When designing educational
experience for purpose of experiential learning method, it is important to
consider not only the level of educational experience but also the standard of quality
for the experience and learner’s ability to respond. When matching experiences
with content, one must establish the range of experientiality for the unit to
facilitate the process, Gibbon (1980:2) has adopted this aspect of decision
making to the following hierarchy of experiences:
1. Receptive
Mode: Experiences or
representation of them are presented to learners who remain passive audience
throughout. This can be sub-divided into (a) simulated experience and (b)
spectator experience.
2. Analytical
Mode: Learners conduct field
studies in which they apply theoretical knowledge and skill in order to study
some event or some aspect of the environment, or solve some practical problems.
This is subdivided into (a) exploratory and analytical experience.
3. Productive
Experience: Learners generate
products, activities and solve problems that are either assigned or are of
their own devising. This can be divided into (a) generative and challenge
experiences.
(4) Development
Mode: Learners Pursue excellence in a particular area such as designing and
implementing long-term programes of study. These is divided into competence
experience and mastery experience.
(5) Psychological
Mode: Learners learn to understand themselves and their relationship with
others. They accomplish the task presented at the stage of development towards
maturity and make contributions in terms of others. This can be grouped into
personal growth experience and social growth experience.
It is good to
note that experiences must reflect the interest and expertise of the learners.
It should also present a range of activities that reflect the level at which
the content is to be addressed, the interest and abilities of learners and the
environment which the learning will take place.
The elements of experience refer to
the things that make the experience to happen. These include the nature of
activities selected, the skills to be applied through the activities and the
way in which the activities are facilitated.
Principles of Analogy or Assimilation: One of the basic laws of learning which is in
conformity with the principles of experiential learning is the principle of
analogy or assimilation. The principle states that when individual is faced
with a new situation for which he has no natural or learned response, the
response he makes will resemble an earlier response to a similar situation (Chauhan;
1978). The implication of this is that there is a similarity between every new
and old experience of a learner, and as such, educators should always lead
learners from their known to their unknown. Textbooks, abstractions, and
illustrations should always be brought to reflect concrete life for learners;
secondly teachers must provide identity between historical event and present
day event. This principle is in agreement with the use of unit approach in
pedagogy. In unit approach, individual learner makes decisions, grows and
develops democratic point of view ((Nwachukwu 1989) (Chauhan 1987). The above
principle is in conformity with experiential teaching method because in
experiential teaching approach individuals are actively engaged in series of
relevant activities using concrete or authentic materials. They make decisions
and draw their conclusions based on the activities undertaken. Hence educators who
want to adopt experiential learning approach need to understand this principle.
Principle of Mental Set: Another basic
law of learning which supports the use of experiential teaching method is the
principle of mental set. This principle talks about the pre-disposition to act
in a particular way. It is the temporary condition of one’s attitudes, feelings
and interests. Its view is similar to Kurt Lewin’s Gestalt field theory of
cognitive learning. The principle states that for learning to occur, teachers
must prepare learners for various activities in advance(Chauhan 1987, Nwachukwu
1989) Educators can encourage learners to source learning materials (teaching
aids) from homes, community or school. In fact, the hallmark of experiential
teaching approach is the involvement of learners in sourcing of teaching aids from
their various homes. This helps to increase learners’ level of participation,
and prepares their mind for the class activities which the teaching aids will
be used for. The teaching aids must be meaningful and real. The environment
must not be threatening but rather congenial. Learners must be encouraged to
feel that they have control over future activities. Teachers should develop in
pupils positive attitudes.
Retention of Learning: The purpose of education is to impart
knowledge to learners. The knowledge thus imparted is only useful if learners
are able to retain them for use in school, outside school and in future life.
Presently the greatest tragedy to the education system at all levels in Nigeria is that
learners hardly retain what has been taught in school beyond the period of
examination. Educators have the onerous task of adopting or devising a
pedagogical approach that will enable learners to acquire, retain and transfer
knowledge transmitted in school to the wider society for use in dealing with
every day problems. (Nwachukwu: 1989)
This discussion will border on
factors that enhance retention and those that lead to forgetting. The
discussion will examine how experiential learning will assist in elimination of
facts that are responsible for low retention of knowledge acquired by pupils in
schools especially in basic science.
Oladele
(1987:103) had identified the following kinds of remembering:
(a) Recognition:
This includes the recognition of the faces of people, painting, musical
composition; pattern of physical arrangement which have previously registered
on one’s sensory receptors.
(b) Recall:
Restatement of something learnt in the past. We recall something even when it
is not seen but was presented to the senses in the past.
(c) Reproduction:
One recognizes a basic scientific law so well, because it was learnt very
well.
(d) Performance:
Habits learned or skills acquired are performed by an individual because it
was properly learned or acquired.