Experientialism

AN EMERGING THEORY

By Atula Ahuja

Description and Background

1950s Behaviorism dominated the field of human learning, education and linguistics.

1960s- discontent with the inadequacies of Behaviorism due to reductionist view.

1970s- 80sNon-reductionist theories emerged.Focus: Mind

John Dewey (1938) Learning cycle: 1. Review 2. Observe 3. Plan and

proceed

Kurt Lewin (1942)

Observe

Review

Plan

Observe/Reflect

Abstract concepts

ActiveExperimen

tation

Concrete Experience1. Experience

2. Reflect 3. Conclude and

learn4. Act out your plan.

Piaget emphasized the role of biological maturation and environment on reorganization of mental processes. He believed that children construct the world around them by combining what they already know with what they discover in their environment.The experience of acquiring new knowledge leads to the development of 2 different kinds of knowledge:

Physical Experience

Logico- mathematical

Experience

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Jean Piaget (1970s)

Concerns itself with properties of the objects-

weight, volume, size etc

Concerns itself with knowledge of actions with

highest forms of abstract

reasoning

Final Principal of Piaget

Intelligence is an action and education, a result of child’s

natural curiosity to experience the world.

Diagram by Rolf Pfeifer (Pfeifer & Bongard; 2007)

Further advancement

Early 1980s- Mezirow, David Kolb, George Lakoff, Mark Johnson

Kolb pointed that learning depends on how we process experience and reflect on it. Learning is a cycle that begins with experience. Continues with reflection Leads to action

Swedish Professor Roger Saljo (1979) theorized –the more the experiences, the better internalized is the learning.

Thus rudiments of experiential theory come into play.

Visibility

With this Experientialism began to emerge as a philosophical theory which maintained that personal experience is the principal basis of knowledge.

Cognitivism revisited

David Kolb (proposed the Theory of Experiential Learning in his book- Experiential Learning in1984)

George Lakoff (1981- 87)Mark Johnson (1981- 87)Catherine Snow( currently professor at

Harvard)

During the 1980s Cognitivism gained importance in the field of Linguistics

Kolb’s conceptualization of Experiential Learning

He suggests:

Divergent quadrant: Practitioners of creative disciplines

Assimilative quadrant: Pure scientists and mathematicians

Convergent quadrant: Applied scientists and lawyers

Accommodative quadrant: Professionals, such as teachers

“Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through transformation of experience. “

Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle (1984)based on Lewin’s research

George Lakoff and Mark Johnson

In Metaphors We Live By (1980), Lakoff and Johnson based Experientialism on the principles of cognitive linguistics.

“Thought is the disembodied manipulation of abstract symbols; that concepts are internal representations of external reality; that symbols have meaning by virtue of their correspondence to real objects.”Key ideas: Thought and meaning are disembodied. Meaning depends on how we frame experience. The mind is shaped by bodily and social experience. Image schemas arise from bodily functions.

Schemas Theory: Piaget, Lakoff & Johnson, R.C AndersonThe term ‘schema’ was first used by Piaget in 1926.

Schema has 2 categories: 1. that of knowledge itself 2. process of obtaining that knowledge

1. Abstract concepts are understood well only after concrete information has been acquired.

2. This knowledge establishes the framework into which new knowledge can be assimilated.

George Lakoff and Mark Johnson jointly introduced the notion of “image schema” as one of experientialism’s major foundational pillars in the book ‘The Body in the Mind’ (1987)

A dog is a ‘prototypical member’ in the category ‘ANIMAL’, will have more attributes with an animal as compared to a bird and will have more attributes with the category ‘MAMALS’ than to ‘REPTILES’.

Animation created by Daurice Grossniklaus and Bob Rodes (03/2002)

http://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget.html

Click to Play

Schemas are organized

meaningfully.

change with new knowledge.

reorganize and restructure themselves if concept changes.

Characteristics of schemata Anderson (1977)

Catherine SnowProf of Education at Harvard Social Interactionist

Interaction with adults plays an important part in children's language acquisition.

