Bergsteiner et al. (2010, p. 36) schematic describing student involvement in teaching methods. The authors adapted this model from Svinicki and Dixon (1987).

​I passed my Research Experience Component presentation yesterday. This clears me to deliver and defend my dissertation research proposal. One more milestone out of the way. Message me if you would like a copy of the paper.

In the illustration above, we see the four quadrants of the D. A. Kolb (1984/2015) Experiential Learning Theory cycle, with the distinction of the “student as actor” and the “student as receiver.” The two axes represent student activities, moving from a relatively passive role (student as receiver), for example, lecture analogies or descriptions, to the student acting, as in fieldwork. I find Figure 4 to be a useful tool to identify experiential learning activities because it presents the activities as continua rather than as discrete and separate. In the following table, Bergsteiner et al. (2010) created a visual framework that could be helpful in categorizing experiential learning activities and in explaining experiential learning to survey and interview participants.

Following is a video of the slides from my presentation (no audio).

References

Bergsteiner, H., Avery, G. C., & Neumann, R. (2010). Kolb's experiential learning model: critique from a modelling perspective. Studies in Continuing Education, 32(1), 29-46. doi:10.1080/01580370903534355

Kolb, D. A. (1984/2015). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development (Second ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

This past week, I concluded the third in series of interviews of instructors and students at a science and technology university in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. This is a pilot study that will help me develop my Ph.D. dissertation research. One of my most significant learning points this week is that my Vietnamese instructor and student interviewees do not understand the concept of experiential learning, at least not initially. The term used for educational methods that go beyond lectures and that involve the students in their own learning processes at this university is active learning.

What might be the opposite of active or experiential learning? Educational literature generally defines this opposite method as passive learning, or sometimes traditional learning. Think lectures. Here is one definition of passive learning, "We define a passive mode of engagement as learners being oriented toward and receiving information from the instructional materials without overtly doing anything else related to learning" (Chi & Wylie, 2014, p. 221).

Here is a definition of active learning from another group of authors, "Active learning engages students in the process of learning through activities and/or discussion in class, as opposed to passively listening to an expert. It emphasizes higher-order thinking and often involves group work" (Freeman et al., 2014, pp. 8413-8414). In their analysis of research into the performance of students exposed to active versus passive learning, Freeman et al. (2014) found benefits for active learning.

Changes in failure rate. (A) Data plotted as percent change in failure rate in the same course, under active learning versus lecturing. The mean change (12%) is indicated by the dashed vertical line. (B) Kernel density plots of failure rates under active learning and under lecturing. The mean failure rates under each classroom type (21.8% and 33.8%) are shown by dashed vertical lines (Freeman et al., 2014, Fig. 1, p. 8411).

For my ongoing research, I will take care to use the term active learning when talking to instructors and students in Vietnam. I will be careful to determine what instructors call experiential or active learning in other countries to be certain that my interview and survey responses are valid.

References

Chi, M. T., & Wylie, R. (2014). The ICAP framework: Linking cognitive engagement to active learning outcomes. Educational Psychologist, 49(4), 219-243.

Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410-8415.