Consultancy Project Experiential Learning

1. Consultancy Project Experiential Learning MGT529 Dr. Khurrum S. Mughal

2. Lecture 5

3. “Experience is, for me, the highest authority. The touchstone of validity is my own experience. No other person’s ideas, and none of my own ideas, are as authoritative as my experience. It is to experience that I must return again and again, to discover a closer approximation to truth as it is in the process of becoming in me.” (Carl Rogers)

4. Cognitive Memorizing facts Experiential Doing and experiencing

5. “Experiential learning takes place when a person involved in an activity looks back and evaluates it, determines what was useful or important to remember, and uses this information to perform another activity.” John Dewey

6. Experiential Learning • The learner is a participant rather than a spectator in learning. • Experiential learning occurs when carefully chosen experiences are supported by reflection, critical analysis, and synthesis. • Learning must have present as well as future relevance for learners and the society in which they will participate.

7. Experiential Learning • The results of the learning are personal and form the basis for future experiences and learning. • Relationships are developed: learner to self, learner to others, and learner to the world at large. • Individuals increase their awareness of how personal values and meanings influence their perceptions of choices of action.

8. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory • “…learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Kolb, 1984, p. 38) • Integrating new information into existing knowledge • Involving the whole person • Transacting between the person and the environment

9. Six Propositions of Learning • Learning is a process, not outcome • Learning is relearning • Learners move between reflection, action, thinking, feeling • Learning is holistic • Learning involves interactions with the environment and the learner • Learning is constructivist – abstract and concrete

10. Four Processes of Learning • Watching • Senses – perceiving information • Thinking • Mind – reflecting how it impacts life • Feeling • Emotions – fitting into learner’s experiences • Doing • Muscle – performing new ways to act

11. Four Learning Stages

12. Concrete Experience • Doing or having an experience

13. Reflective Observation • Reviewing or reflecting on the experience

14. Abstract Conceptualization • Concluding or learning from the experience

15. Active Experimentation • Planning or trying out what you have learned

16. Activities to Support Each Phase

17. Which learning stage do you prefer or learn more effectively from?

18. Four Learning Styles

19. Accommodator • Learns through concrete experience • Transforms learning into abstract experimentation • Leaders, risk takers, needs a mentor, strength in doing, likes examples • Teaches students by encouragement, modeling

20. Diverger • Learns through concrete experience • Transforms learning by reflective observation • Likes to brainstorm, solve problems, imaginative, emotional, people person • Teaches through lectures and motivates students to learn

21. Converger • Learns through abstract conceptualization • Transforms information through active experimentation – by doing • Prefers objects, dislikes group activities, likes questioning, problem-solver, unemotional • Teaches by questioning and encouraging students

22. Assimilator • Learn through abstract conceptualization • Transform learning through reflective observation • Likes reading, research, organizing, working alone, likes class calendar • Teaches students by lecturing, traditional classroom

23. Which learning style are you? • Accomodator • Diverger • Converger • Assimilator

24. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle

25. Similarities • Use of environment/experiences for learning • Constructivist Learning Theory (Vygotsky) • Behaviorist’s Theory (Skinner) • Learn through social interactions • Social Learning Theory (Bandura) • Affective and cognitive dimensions of learning • Humanist Theory (Freud, Rogers)

26. Critique • Cultural considerations are not included • Little research support • Stages of learning may be sequenced differently • Does not apply in all types of learning situations • Insufficient information on reflection • Doesn’t explore nature of knowledge in depth • Smith, (2001).