“Children who are fearful, anxious or disengaged from others, loose out on countless opportunities to learn. “

According to her parents to child in, ‘mother’s speech.’ These are short, simple sentences with exaggerated inflections and musical speech. (1977)

Experientialism in a nutshell We learn best from our own experiences and

reviews. Doing is far more important knowing. Experience moves beyond knowledge- into

skill building. To make learning permanent, the learning

process should be made enjoyable, motivating and rewarding.

Respects the individuals ideas and choices. Space for reflection Process gets privilege over result. Effective learning requires controlled steps

outside comfort zones.

References Kolb, A. and Kolb, D.A. (2001) Experiential Learning Theory Bibliograph

y 1971 – 2001, Boston, McBer and Co.

http://www.digitalschool.net/edu/Exp_learn_Kolb.html http://teachinglearningresources.pbworks.com/w/page/19919565/Lear

ning%20Theories

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-dewey.htm http://

www.units.muohio.edu/servicelearning/sites/edu.servicelearning/files/images/kolb_cycle.jpg

http://teachinglearningresources.pbworks.com/w/page/19919565/Learning%20Theories

http://books.google.co.th/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qBgHYkS23tMC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=catherine+snow+and+theory+of+experiential+learning&ots=FuHfOD8NEy&sig=vtgs-fxnSDDtCibmkJDu3MRTnQw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.rhetcomp.gsu.edu/~gpullman/3080/articles/Women,%20Fire,%20and%20other%20dangerous%20things%20--%20George%20Lakoff.pdf

http://web.archive.org/web/20001120004600/http://www.fbe.unsw.edu.au/Learning/instructionaldesign/styles.htm

Strengths and Weaknesses

of Experientialis

m Theory

Strengths

Experientialism creates more meaningful knowledge

Knowledge is more meaningful when children construct it themselves rather than having it imposed upon them.

When knowledge is not based on temporary memorization, it is not easily forgotten.

Experientialism produces creative minds

Children become critical, creative, and inventive because the major part of their learning relies on active experimentation and discovery.

Multiple teaching/learning methods can be integrated to maximize creativity.

Experientialism builds self-esteem

The process of “discovery” of knowledge and solutions builds competence and confidence.

Children will be more willing to explore new ideas.

Experientialism encourages cooperation

When children need to learn through interaction, cooperative work is encouraged.

Language is developed at the same time as cooperative skills.

Experientialism does not depend on rewards and

punishments Children learn automatically while they are

exposed to new experiences (or even the repeated ones).

Parents or instructors do not need to present them with rewards to stimulate learning.

In the same way, punishments are discouraged as they would make children afraid to try different things.

Experientialism does not concentrate on academic outcomes

Learning outcomes are not measured by traditional standardized tests.

Language development is observed on practical usage.

Therefore, children are not pressured or forced to learn. Learning is more fun!

Weaknesses

Readiness is essential Children need to be “ready” to

assimilate the new experience to current ones. They must know how to make connection between old and new information.

They need to be able to make sense of it; otherwise, it will not be useful. Learning cannot occur.

Motivation is needed Children must be open to learn. If they

don’t pay attention or don’t participate, then learning won’t take place.

Educational content that is either too simple or too advanced might not be interesting.

Instructors then need to adjust, but it is difficult to support everyone at the same time since each child has different potential.

Repetition of usage can create wrong understanding

One-time experience may not be enough to learn some contents.

BUT if not explained, children can repeat things without actual understanding.

Frequency determines knowledge construction

Frequency determines creative possibilities or productivity of the construction.

Limitation obstructs knowledge

If children are not exposed to a variety of language use, they cannot learn new things.

When linguistic experience is limited, their knowledge tend to be constricted.

Therefore, learning by experientialism depends too much on external factors.

Reoccurrence of mistakes without corrections

Children say what they hear. The more they hear it, the more it seems to them that this is the only way it can be said.

When adults imitate children’s mistakes instead of correcting them, children won’t realize their own mistakes and keep saying them the same way.

