Experiential learning - we’ve all gone through it in some form of the other, but what is it? Where and when have we ever learnt that way? How does it work? Does it work at all? Let’s find out!
Most of us would have at some point visited the zoo on a kindergarten or school trip as a child, right? On that trip you’d have observed different sights, smells, sounds, the different animals, their colors and maybe even picked up on a few characteristics. We learned through experience and that’s essentially what experiential learning is all about.
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn” - Benjamin Franklin
One of the figureheads when it comes to the belief in this type of learning, is an American educational theorist who goes by the name of David Allen Kolb. The Experiential Learning Theory (ELT), proposed by Kolb, involves a four-stage learning cycle and four learning styles. In basic terms, the cycle involves one having an experience, reflecting upon it, learning through it and then trying out what they’ve learned.
Not convinced yet? Here’s 8 reasons why experiential learning is the future of learning.
This form of learning can also be applied to students wanting to learn a foreign language, and that is exactly what we try to implement here at C2C Academy. Be it through technology, our cultural trips or courses that involve both traditional classroom learning alongside acquiring knowledge through experience, we ensure a greater understanding and implementation of the language of choice and a deeper respect for the culture behind it. Living the language is what we encourage and we hope you join us soon!
References: Mcleod, S. (2019). Kolb's Learning Styles and Experiential Learning Cycle | Simply Psychology. [online] Simplypsychology.org. Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html [Accessed 31 Oct. 2019]. IN TEXT (if needed): (Mcleod, 2019)
Links:
Experiential Learning Theory: https://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html
8 reasons why experiential learning is the future of learning: https://elearningindustry.com/8-reasons-experiential-learning-future-learning
Living the Language: http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/blog/villages/live-the-language-integrating-experiential-learning-into-the-classroom#.XbpdvUYzZPY
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