Online Degrees - Experiential Learning

The idea of learning as an experience is a relatively new idea, beginning in the early 1980s with Marton Saljo's hierarchy of student views of learning. According to his hierarchy, at the beginning, learning brings an increase of knowledge. Next, the learning shifts into memorizing. Third and next, learning shifts into developing skills and methods. Fourth, learning shifts into gaining meaning of information and making sense of this same information. Lastly, learning is about understanding the world through reinterpreting knowledge.

Experiential learning is the idea that learning essentially exists in how we process experience. It continues as we reflect on this experience and then act on it. Take, for example, getting in an argument with a coworker. This is the initial experience. After the argument has occurred, you reflect on it, trying to figure out what it might mean and how it happened, perhaps comparing it to past experiences and applying your own personal values toward it. You might ask yourself what instigated the argument or how you could have responded differently. Then you formulate a course of action, maybe talking to the coworker or a third-party such as your boss or human resource director. This action will lead to further reflection. The advice or help your third-party offers will make you think more and perhaps differently on the argument. And then all of this as a whole equals your experiential learning.

This leads us into David Kolb, who has his own learning styles theories. His, however, are unique in that they deal specifically with experiential learning theories; they are often cited when dealing with online degrees and Web education for this reason. Kolb divided learning into four distinct styles. It's important to note, however, that many people can have a combination or a mix of these styles and will sometimes even change styles depending on context or a particular class.