I really like your detailed explanation of inquiry-based learning and the infographic you found that demonstrates some of the ideas of this approach. The six important points you mentioned at the end of the blog sound like learning outcomes that students who learned how to use inquiry-based learning will be able to do and I think it is a nice touch because the last part could be a checking list for the readers of your blog to see whether they got the “points”.
You also mentioned in the beginning of the blog about the specific process and they all seem to have the students as the subject meaning that in this type of learning students lead their learning. I wonder where does the role of teachers or instructors come in? Or could this type of learning approach be done entirely by students? If students could do it all by themselves, what’s the difference between inquiry-based learning and self-learning?
Experiential education is a philosophy that informs many methodologies in which educators purposefully engage with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values, and develop people’s capacity to contribute to their communities.
Queen’s University
As the quote describes, Experiential Learning or Experiential Education is a learning practice where learners would take initiatives and make decisions in specially chosen learning experiences. Learners are required to actively participate and engage in the learning process by questioning, investigating, giving assumptions, solving problems, reflecting and critically analyzing. In other words, learners in the experiential learning take the lead in their learning process rather than being led by the instructors.
Below is a framework that is considered the most common structure for experiential learning named Kolb Learning Cycle.
A common framework for Experiential Learning from Queen’s University webpage.
From the framework, we could see that experiential learning occurs with previous knowledge so that new questions and planning could happen to trigger a new cycle of learning experience. By actively thinking and discovering questions, learners use existing knowledge and methodology to conduct and push for results and conclusions. Then, learners would reflect on the experience and draw new conclusions so as to critically analyze the learning cycle and get ready for future learning experiences.
Experiential Learning and Our Learning Design
Experiential Learning could be used in many circumstances such as learning about the nature and its phenomenons, learning a skill or a type of sports, and conducting a scientific experiment. This learning approach is experience-based which means learners learn through experience.
Our learning design is focused on the topic of personal finance management, which is based on many theories that are in the economics field. Learners are expected to learn through studying theories, putting the theories into given conditions and eventually applying them into practices. This approach is different from experiential learning approach and therefore, I don’t think experiential learning aligns with our chosen topic.
Reference
What is experiential learning? Experiential Learning Hub. (n.d.). Retrieved October 8, 2022, from https://www.queensu.ca/experientiallearninghub/about/what-experiential-learning#:~:text=Experiential%20education%20is%20a%20philosophy,to%20contribute%20to%20their%20communities.
Recent Comments