Pedagogical ApplicationEXPERIENTIALISM

Let’s make Dog Origami!Fold the paper in half

downwards to make a triangle.

Fold in half again horizontally, and unfold right away. Fold the two corners down from the top of the crease in the middle of the paper.

Fold the top and bottom corners to the back.

Draw a dog face and you’re done!

Learning by Doing: experience is the best teacher

Experiential Learning:Kolb (1984) defines learning as the "process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience

Learning by DoingFive basic steps of learning process by Diem (2004):

Learning by Doing in EFL classroom

What kind of learning is it?

Active Learning

Active Learning

Active Learning Process

Tips: Approaches that promote Learning by Doing and Active Learning

Cooperative Language Learning

Group learning activity

Learning is dependent on the socially

structured exchange of information between

learners in groups and others.

Activities in Active Learning• a think-

pair-share• work on

the board

• note comparison/sharing

• flash cards

a class discussio

n

a class game

a short written

exercise: a daily journal

an effective response

Role-playing

brainstorming

Mind mapping

case study

Confucius’s saying:

Experientialism as Opposed

to Other Perspectives

byMr. Apichat Khamboonruang

Issues on Language Acquisition

1. The Origin of Language Knowledge

2. The Nature of Innate Ability3. The Role of Environment4. How Languages are Learned5. The Primary Focus of Study

1. The Origin of Language KnowledgeExperientialism holds that language is

learned through environment with some help of innateness.

Behaviourism holds that language is learned solely through environment with some help of innateness.

Nativism holds that language is acquired solely through innateness (species-specific LAD/LF) with some help of environment.

1. The Origin of Language KnowledgeFunctionalism holds that language

knowledge is learned through environment with some help of innateness.

Cognitivism holds that language is learned through environment with some help of innateness.

Constructivism holds that language is learned through environment with some help of innateness.

2. The Nature of Innate Capacity

Experientialism holds that general cognitive capacity plays a partial role in learning process by strengthening experiential association between stimuli and responses.

Behaviourism holds that general cognitive capacity plays a partial role in language learning.

Nativism holds that specific cognitive capacities plays the most important role in language acquisition.

2. The Nature of Innate Capacity

Functionalism holds that general cognitive capacity plays a partial role in language learning

Cognitivism holds that general cognitive capacity plays a major role in language learning

Constructivism holds that general cognitive capacity plays a major role in language learning

3. The Role of Environment

Experientialism holds that frequency of language experience play a major role in learning process.

Behaviourism holds that language experience play a major role in language learning.

Nativism holds that language experience basically contributes to language development.

3. The Role of Environment

Cognitivism holds that language interactive experience just triggers cognitive development, in turn playing a major role in language learning.

Functionalism holds that language communicative experience (linguistic function) plays a major role in language learning.

Constructivism holds that language interactive experience in social context is foundational in cognitive development and play a major role in language learning.

4. How Languages are Learned

Experientialism holds that children learn language through mentally constructing language knowledge based on strengthened personal language experience .

Behaviourism holds that children learn language primarily through a process of S-R-R concept.Nativism holds that children acquire language through specific cognitive capacities or language-specific capacity with basic support from Language experience .

4. How Languages are Learned

Functionalism holds that children learn language hugely by a process of mapping relations between linguistic functions and forms, motivated by communicative need.

Cognitivism holds that children learn language by mentally constructing language knowledge from surrounding language experience.

Constructivism holds that children learn language by mentally constructing language knowledge from interactive language experience.

5. The Primary Focus of Study

Experientialists focus study primarily on mind and learning processing

Behaviourists focus study primarily on empirical Linguistics behaviour.

Nativists focus study primarily on an internal structure of language.

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5. The Primary Focus of Study

Functionalists focus study primarily on language form and particularly language function (linguistic function/pragmatic meaning).

Cognitivists focus study primarily on underlying motivation and deeper structure of linguistic behaviour.

Constructivists focus study primarily on social interaction and learning processing.