Experiential Learning Theory - David Kolb 1984

mark tozer's blog: Experiential Learning

I was planning on doing a short blog explaining Kolb's experiential learning theory however Mark already has a good explanation and there is no reason for me to reinvent the wheel. The model is widely used in outdoor education.

Initially, I was planning on using this model for my dissertation, but recently I found some information that supposedly invalidates Kolb's theory. Instead, I'll probably be using John Dewey's theory because it is more general and because it has the democratic undertones which I believe are important to increasing environmental literacy. That will come soon.

Here is the link to a rebutle of Kolb's theory. Interestingly enough, David Kolb was actually a part of the author's doctoral committee. Makes you wonder how that relationship turned out - ha!

http://www.cc.ysu.edu/~mnwebb/critique.htm

The Adventure Wave - Schoel, Prouty, Radcliffe 1988

The Adventure Wave


Schoel, Prouty, Radcliffe 1988

The Adventure Wave model of experiential learning is comprised of five elements: bedrock, sequencing, briefing, leading, and debriefing. These elements, when thoughtfully put together, create a powerful activity for the learner using a series of peaks and valleys (Schoel, Prouty, & Radcliffe 1988). The five elements are described below.

Schoel et al. (1998) describes bedrock as the foundation of adventure based counseling. The bedrock of a positive and effective learning experience includes specifically defined terms and goals, the development of a proposal and implementation plan, proper leadership and training, adequate resources, initial diagnostic procedures, and proper formation of participant groups. These topics create a solid foundation for developing an experiential curriculum or sequencing play.

After establishing the program’s bedrock, sequencing is used to appropriately order each activity according to the needs of the participants. This is accomplished by, first, using lead-up activities which physically and emotionally prepare the participants for the difficult activity that they will experience. The next part of sequencing is to develop a well thought out plan which properly orders each briefing, activity, and debriefing. Finally, each sequencing plan needs to be flexible due to the nature of adventure based counseling and the fact that each group will have different needs (Schoel et al. 1988).

Once the sequencing play is established, it is important to determine how to brief the participants. Briefing is described as a discussion period in which the group is informed of the rules and the goals of the activity. The topics that are discussed during the briefing directly relate to the upcoming activity (Schoel et al. 1988).

After properly briefing, a group of participants is lead through an activity. During this phase of the Adventure Wave, participants will have a wide spectrum of reactions. They may relax, learn to trust, try new things, and even grow, or, they may rebel against the activity and even the leader. Each activity requires a leader who has an effective leadership style so they can counsel the participants using the appropriate method at the appropriate time (Schoel et al. 1988).

Following the activity, the group moves into a time of reflection known as debriefing. This phase of the wave is typically the hardest for leaders to execute. It involves discussing and dealing with apparent or difficult issues that may have been manifested during the activity. The debriefing session is what makes the activity a meaningful experience for the group (Schoel et al. 1988).




Schoel, J. Prouty, D., & Radcliffe, P. (1988). Islands of healing: A guide to adventure based
counselling. Hamilton, Massachusetts: Project Adventure, Inc.

The Outward Bound Educational Process Model - Walsh and Gollins 1976

The Outward Bound Educational Process Model


Walsh and Gollins 1976

In order for the model to be effective, the tasks need to be introduced incrementally and need to have real consequences. Each problem solving task should be holistic and involve a combination of each individual’s mental, emotional, and physical resources. The conflicts created by the tasks are then reflected on by the student which transfers to the present learning experience to future experiences.



Martin, A., Franc, D., & Zounkova, D. Outdoor and Experiential Learning: An Holistic and Creative Approach to Programme Design. P13

The Active Learning Cycle - Sakofs & Armstrong 1996

The Active Learning Cycle


Sakofs and Armstrong 1996

Although not explicitly stated in the model, Sakof & Armstrong (1996) suggested that the educational process has the following components: the teacher, the experience, immediate applications of knowledge, time for solitude and reflection, adventure, physical fitness, metaphorical significance and teamwork.

"The potency of this general sequence of an experiential lesson in strengthened when the experiences are such that: the task is relevant, thus there must be a meaningful purpose behind the activity, as in real-world applications 2) the task has clear short and long term outcomes known and understood by the learner. 3) multiple routes to meaningful outcomes are available. 4) the learner is empowered to construct emotional and intellectual meanings. 5) leanings build upon learnings."



