Experiential Learning: learning by doing (UX)
We are all no strangers to experiential learning; ie learning by doing. To put it simply, we learn from experience. In fact, Aristotle himself suggested that we learn by doing back in 350 BCE¹. We’re also no strangers to the term ‘practice makes perfect’, suggesting that the more we practise something, the better we get at it. Experiential learning has been used throughout education and business as a core learning methodology, but also arguably naturally in our everyday lives. We should consider experiential learning as a holistic integrative methodology that can be considered as a foundation or part of how our users’ minds work when designing a digital product².
To understand experiential learning at a deep learning, we can look at how the creation of memory works. With this in mind, we can agree that the aim of experiential learning is to eventually create long term memories that can be recalled with ease.
There are several studied models of the experiential learning process, with particular note from psychologists and philosophers Dewey, Lewin and Piaget. All of which generally conclude that learning is best conceived as a process, not in terms of outcomes, a continued process grounded in experience, is dependent on our mental models and involves some form of interaction².
Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience
Kolb
Kolb more recently conceptualised the experiential learning process into a 4-stage cycle as shown below with concern toward internal cognitive processes³. The cycle describes the process involved from gaining new experience, reflecting on existing experience, creating or iterating a mental model and applying practice.
Experiential learning can benefit users by facilitating growth of knowledge, assist adaption to change, take account of an individual’s learning ability and responds to their needs⁴. Since it is more of an active than passive process, it is a relatively personal way of learning. However, this suggests some motivation or desire to learn, which is why this learning method should be viewed holistically and perhaps alongside a combination of other methods. In our product, we can facilitate with an access to model to help and support.
However, as designers we can also guide and encourage the user towards experiential learning. For example, we can provide a foundation or environment of the task ahead. In UI, this could mean presenting the user with an interface, ie layout the core elements that will be utilised in the task ahead. In this case, we are providing some knowledge of the learning task. From here, the user can determine the possibilities and compare to their existing mental models in preparation of updating or creating a new model; promoting order from chaos. And eventually creating a long term accessible memory. This existing mental model could be a familiar or consistently designed interface when iterations have been made. But this also suggests that straying away from consistency and leaning towards new/intuitive interfaces could put additional strain on one’s experiential learning capacities⁵.
This method can be proven in a recent study by Professor Viljo Kohonen, who studied experiential learning in foreign language education⁴. He compared learning a language to the metaphor of requiring a topographic map when orienteering in an unfamiliar place; the map equips them some prior knowledge to make sense of the terrain ahead properly. Also, in the case of language learning, one can loosely compare the foundations of the new language to the knowledge they already have from their own native or previously learned languages. Thus facilitating order from chaos.
To summarise, we can consider experiential learning, ie learning by doing, when users interact with our products. If we understand that users can learn effectively by actively interacting with our interfaces, we can produce designs that can be utilised successfully by all via recall of created long term memories.
References
- Aristotle. and Rackham, H. (1999). The Nicomachean ethics. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Press [u.a.].
- Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall.
- Kolb, D. A., & Fry, R. E. (1974). Toward an applied theory of experiential learning. MIT Alfred P. Sloan School of Management.
- Kohonen, V., Jaatinen, R., Kaikkonen, P. and Lehtovaara, J. (2001). Experiential Learning in Foreign Language Education. Longman.
- Nielsen Norman Group. (2018). The Power Law of Learning: Consistency vs. Innovation in User Interfaces. [online] Available at: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/power-law-learning/
Further Reading
Experiential Learning Enhancing User Interface Design Skills through Cognitive Action https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8049111?denied=
Best Practices In Experiential Learning https://www.ryerson.ca/content/dam/lt/resources/handouts/ExperientialLearningReport.pdf
The concept of experiential learning and John Dewey’s theory of reflective thought and action https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/026013700293458
