The 5 Stage Model - Joplin 1981

The Five-Stage Model

Laura Joplin 1981

This model was developed by Joplin to assist teachers in developing their courses by emphasizing the experiential component of learning. It was designed according to the premise that all learning is experiential and each component of the model is, in one way or another, incorporated into the learning process of all students. It consists of a five stage, hurricane-like cycle in which completion of the final stage connects to the first stage of the next cycle. The five stages of this model include: focus, action, support, feedback, and debrief (Joplin 1995).

The first stage of the model, focus, presents the material to be learned and the challenge that will be encountered. The focus can be direct by giving a short presentation or by giving the students an article to read in order to prepare them for the activity to follow. The focus can also be indirect. This might include the teacher allowing the students to see the equipment that they will be using for the activity, such as laying out helmets, headlamps, and jumpsuits that will be used while caving (Joplin 1995).

Action, the second stage of the model, is depicted as a hurricane to represent challenge and struggle. During this stage, the student is placed in a stressful situation in which they have great responsibility, but also, the freedom to fail. The student is unable to avoid the problem at hand and can either be familiar or unfamiliar with the skills or knowledge needed to solve the problem. This could include giving the student a book to read and making them responsible for understanding its contents, or it could include sending them down a class 2 rapid in a whitewater canoe. Both situations require individual responsibility and action (Joplin 1995).

The third stage involves supporting the student in order to stimulate their challenging experience. It allows them to realize that they are safe and that help is available if they need it. Support can be provided through written, verbal, or physical mediums (Joplin 1995).

Feedback, the fourth stage of the model, provides the student with information about their action. It is more likely to be accepted if the student and teacher share an equal amount of power in the learning process. Also, if the feedback is specific then the student has an increased chance of understanding the importance of their experience (Joplin 1995).

The final stage involves debriefing the student publicly according to their specific action. During this stage, the learning objective is recognized, outwardly expressed, and assessed. The teacher is responsible for ensuring that the experience does not go unrealized by the student which can be accomplished by projects, group discussions, writing essays, or doing a presentation (Joplin 1995).

Joplin’s Five-Stage Model of Experiential Education gives teachers a simple yet descriptive model to use when designing learning experiences for their students. It allows them to assemble the student’s knowledge on a particular subject by creating a foundation of knowledge, then building on that foundation by continuing the cycle. By constructing thoughtful experiences and implementing them using this model, the teacher allows the student to have a deeper connection with the information being learned.



Joplin, L. (1995). On defining experiential education. In Warren, K., Sakofs, M., & Hunt, J.S. Jr. (Eds.), The Theory of Experiential Education (pp.15-22). Boulder, CO: Association for Experiential Education.