Sakofs, M., & Armstrong, G.P. (1996). Into the classroom: Outward Bound resources for teachers. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

Model for Promoting Learning from Experience - Boud, Cohen, & Walker 1993

Model for Promoting Learning from Experience


Boud, Cohen, Walker 1993

The intended outcome for this model is that the learner will be gain new perspectives from the experience and possibly change their behavior. There are three stages to the model which occur before, during, and after the experience. During the experience it is important to notice, intervene and have a personal foundation of experience. Following the experience the student focuses on feelings and emotions that can enhance further learning.


Boud, D., Cohen, R., & Walker, D. (Eds.). (1993). Using experience for learning. Buckingham: Open
University Press.

The most "experiential" based environmental majors at Texas Tech Univeristy

I just finished doing a review of academic majors at Texas Tech University to determine which undergraduate programs incorporated environmental education and how many of those programs involved outdoor, field-based, learning. The results were not that surprising, considering that majors involving biology and natural resources were in the top 5. However, one surprising result was a humanities program that incorporates the arts with science and the outdoors.  When I standardized the number of courses by converting them into percents, the humanities program actually had more field-based courses than did any of the other environmentally related majors.

If you're curious about these majors, their websites are below.

Tables. Comparison of environmental/experiential courses within TTU majors based on the departments’ course catalogue descriptions. The pie charts are based on the percentage of courses representing each of the following components:.
1= dark blue = courses with no environmental or experiential component
2 = red = course teaches some kind of environmental topic as a part of the curriculum
3 = green = course with experiential component (lab, internship, service learning, it does not have to teach about the environment or have an outdoor component)
4 = purple = course incorporates environmental knowledge and an experiential component (but it does not have to be outdoors)
5 = light blue = course involves environmental knowledge and an outdoor field component



Natural History and Humanities
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/honors/nhh/

Biology
http://www.biol.ttu.edu/default.aspx

Natural Resource Management
http://www.rw.ttu.edu/ttunrm/

Geology
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/gesc/

Plant and Soil Science
http://www.pssc.ttu.edu/

Environmental Education Lesson Plans

While doing a search for environmental education programs in Texas, I found a couple of websites with great resources on various environmental issues. As educators, it's important for us to have a variety of tools for teaching different topics. Hopefully, this will give you guys some new tools and insights for teaching environmental education!


The EPA is a great source for lesson plans on environmental topics:
http://www.epa.gov/Education/resources.html
EPA's High School Environmental Center:
http://www.epa.gov/highschool/


Environmental Science Institute (University of Texas at Austin)
Here is an assortment of lesson plans that you can search by grade or subject:
http://www.esi.utexas.edu/gk12/lessons.php


Energy Education Curriculum Program (State Energy Conservation Office of Texas)
Here are some lesson plans associated with energy
http://www.energyeducation.tx.gov/teacher_resources/lessons.html
Here are the corresponding activities
http://www.energyeducation.tx.gov/teacher_resources/investigations_activities.html
Other energy education links:
http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/schools/sch-gov_ed-links.php
A sum-up of energy sources:
http://seco.cpa.state.tx.us/energy-sources/


Earth Force After School
EFAS is an innovative, new program that enables young people to identify a local environmental problem and then enact a lasting solution to that problem. The program uses the award-winning Earth Force community action and problem-solving process to create an interactive, after-school experience for youth.
http://www.earthforce.org/section/programs/afterschool


The Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies.
A variety of teaching materials developed by Cary Institute educators, including urban ecology and schoolyard investigations for K-12.
http://www.ecostudies.org/ed_curricula.html





Aqua Venturer
This program tells the story of water, its treatment and use throughout history (40,000 BCE - 2080 CE), and its importance to life on Earth.
http://www.wef.org/PublicInformation/page.aspx?id=141&ekmensel=c57dfa7b_54_0_141_1



I'll add more links as I come across them :)

Correlational Model for Risk and Competence in Adventure/Outdoor Education

 Below are 2 resources for a correlational model that depicts the effect of potential risk based on an individual's skill level. I have seen quite a few different variations of this diagram; however, this is the only one I can find at the moment. It should provide a good starting point for those of you who are interested in this area.

 

Mountain Madness: Guided mountaineering in New Zealand's Southern Alps

Anna Carr
First published February 2002

Reference



Also, there is another article that uses the same correlational diagram:

McIntyre, Norman. (1999). Investigating adventure experiences: an experiential sampling approach. Scisco Conscientia. 1(1): 1-13.