14
Experiential Learning
Main Feature
learning really is as simple as that. “The then constructing ways of modifying the satisfaction, sometimes I need to let go of
short-hand cliché here is learning by next occurrence of the experience; ‘Active the magazine strings, slow the pace down
doing,” explains Stuart Gray, Director of Experimentation’, leading in turn to the and delegate to other team members in
Stuart Gray Associates. Our learning comes next ‘Concrete Experience’. And so the order to avoid the pressure point where
through “active participation rather than cycle of learning continues. I want to cut corners. The course was
passive acceptance”. entertaining and left me on a high but
Even now as an adult my learning cycle it had also opened up to me the way in
Childhood memories of the bicycle continues: One evening I which I would normally work and ways
As a child many of us learnt to ride a attempted to ride home but hit the curb that I could change. The Kolb process of
bicycle. I can remember the episode and fell; ‘Concrete Experience’ (quite experience, reflection, conceptualisation
clearly. With a gentle push from my mum, literally in this instance!) On ‘Reflection’, and then active experimentation back at
I pedalled hard down a small slope, but I looked at the factors involved. My work, was at play.
only after I reached the bottom of the ‘Abstract Conceptualisation’ showed
hill and met the metal barrier head-on that cycling after drinking a glass of red Looking in the mirror
did I understand that brakes don’t work wine had hindered my progress, so the So, what makes ExL so beneficial? “The
instantaneously! So, on the second try, I next time I rode ‘Actively Experimented’, I main purpose is for people to understand
then hit the brakes before reaching my decided to avoid alcohol, and so began my their own behaviours outside a work
destination. Now I understand that it was next ‘Concrete Experience’. context and have the opportunity to
the process of experience and reflection practise new behaviours,” states Adrian
that helped me learn to cycle and brake. Just recently, at a team development Price. The notion of being given time for
We’ve all been learning through experience session orienteering in the Cotswold reflection is central to ExL. “Often we will
since childhood. It’s a natural way to Conference Centre’s beautiful grounds, hold up the mirror half way through an
understand a process and improve our skills. I learned a lot about the way in which I activity and ask what has happened so
work. While I put myself forward for the far,” he adds. It’s the process of immediate
It is only natural that a technique of tough challenge of a long uphill walk, I feedback and reflection that is so crucial in
learning based on concepts of reflection also tried desperately to cut corners to ExL. The discussion and reflection is key to
should itself be reflected upon and speed up the process of collecting the understanding those behaviours that we
theorised. Most profoundly, the work ‘hidden’ sign-posted letters by, amongst naturally exhibit in an environment where
of David Kolb, Experiential Learning: other methods, trying to thumb a lift all the camouflage is taken away.
Experience as the source of learning and from the grounds men. Cheating or
development; 1984, has had a great using initiative? In the frustration of not Experts in the field maintain that there
impact on our understanding of why ExL being able to locate a signpost, I forgot are huge benefits to learning in such
is so successful. Kolb developed the ExL to stop and analyse the game; a process an environment. Lucy McGibbon, HR
model (below). of elimination led other team members to Director at Sundial Group, explains that
correctly guess the missing letter! in their team development programme
Teamscapes there are “no barriers”,
Back in the office weeks later, I could see therefore participants can explore without
Concrete
Experience
that while I enjoy a heavy and varied work the risk of failure and they can enjoy
load to keep me occupied, and
a couple of tough challenges
are essential for my job are
Active
Refl ective
Experimentation Observation
Abstract
Conceptualisation
This suggests that there are four stages in
the learning cycle: ‘Concrete Experience’
is followed by ‘Reflection’ on that
experience. This may then be followed
by the derivation of rules describing the
experience or applying known theories
to it; ‘Abstract Conceptualisation’, and
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