‘Oh, was that “experiential learning”?!’ Spaces, synergies and surprises with Kolb’s learning cycle

Abstract

We share findings from empirical research into Kolb's experiential learning (EL) approach, using our reflections as teachers and data from our undergraduate management students.The EL experience emerges as a space where bodies, feelings and ideas move and develop in intimate relationship with one another. This is a space where teachers exercise authority over, and commitment to, the here-and-now, risking corporeal and intellectual exposure. We probe the concept of experience in EL, suggesting that teachers require a kind of 'experiential expertise' to draw both on embodied felt sense and on what one has done in one's own career to role-model the transformation of experience into knowledge, which is at the heart of Kolb's theory. We explore a blurring of experiential agency, and the tendency for students to appropriate the teacher's experience rather than dwell on or develop their own. For us, EL is more usefully seen as 'relationship-centred' than 'student-centred', and we contrast this relational focus with the way EL seems to have been popularised as antiinterventionist, a kind of educational 'laissez-faire'. Based on these reflections, we suggest powerful connections between phenomenology and theories of space as a way of conceptualising the complexities and richness of teaching and learning experiences. Key words:experiential learning; embodiment; phenomenology; space; feelings Page 2 THE CASE FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNINGIn the last few decades, experiential learning (EL) has become increasingly prevalent in management education at undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education levels (Kayes, 2002;Reynolds and Vince, 2007). Its popularity seems related to dissatisfaction with traditional information transfer approaches and a reaction against the 'banking model', where teachers make knowledge 'deposits' (Freire, 1982). Such methods are being supplemented and, in some cases, replaced by a range of more 'student-centred' approaches, one of which is EL (Kirschner et al., 2006). These encourage students to make their own sense of the content, and craft their own connections amongst the various concepts (Biggs, 1999;Säljö, 1979).We think the popularity of EL reflects something of a 'turn to experience' in a range of disciplines, including management studies (Cunliffe and Coupland, 2011;Sanders, 1982); management education (Yakhlef, 2010;Strati, 2007); phenomenological psychology (Langdridge, 2007;Smith et al., 2009); positive psychology (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990;Rathunde, 2001); and neuroscience (Gallagher and Brøsted Sørensen, 2006;Gallese, 2003). In their various ways, writers in these fields use the notion of experience as their core unit of analysis, whether subjective experience is investigated in its own right or linked to more objectively observable neurological or behavioural activity. For us, such a 'turn to experience' is beautifully crystallised in R.D. Laing's injunction to defend the 'unreal' against the 'real' (Laing, 1967): Taking experience seriously means honouring and valuing people's sub...

A Meta‐Analysis of the Relationship Between Experiential Learning and Learning Outcomes

“…Experiential learning continues to be a major consideration in improving learning outcomes as witnessed by recent research (Coker et al., ; Hajshirmohammadi, ; Morris, ; Tomkins & Ulus, ) and from increased calls from outside agencies to use experiential learning activities in higher education (AACSB, ). A 5‐year study at Elon University showed that key learning outcomes are driven by the depth and breadth of experiential learning college students are exposed to during their studies (Coker et al., ).…”

A revised model of experiential learning with a debriefing checklist

“…Although a number of experiential learning models have been proposed, Kolb’s (1984) model has the reputation of being well developed and researched (Armstrong & Mahmud, 2008) and continues to have a significant influence on the fields of HRD, management learning and management education (Illeris, 2007; Kisfalvi & Oliver, 2015; Li & Armstrong, 2015; Ng et al , 2009; Tomkins & Ulus, 2016; Yamazaki & Kayes, 2004). For example, in HRD research, Chang (2017) extended Kolb’s (1984) model from a neuroscientific perspective, whereas Yeo and Marquardt (2015) developed an integrated framework that combines action learning with experiential learning.…”

“…Even when informal learning occurs without any learning goals or interventions, individuals may learn something through reflecting on their experiences afterwards. Among several variants of experiential learning theory, Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning model, which consists of four steps – concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation – continues to be among the most influential and notable in the fields of HRD, management education and higher education (Illeris, 2007; Kisfalvi & Oliver, 2015; Li & Armstrong, 2015; Ng et al ., 2009; Tomkins & Ulus, 2016; Yamazaki & Kayes, 2004).…”

The Post-Graduation Impact of Intentional Reflective Practices during Employment in a College Outdoor Program

“…Outdoor recreation and education has championed the use of David Kolb"s experiential learning cycle as a philosophical foundation for learning through concrete experiences. It has become common practice to incorporate the intentional facilitation of the learning cycle as a part of the job duties of those who work in outdoor education and in education (Tomkins & Ulus, 2016). Many practitioners of outdoor education in the field have used Kolb as a base to build additional practices and application off of (Brennan, 2003).…”