (relevance, opportunity to use skills obtained after program)

Main point: mechanisms must remain highly contextual in any type of educational settings to increase learning transfer.

My example of EL 17-day Permaculture design course in Northeast

Thailand located in rural rice farming village community

http://www.raktamachat.org/

http://www.panyaproject.org/

The instructor

The environment

Group dynamics

Cooperative learning

Integrating Experiential Techniques

The authors list generic programs and how experiential learning could potential be integrated into these programs.

Program 1: ESL Language Course

Program 2: Online Personal Finance Course

Program 3: Vegetable Garden Course

The authors claim that these examples prioritize engaging students in deep, active learning activities; providing time for reflection; allowing for instructor feedback and role modeling; including a highlight or culminating event, and using real-world, contextualized problems to stimulate, establish, or enhance relevancy.

Reflection Discussion Have you ever been apart of an experiential learning

experience?

If yes, please reflect and share a brief summary of a prior training program where you were the program designer, instructor, or learner, and how it enhanced (did not enhance) your learning transfer?

If no one has an experiential learning experience to share, please reflect on a technique or concept that stood out to you in this presentation.

ConclusionThe authors, Furman & Sibthorp, suggest that

“Experiential techniques foster and maximize depth of learning and thinking, and excel with process-focused educational content, but usually sacrifice breath” (2013, p. 19).

“By incorporating experiential learning techniques that align with the literature of transfer into their lessons- while also attending to individual and contextual differences in populations and classes- educators can maximize the potential for transfer” (2013, p. 24).

Critical Reflection Question #1

Have you ever been apart of an educational learning experience? If yes, please reflect back on this experience and share a brief summary of a prior training program where you were the program designer, instructor, or learner, and how it enhanced (did not enhance) your learning transfer?

If you haven’t been a part of an experiential learning experience, reflect back on a more traditional experience, and using the techniques described in the chapter, suggest how you could have turned it into an experiential learning experience.

Critical Reflection Question #2:

Reflect back on the five experiential learning techniques described in the chapter 2 (Project based learning; Reflective learning; Cooperative learning; Service learning; Reflective learning).

Step 1: Choose 1 of these experiential techniques and describe or outline a desired-hypothetical program of your choice.

Step 2: Choose 2 of Bonk and Cunningham’s “Five types of day-to-day instruction” on page 19&20 and apply them to your program

Step 3: Go to a classmate’s post and please provide some feedback (preferable one that has received feedback) and suggest another potential B&C day-to-day instruction activity.

Critical Reflection Question #3:

Reflecting back to page 19 where Furman and Sibthorp (2013) suggest, “Experiential techniques foster and maximize depth of learning and thinking, and excel with process-focused educational content, but usually sacrifice breath,” please describe what you think they mean in this claim.

Would you agree with this statement? Please explain why or why not? Do you feel you fostered and maximized depth in learning and thinking in your hypothetical program described in question 2?

References Bonk C, & Cunningham, D.J. (1998). Searching for

constructivist, learner-centered and sociocultural components for collaborative educational learning tools. (pp. 25-50). New York, NY: Erlbaum

Frontczal, N. T (1998). A paradigm for the selection, use, and development of experiential learning activities in marketing education. Marketing Education Review, 8(3), 25-33

Furman, Nate, Sibthorp, Jim. (2013). Leveraging Experiential Learning Techniques for Transfer. Jossey-Bass Publication. Ch. 2. p. 19, 24.

Kaiser, Leann M. Kaminiski, Karen, Foley, Jeffery. (2013). Learning Transfer in Adult Education; Jossey-Bass Publication