Learning in vivo

Aspects of certain experiential learning equates to adventure education

In searching for literature about the various manifestations and best practices of the broad notion of experiential learning, the notions of experiential education and adventure education emerged. The Journal of Experiential Education (JEE) is a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal, which publishes articles in a diverse range of in subject areas including, but not limited to, environmental education, service learning, outdoor adventure programming, therapeutic applications, research and theory, the creative arts, and much more. Related to adventure education is mindful place-based education, which Deringer (2017, p. 334) says is about experiencing “place more deeply through incorporating the practice of mindfulness”. Mindfulness entails non-judgmental focusing of one's awareness on the present moment. 

Pouty (2007, p. 4) defines adventure education “as direct, active, and engaging learning experiences that involve the whole person and have consequences”, and cites (p. 12) the Kraft and Sakofs (1988) definition for experiential education; which in addition to the first sentence includes: “Students make discoveries and experiment with knowledge themselves instead of hearing or reading about the experiences, thus developing new skills, new attitudes, and new theories or ways of thinking.” Pouty (2007, p. 5) points out that only “20 percent of the population can learn well in a setting where reading and writing are the dominant pedagogy and skill sets” and argues further in favour of adventure education as ideal means towards instilling the following essential competencies required by contemporary workplaces:

• Collaborative teamwork (leveraging the skills of multiple others is a necessity to learn and produce)
• Creative problem solving and product development
• Communication with passion and skill to influence others
• A sense of ethics and corporate responsibility for greater community

Panicucci (2007, p. 44) outlines the importance of adhering to the adventure wave, a metaphor for the three essential components illustrated below, namely (a) the briefing—framing thereof or an introduction thereto; (b) the doing—immersing in the actual experience or event, the crest or climax; and (c) debriefing—reflection time after the wave passed.

The benefits of a simulated learning experience can be optimised by directly frontloading during briefing. Gass and Stevens (2007, p. 105) explain that “Frontloading refers to specifically highlighting the learning that is to take place before, or in front of” it happening. The briefing would include clarifying the objectives; motivating what might be derivable from the anticipated experience; indicating what behaviours and actions would enhance or contribute (function) to bigger success; but also what may hinder (dysfunction) accomplishments. Indirect frontloading is more subtle, the making of suggestions, giving of tips, or offering alternatives/options. In some instances direct frontloading could be detrimental in that participants become obsessed with task completion, rather than deriving the learning benefits.

The debriefing part of the adventure wave can be enhanced by funnelling, in which a group is guided through a serious of six stags or filters (Gass & Stevens, 2007: pp. 112-114). Imagine a funnel with the narrow end pointing downward, as illustrated (from p. 113) below. The experience is ‘poured’ into the wide end, and then filtered through a series of six sequenced questions. The six steps are an expanded version of Borton’s (1970) ‘three basic [human] information processing [(HIP)] functions’, namely “experience (Sensing), sense-making (Transforming) and engagement with the world (Acting)” says Rolfe (2014, p. 488). Self-knowledge, Borton (1970, p. 93) argued, “is as difficult to obtain as it is powerful, and usually has been won by relatively few people” and advanced the ‘What’ (increasing awareness), ‘So What’ (evaluating intention), and ‘Now What” (experimenting with new behaviour) as process education model and means to the end of self-knowledge. These debriefing filters, steps or stages could be facilitated either in a face-to-face setting or on-line through a learning management system. The six steps, stages or filters are:

• What? — Filters #0 entails review, and #1 recall and remember
  • Filter #0 refocuses the attention on the subject of interest, clarifying exactly what the topic of the debriefing is
  • Filter #1 entails participants describing what they experienced, recalling the detail and supplementing each other’s recollections/stories
• So What? — Filters #2 affect and effect, and #3 summation
  • Filter #2 addresses emotions and causes; how participants felt and impact of the event on them personally
  • Filter #3 moving of the reflection focus to what has been learned from participation, which ideally should mirror the learning objectives
• Now What? — Filters #4 application, and #5 commitment
  • Filter #4 entails facilitation of learning transfer, or the making of connections to real life applications
  • Filter #5 cements the value derived from participation by facilitating commitment

Borton, T. (1970). Applying the process approach, chapter 8, pp. 93-105. In Reach Touch and Teach: Student Concerns and Process Education. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Deringer, S.A. (2017). Mindful Place-Based Education: Mapping the Literature. Journal of Experiential Education, Vol. 40(4) 333–348. Electronically accessible from https://doi.org/10.1177/1053825917716694

