An Empirical Analysis of Experiential Learning for Learning Reinforcement

Abstract

"The focus of this research study is the assessment of particular experiential learning techniques that have been used for learning reinforcement. Experiential learning techniques, which are also referred to as simulation, are operating models of ... social situations ... containing only those elements of reality that the designer deems relevant to his purpose [12, pp. 4-5). Learning reinforcement is being defined as the stimuli that are needed to ensure the performance of any learned behavior. The value of assessing an experiential learning situation designed for learning reinforcement is two-fold. First, from the student’s perspective, with some background knowledge in the subject, he or she might be able to gain more from an experiential training session than from a non-experiential approach. Second, an employer’s interest might be better served in allocation of training funds by his being able to assess if an employee could gain the most from experiential vs. non-experiential training media. The objective of this study is to determine the extent to which learning is reinforced as a result of a structured learning situation. The study makes a contribution in that while the learning theory literature is replete with citations on the value of reinforcement in learning from as early as Thorndike (1898), Tolman (1932), and Blodgett (1929), and as recently as the 1970's [Estes (1972), McKeachie (1974) and Howell (l976)], there is very little empirical evaluation reported in the experiential learning literature. Some of the articles in the experiential learning literature deal with how to develop measures of performance in experiential learning settings [9, pp. 61-74; 13; 7; 15, pp. 280-283; 3, pp. 55-71; 16, pp. 211-231; 11, pp. 34-37]. Others report on student attitudes towards the experiential learning situation [12, pp. 4-5; 16, pp. 211-231; 11, pp. 34-37]. However, relatively few are recent empirical evaluations of learning in an experiential setting [14, pp. 75-85; 1, p. 14; 4, pp. 53-65; 8, pp. 13-22], and none of these consider reinforcement of learning rather than the introduction of new concepts. The conceptual issue to which this study is directed is, does experiential learning reinforce the student’s knowledge in a classroom situation; and furthermore, does It enhance the students confidence in his or her knowledge? "