[Music] the experiential learning cycle is the most widely recognized and used concept in experiential learning theory the cycle contains four stages experiencing reflecting thinking and acting this is a simple and adaptable framework for creating educational programs that actively engage learners providing an alternative to the traditional model of information transmission in this lesson we will review eight important things to know about the experiential learning cycle its historical foundations along with some helpful tips for educators [Music] the learning cycle is an endless process of exchange between a learner's internal world and their external environment a lifelong process of taking in and putting out for educators the learning cycle is about impression and expression we impress learners with the knowledge necessary to live and work in today's world and coach them to express what they have learned in highly skilled ways in traditional education information is merely transferred from the teacher to the learner Paulo Freire II called this the banking concept of Education where ideas are deposited into the minds of passive learners in the learning cycle we receive information through concrete experience and abstract conceptualization and transform it through reflective observation and active experimentation we are both receivers and creators of information if learning has taken place our actions affect the next experience and the cycle continues with ever-increasing depth of understanding and skill our cycle doesn't just repeat it evolves the experiencing mode of the learning cycle is widely misunderstood it is often equated with doing but all modes of the learning cycle our experiences everyday experience is saturated with the interpretations of past generations John Dewey emphasized that to initiate reflection and learning we need to be stuck with a problem or struck by the strangeness of something outside of our usual experience William James called this pure experience when we have a concrete experience that violates the expectations of previous beliefs or behaviors it activates reflection the next part of the cycle you there have been a number of studies that examine the relationship between the learning cycle and brain functions perhaps the most systematic is James olds research reported in his two great books the art of changing the brain and from brain to mind he emphasized that knowledge resides in networks of neurons in the neocortex built by experience learning from experience results in actual physical changes in the brain so you could say that educating is the art of changing the brain while acknowledging the greater complexity of brain functioning Zoll proposed the specific regions of the brain were involved in the modes of a learning cycle the sensory cortex receives information from the outside world through our concrete experiences the back integrative cortex creates meaning out of sensory information through our reflective observations the front integrated cortex helps us think and plan through problems with abstract conceptualization the motor cortex facilitates action action closes the learning cycle and reconnects the processing inside the brain with the world it generates consequences that create new experiences that begin the cycle anew what makes a learning cycle go what motivates us to learn the answers to these questions lie in the dialectic poles of opposing modes of the learning cycle concrete experience and abstract thinking are two fundamentally different ways of understanding experience William James called these percept and concepts perception exists in the here-and-now conception points to the past or future James uses the analogy of a pair of scissors in the same way we need both blades to cut we need both concrete experience and abstract thought to make sense of the world reflecting and acting or similarly opposing ways of transforming this understanding the great educator Paulo Freire II stressed the importance of praxis the transformative dialectic between reflection and action when either action or reflection is over emphasized learning becomes impossible hyperactivity or withdrawal into reflection both inhibit learning dogmatic beliefs leave us close to new experience while total immersion clouds clear thought the shock and awe of an intense experience can cause reconsideration of an entrenched belief well a new idea can reshape the way we experience things reflection on the consequences of action can serve to correct errors and refine future actions while acting on reflections prevents getting lost in thoughts [Music] learning style is another popular concept and experiential learning theory it emphasizes that individuals learn in different ways and the educators can better facilitate their students that they understand their unique learning style learning style is formed when one or more of the learning modes are preferred over others the recognition of a learning style allows flexibility in education engaging all modes of the learning cycle in a holistic and fluid manner full cycle learning is the ability to engage all the learning style types in a holistic and fluid manner in any given situation many individuals feel that their learning style accurately describes how they learn most of the time others tend to change their learning approach depending on what they are learning or the situation they're in [Music] the confusion in learning style literature has resulted in the oversimplification that educators should match their teaching style to the learning style of the student the dynamic matching model of ELT is a more complex but more realistic model for guiding educational practice in addition to considering the relationship between educator and learner one must also consider the match of learning approach with a subject matter matching educator roles with learning style has been shown to be important initially to connect with learners but most learning requires that they continue to actively move around the learning cycle to acquire increasingly complex knowledge and skills we have created an educator role framework to assist educators and the application of the ELT concepts it describes for common educator roles facilitator subject expert standard setter evaluator and coach most of us adopt each of these roles to some extent in our educational and teaching activities you [Music] the multi-dimensional teaching and learning strategies of experiential learning require equally diverse and complex assessment methods assessment should be holistic it must adequately and fairly evaluate students integration of the learning cycle authentic assessment means learners should demonstrate knowledge and skills in a real life context drawing education close to real life the subject centered question what should my students know can only be appropriately addressed in conjunction with the learner centered question how can I help my students learn skills and knowledge and be able to transfer what they have learned in a real life context [Music]