Why Using Experiential Learning With Adults Is Powerful

Why Using Experiential Learning With Adults Is Powerful Kolb and Frye, two leaders in adult educational theory, say that adults learn best through active participation and reflection. This form of learning is called experiential because it involves hands-on experience and observation as well as discussion and other forms of learning. What Is Experiential Learning? In a sense, experiential learning is simply learning by doing but there is more to the process. Not only do learners take action, but they reflect on, learn from, and take new action based on experience. Kolb and Frye describe experiential learning as a four-part cycle: The learner has concrete experience with the content being taught.The learner reflects on the experience by comparing it to prior experiences.Based on experience and reflection, the learner develops new ideas about the content being taught.The learner acts on her new ideas by experimenting in an experiential setting. When the new ideas are put into action, they become the basis for a new cycle of experiential learning. Examples of Experiential Learning Its important to understand that experiential learning is not identical with hands-on learning or apprenticeship. The purpose of experiential learning is not simply to learn a skill through practice, but also to think critically about the practice and to improve upon it. For a child, hands-on learning might involve mixing baking powder and vinegar and watching it bubble and rise. This activity is good hands-on fun, but it doesnt necessarily provide the child with a full understanding of the chemical interaction between the two materials.   For an adult, hands-on learning might involve working with a trained carpenter to learn how to build a chair. In this case, the learner has gained some skills but has not taken part in experiential learning. The next step would involve taking time to reflect on the experience and compare chair-building to other building projects. Based on reflection, the learner would then develop new ideas about how best to go about building a chair and return to chair building with new insights and ideas. Pros and Cons of Experiential Learning Experiential learning can be very powerful for adults because they have the life experience and cognitive ability to reflect, develop new ideas, and take positive action. It also provides adults with the real-world experience they need to place their new skills in context and to develop new ideas about how to implement their skills. This is particularly true when real-world skills are taught in a classroom context. For example, a classroom experience with providing CPR is very different from a real-world experience in the back of an ambulance. On the other hand, experiential learning has very specific limits. It is only useful when the  content being taught is content that will be used in a real-world setting. So, for example, it is very difficult to provide experiential learning relative to literature, history, or philosophy. Yes, it is possible to take field trips to relevant locations or museums but field trips are quite different from experiential learning.

Correct Spelling Is Profitable for Online Businesses

Correct Spelling Is Profitable for Online Businesses In his book on the history of English spelling, Oxford English professor Simon Horobin offers this economic argument for the value of correct spelling: Charles Duncombe, an entrepreneur with various online business interests, has suggested that spelling errors on a website can lead directly to a loss of custom, potentially causing online businesses huge losses in revenue (BBC News , 11 July 2011). This is because spelling mistakes are seen by consumers as a warning sign that a website might be fraudulent, leading shoppers to switch to a rival website in preference. Duncombe measured the revenue per visitor to one of his websites, discovering that it doubled once a spelling mistake had been corrected.Responding to these claims, Professor William Dutton, director of the Internet Institute at Oxford University, endorsed these conclusions, noting that, while there is greater tolerance of spelling errors in certain areas of the Internet, such as in email or on Facebook, commercial sites with spelling errors raise concerns over credibility. Online consumers concerns about spelling mistakes on websites are understandable, given that poor s pelling is specifically highlighted in advice on detecting potentially fraudulent email, so called phishing. . . .So the message is clear: good spelling is vital if you want to run a profitable online retail company, or be a successful email spammer.( Does Spelling Matter? Oxford University Press, 2013) To make sure that your writing isnt littered with spelling errors, follow our Top 10 Proofreading Tips. Dont depend on your spellchecker to handle all the work. Many so-called spelling errors are actually mistakes in word choice- such as the use of  your for youre  or role  for ​roll. A good number of the words in our Glossary of Commonly Confused Words are homophones like these, and your spellchecker simply isnt clever enough to keep their meanings straight. As Horobin states in his introduction, hes not out to reform English spelling (a futile exercise in any case) but to argue for the importance of retaining it as a testimony to the richness of our linguistic heritage and a connection with our literary past. I recommend Horobins book to anyone interested in learning more about the origins of English spelling and its often eccentric conventions. More About English Spelling Writers on English SpellingFour Spelling RulesTop 20 Spelling MnemonicsThe Futility of Spelling Reform