27. 1 EXPERIENCE the activity; perform, do it 5 APPLY what was learned to a similar or different situation; practice 2 SHARE the results, reactions, and observations publicly Do Reflect Apply 3 PROCESS by discussing, locking at the experience; analyze, reflect 4 GENERALIZE to connect the experience to real world examples Experiential Learning Model

28. EXPERIENCE the activity; do it • Begin with a concrete experience that: • Can be individual or group experience, but involves doing. • Most likely will be unfamiliar to learner or first-time activity • Pushes learning beyond previous performance levels • May be uncomfortable to learner • Includes the risk of failure

29. SHARE reactions and observations publicly • Get participants to talk about experience • Share reactions and observations • Discuss feelings generated by the experience • Let the group (or individual) talk freely and acknowledge ideas generated

30. PROCESS by analyzing and reflecting upon what happened • Discuss how the experience was carried out • Discuss how themes, problems, and issues are brought out by the experience • Discuss how specific problems or issues were addressed • Discuss personal experiences of members • Encourage the group to look for recurring themes

31. GENERALIZE note what was learned and connect to real life • Find general trends or common truths in the experience • Identify “real life” principles that surfaced • Identify key items that were learned • List key terms that capture the learning

32. Few Work Related Skills

33. Few work related skills • Action planning • Entrepreneurship • Decision making – problem solving • Negotiation • Social net working • Resource utilization • Self appraisal • Team working • Effective communication

34. Action planning • It is about learning “defining a goals and devising means to achieve that goal with in a given period of time”. • An action plan is comprised of; • Specific tasks – what will be done and by whom? • Time horizon – when will it be done? • Resource allocation – what specific funds are available for specific activities.

35. Entrepreneurship • The capacity and willingness to develop, organize and manage a business venture along with any of its risks in order to make a profit. • Starting a new business to produce profits by employing • Land • Labor • Capital • Natural resources

36. Decision making • The thought process of selecting a logical choice from the available options. • Example: Purchasing computers for an office. • Process; • Define the problem. • Identify the decision criteria. • Allocate weights to the criteria. • Develop the alternatives. • Evaluate the alternatives. • Select the best alternative.

37. Negotiation • Bargaining process between two parties. • It is basically a discussion aimed at reaching an agreement. • Generally managers are involved in negotiation at the time of hiring an employee • Dealing with banks while obtaining loans etc.

38. Social net working • Creating a group of associates and keeping it active through regular communication for mutual benefit.

39. Resource utilization • Using in effective manner the proportion of the available resources. • Time • Materials • Humans • Etc.

40. Self appraisal • It is an act of judging oneself as compared to others. • Knowledge • Skills • Work experience Equality results in satisfaction

41. Team working • The process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve a goal.

42. Effective communication • A two way information sharing process which involves one party sending a message that is easily understood by the receiving party.

43. Experiential learning through:

44. Experiential learning through: • Work observation/job shadowing • Internship/practicum • Apprenticeship • Cooperative education • Work study plan

45. Experiential learning through: • Job Shadowing • 1 day or less • Student watches worker(s) • Develops awareness of: • Work • Variety of jobs • Work environment

46. Experiential learning through: • Internship • Students: • observe and participate in daily operations • develop direct contact with job personnel • ask questions about particular careers • perform certain job tasks • Internships may be paid or unpaid. • Work experience is directly related to the student’s career pathway.

47. Experiential learning through: • Apprenticeship • This type of program typically occurs outside of a university setting. • It is run by a business • Incorporates both class room instructions and hands-on learning. • The apprenticeship is a common method of utilizing a skilled craftsman/experienced person to train a new employee.

48. Experiential learning through: • Co-Op (cooperative education) • Co-Op is a paid program for students where the student spends time working in the field, typically for a semester or more. • Co-ops are generally full – time and paid positions. • The work done in the field is coordinated with classroom instructions. • Northeastern University - Boston - USA students participate in Co-Op each year and when they graduate they have work experience in their resumes.

49. Experiential learning through: • Work study Plan • The work-study program is designed to provide on-campus work experience for full-time students who require assistance in covering their education-related costs. • In this model the student obtains a paid job in his/her field, but instruction is not directly supervised by the school and job duties are not necessarily tied to curriculum.

50. Experiential learning through: • Consultancy Project • A team of four to five students work as consultants to the sponsoring company supported by a faculty advisor and industry experts. • Stay in close liaison with company representative as well as faculty advisor • The students usually complete this project along-with their other coursework while they are on campus, with the exception of necessary field visits & client meetings