Gass, M.A. & Stevens, C.A. (2007). Facilitating the adventure process, pp. 101-123. In Pouty, D.; Panicucci, J. & Collinson, R. (Eds). (2007). Adventure education: theory and applications. Campaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Journal of Experiential Education (JEE). Electronically accessible at http://journals.sagepub.com/home/jee

Pouty, D. (2007). Introduction to adventure education, pp. 3-17. In Pouty, D.; Panicucci, J. & Collinson, R. (Eds). (2007). Adventure education: theory and applications. Campaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Pouty, D.; Panicucci, J. & Collinson, R. (Eds). (2007). Adventure education: theory and applications. Campaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Panicucci, J. (2007). Cornerstones of adventure education, pp. 33-48. In Pouty, D.; Panicucci, J. & Collinson, R. (Eds). (2007). Adventure education: theory and applications. Campaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Not everyone learns from experiential opportunities

Burton (2004: 193) puts forward a generally accepted definition of work-based learning, namely "learning which occurs at, for and from work". He continues to caution that not everyone learns from the experiential opportunities that they are exposed to and that attendance should not be mistaken or equated to learning. Some fail to learn and others may learn ineffectively or even may learn professional inappropriate matters.

Work-based learning must be contemporary and should occur within a structured context. Fraser (in Burton, 2004: 194) asserts that "activity is easy but conscious learning activity requires more effort". Fraser identified three features found in successful work-based learners, namely:

1. personal goals of learners are aligned by negotiation to the host organisation's goals (synergy)
2. their is constant engagement in real-time and critical review and feedback
3. they help other grow with them

Burton raise the question if work-based learning is so vigorously promoted that the "common or garden work based learning, which happen daily at work, would become undervalued and forgotten?" (p. 195) He conclude that we need to help people sustain their capacity to learn for, from and at work.

Burton, J. 2004. Work based learning in health and social care: innovations and applications, Middlesex University, 25 February 2004. Work Based Learning in Primary Care, 2004(2), 193-195.

Holistic learning and violence

I had the privilage today to partake in a learning event offered by Dr Jenny Horsman. Her topic was Women, Work and Learning: The impact of Violence

The diagram below originates from her learning in violence webpage (http://www.learningandviolence.net/learning/holistic.htm) - a valuable resource.

Note the six dimentions. Read more about it by clicking on the URL above. Also visit her website at http://www.jennyhorsman.com/

Experiential, Practical & Propositional Knowledge

Although everybody learns from experience, nobody always learns from experience. Most at times repeat some mistakes, despite bad experiences. Burnard (1996) expresses surprises about how often he 'learned' the really important things in his life through experiences that he found interesting or important. It may therefore be assumed that for learning in vivo to achieve its desired objectives, the facilitator should make it to matter.

Learning from the mistakes of others is called vicarious learning by Burnard (1996). The experiences of other may make such an impression that we derive learning from it.

Burnard (1996) observes that all definitions of learning experientially have in common the first-person, living human being, taking note of what happens to apply to new situations in future.

Experiential learning is not just about learning from doing (or the observing of the experiences of other, as indicated above), it is also about deriving learning from reflecting. Burnard (1996) emphasise the latter, rather than just acting and possibly forfeiting the learning opportunity. To optimise structured in vivo learning, it appears that the facilitator should therefore 'build in' reflection, i.e. ensure 'noticing'.

Burnard (1996) emphasises the issue of reflection. People often proceed through life only half conscious, on 'auto pilot'. People often do not register what they are experiencing. Burnard emphasise the importance of 'mindfulness'. In the contemporary world of continuous change and coping with demands, people need to consciously pursue mindfulness (simply means to pay attention — to your body, to your mind, to your surroundings, to the people in your life, to the tasks you undertake).

Burnard identifies three types of knowledge, illustrated below, which are not independent, but supportive of each other.

Flowing from the above, Burnard (p. 9) redefines experiential learning as "any learning activity that enhances the development of experiential knowledge".

Burnard refers further to Paulo Freire's (1972) concept "praxis", which includes both reflection as well as action-on-the-world. Praxis implies transforming, which is one of the human's distinguishing features. Burnard also refers to George Kelly's (1955) notion of people going through life applying a modified scientific process, i.e. hypothesising about matters, observing reality and modifying of our hypotheses based on our findings.

Burnard, P. 1996. Acquiring interpersonal skills - a handbook of experiential learning for health professionals. 2nd edition. London: Chapman & Hall.