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Experiential learning
Rooth (1997:75) avers that experiential learning is the learning theory or philosophy that is best suited to life skills education, since it allows for learner participation and empowerment.
Experiential learning is a process of learning from direct experience and reflecting on what has been learnt. Reflection is a central part of experiential learning as it is the way to give meaning to, consolidate and internalise learning.
The following are some important aspects of experiential learning:
# Existing experience: All learners come into a class / group, with experience which should be respected, acknowledged and used. Experiential learning focuses on building on the learners existing strengths and knowledge. The starting point is always what the learners know, feel and think, which serves as a basis from which the facilitator can proceed
# Feelings: An awareness and expression of feelings and thoughts are essential to learning. Sharing helps the learners, because their feelings become clearer when they discuss them with other learners and they may also accept and express these feelings more easily
# Personal development: The development of self-knowledge is an essential life skill which is often neglected in academic subjects. Besides self-awareness, experiential learning encourages the development of responsibility, co-operation, creativity, positive selfesteem, questioning, initiative and functional responses to challenges. In addition, experiential leaning promotes skills such as communication, assertiveness, decision making, flexibility, problem solving and networking.
# Practice: Learners are encouraged to become actively involved in practising skills, so that they can do instead of just know. Experiential learning is a dynamic, active process that allows learners to experiment with different types of behaviours
# Learner involvement: By involving learners directly in learning, they will own the process and feel part of the learning event
# Taking responsibility: Experiential learning promotes control and responsibility at various levels. It teaches the learners that they have an internal locus of control and the power to change (compare Rooth, 1997:77-80; Weil & McGill, 1993:25-36).
There are many models and ways of using experiential learning. The researcher has used Rooth’s (1997:82-102) practical model because it works well in the school context. The steps in the model, not always necessarily implemented in this order, will be briefly discussed and schematically represented in Figure 2.2 on page 48. The schematic representation is the researchers own interpretation of Rooths model.
! Awareness of the self and skill: Learners have to focus on their personal awareness and an awareness of a skill, or lack of a skill, or awareness of a need to improve a skill.
The researcher prefers to use sensory activities, for example seeing, hearing (listening to music), smelling (breathing in and out) and touching, to promote personal awareness.
! Motivation (the sense and meaning): If learners are motivated to acquire a skill, learning becomes far more self-directed and successful.
! Analysis: (the components of the skills) An analysis of the skills entails looking at what the skills mean, what is needed to develop them and what obstructs their development. It is always useful to start by using the experience, knowledge and skills that the learners already have.
! Practice: The learners must have the opportunity to practise their skills. The learners can experiment and practise by using various media (drama, discussion) in the life skills education class and in their own time outside the classroom.
! Reflection: Reflection is a way to consolidate and internalise learning, and to promote the development and extension of skills. Without reflection, experiential learning will be superficial, and not necessarily enduring. Reflection means the act of thinking about an event or experience and its relationship to the learner. The facilitator should ensure that reflection leads learners to think about what the session meant for them at a personal level. Sometimes learners complain that it takes too much time and energy to reflect. They would much rather continue with the activity as they usually have so much fun. However, activities without reflection (introduced at almost any moment), are not useful learning opportunities. Ways to let learners reflect could include keeping a journal on a weekly basis, using reflection worksheets, asking questions and keeping a record.
Facilitation media for life skills education
The social worker, as the facilitator of life skills education, has to decide which media are the best for realising experiential learning in groupwork. The media selected for facilitating the learning of life skills involve learners at a personal and group level. The media described below are interactive, participatory and help to make life skills education a practical and successful reality in class:
! Sensory contact and activities (touch, sight, sound, smell, taste and these relate to Gestalt therapy)
! Games and ice-breakers help to make the life skills education class fun. Learners learn more when they are enjoying themselves
! Role-playing is a valuable medium. It is important to consider warming up, debriefing, containment, choice and planning before using role-playing. Situations, first-liners, mimes, songs and props are useful aids in role-playing
! Drama, socio-drama and puppets
! Story telling, fantasy, metaphor and imagination lead to skills development at many levels
! Relaxation exercises and movement help to energise learners and should often be included
! Music is an essential aid and leads to learner involvement
! Drawings, clay, collage, seeds and junk heaps are all useful media for involving learners in activities
! Worksheets, the learners own exercise books and making posters for the classroom help learners to relate information to their lives
! Exercises and skills practice are essential. Skills cannot be developed and sustained unless they are practised
! Pictures from magazines and newspapers
! Brainstorming allows everybody to share ideas
! Group discussions enable the learners to share ideas
! Panels allow learners to air their views
! Buzz groups are great for getting learners to talk to one another
! Buzzing helps students relate the topic to their own experience
! Debates help learners to think, air their views and listen to different viewpoints
! Case studies allow the detailed analysis of relevant problems
! Making the rounds gives an opportunity to hear what everybody thinks
! Demonstration or input is valuable and occurs when the social worker (facilitator) gives information and advice, and adds to learners’ knowledge
! Research projects help learners to discover facts and find answers
! Task groups are great for group activities that require research beyond the school grounds, for example community service
! Open space gives large groups the opportunity to work together. Learners are given a great deal of responsibility and freedom
! Rehearsing occurs when learners rehearse for the roles they think they will be expected to play and they worry that they may not say the right thing and perform properly
! Modelling
! Peer tutoring (compare Hopson & Scally, 1981:142-147; Rooth, 1997:130-182; Schoeman & van der Merwe, 1996:41-56; 77-96; 128-136; Corey, 1995:309-317).
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION, STATEMENT OF PROBLEM AND GOAL OF STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 MOTIVATION FOR THE CHOICE OF THE STUDY
1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.4 GOAL AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS FOR THE STUDY
1.6 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK OF THE STUDY
1.7 RESEARCH APPROACH
1.8 TYPE OF RESEARCH
1.9 RESEARCH DESIGN
1.10 PILOT STUDY
1.11 DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH POPULATION, SAMPLING METHOD AND LIMITATIONS
1.12. DEFINITION OF KEY CONCEPTS
1.13. CONTENTS OF RESEARCH REPORT
CHAPTER 2
LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND THE SENIOR PHASE LEARNER
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION AND TRAINING
2.3 THE DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE ON HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
2.4 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 3
INTERVENTION RESEARCH: DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 PHASE 1: SITUATION ANALYSIS AND PROJECT PLANNING
3.3 PHASE 2: INFORMATION GATHERING AND SYNTHESIS
3.4 PHASE 3: DESIGN
3.5 PHASE 4: EARLY DEVELOPMENT AND PILOT TESTING
3.6 PHASE 5: EVALUATION AND ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT
3.7 PHASE 6 DISSEMINATION
3.8 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 4
EVALUATION AND ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERSONAL AND INTERPERSONAL LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMME
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 THE EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
4.3 DATA COLLECTION
4.4 DATA ANALYSIS
4.5 REPLICATING THE INTERVENTION UNDER FIELD CONDITIONS
4.6 REFINING THE INTERVENTION
4.7 CONCLUSION
CHAPTER 5
CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND DISSEMINATION
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 MAJOR CONCLUSIONS OF THE STUDY
5.3 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS AND DISSEMINATION
5.5 IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
BIBLIOGRAPHY
