Kolb's Model of Experiential Learning

Kolb's Model of Experiential Learning - U of Colorado, Denver

Article to be published - http://innovateonline.info/

1. Learning is a process whereby knowledge is created through experience
2. Experiences are a transformational process
3. Students actively construct their experience within a sociocultural context
4. Provides a framework for designing active, collaborative, and interactive learning experiences.

Phases of Kolb's Model Mapped to Instructional Activities and eLearning Tools

Concrete experiences

• Emphasizes personal involvement with people in everyday situations
• Learner relies more on feelings than a systematic approach to problems and situations
• In a learning situation, learner relies on the ability to be open minded and adapt to change

Reflective observation

• Learner understands ideas and situations from different points of view
• Learner relies on own thoughts and feelings in forming opinions
• In a learning situation, learner relies on patience, objectivity and careful judgment but would not necessarily take any action.

Abstract conceptualization

• Learning involves logic and ideas rather than feelings to understand problems or situations
• Learner relies on systematic planning, develops theories and ideas to solve problems.

Active experimentation

• Learning takes an active form: experimenting with influencing or changing situations
• Learner takes a practical approach and is concerned with what works as opposed to simply watching a situation
• Learner values getting things doen and seeing the results of their influence and ingenuity.
  
  Kolb Model of Experiential Learning
  Kolb's Phases - Instructional Activities and eLearning Tools
  
  Experiential Learning - http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/experience.htm

Fall Faculty Presentation - 2008

Maria Cesario, Carla Piper, and Ruth Black presented an overview of the work of the blended teaching and learning committee on Thursday, September 11th. The results of the faculty/instructor survey conducted in late August-September 3rd indicated that a large number of instructors were using Blackboard as technology enhancement and some instructors were structuring their classes on a blended model.

• Maria's Powerpoint on Blended Learning
• Carla's Powerpoint of the Faculty/Instructor Survey Results

History

Members of the Chapman University College faculty have been working on using learning management systems for technology enhancement since 2000. The Electronic Instruction Task Force met in Orange and many of the main campus and academic centers attended meetings and Blackboard trainings. The Education division developed guidelines for hybrids in 2005 and many instructors across all disciplines experimented with hybrid models for course delivery. When we began developing fully online courses, we moved to eCollege. Many of our faculty members and instructors attended eCollege trainings across California and Washington. In 2006-2007, a number of faculty members participated in pilot study using the hybrid model in eCompanion. Each participant reported generally positive responses to the faculty in spring of 2007.

In 2007-2008, a hybrid committee was formed to examine the research supporting hybrid or blended models of teaching and learning. Committee members read books and articles, attended conferences, and gathered information regarding universities who were incorporated hybrid or blended learning. The committee determined that "blended" was the term of choice for most universities and researchers.

Review of Committee Activites (2007-2008)

• Hybrid or Blended Teaching Blog (2007-2008)
• Hybrid Slides of Powerpoint Presentation (January, 2008)
• Working Wiki for Hybrid Committee (2007-2008) Email piper@chapman.edu for the invite key.

Draft of Hybrid Committee Mission

"The mission of Chapman University College blended teaching is to integrate innovative technology with adult learning pedagogy to facilitate critical and analytical thinking with experiential and problem-based learning.”

Draft of Original Guiding Principles for Committee

Blog Resource - http://hybridteaching.blogspot.com/2008/01/student-centered-pedagogy.html

• Pedagogically driven rather than technologically or logisitically (seat-time) driven
• Student centered - students are active learners constructing own knowledge (learner autonomy, self-directed choices, reflection)
• Instructor is an active facilitator
• Socially constructed with interaction between students and instructor - both f2f and online
• Instructor will participate in the discussions on a regular basis, so that student's do not feel "lost in cyber space"
• Administration will provide training to instructors to keep abreast of the latest technological advances in blended learning
• "Imagining and creating digitally mediated environments for the kinds of lives that we want to lead and the sorts of communities that we will want to have.” Mitchell (1999) from Carla's The Future of Higher Education blog page date 1/26/08]
• Problem-solving experiential learning, problem-based
• University continued support for students and instructors - university infrastructure