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ABSAgrams
ABSAgrams
04 What is Experiential Learning?
Want to get ready to (as the "utes" are said to be fond of saying!) level up your skills? Guess what? We've got a way to do that. We’re diving into a hands-on, interactive experience that’s all about mastering external organizational communication—a field that’s basically a mystery boss fight with no clear guidebook. Dr. PJR and I have spent years grinding, tweaking, and perfecting a teaching style that brings this tricky domain to life, inspired by a mix of trial, error, and the occasional lucky critical hit. Our secret weapon? A custom-built simulation technique powered by ABSAprime's training in the sociohistorical approach to understanding human activity. And here’s the twist: as much as ABSAprime is the teacher, she is also a player in this learning game. Every iteration of this course levels her up too. Let’s hit start and see how far we can go!
What we grow accustomed to...the transmission model
ABSAprime's method de-emphasizes (but doesn't entirely eliminate) the old-school "transmission model" of education—a system most of us know all too well from years of formal schooling. In that setup, it’s mostly about info being dumped on you, usually through reading assignments or teacher lectures. The idea is that you "get it" if you crush the tests and essays. Basically, you’re winning the game if you rack up high grades, but that’s the main (and kind of narrow) way that you measure success in this model. This new approach? Way less about that tired routine.
The transmission model is basically like the classic "telephone game." You know, where one person whispers a message, it gets passed down the line, and by the end, it's so scrambled it doesn’t even sound like the original? Yeah, that. Except here, it’s worse—because instead of the message just going one way, it’s bouncing back and forth, over and over, until it’s a total mess, chaos mode for real.
Drawbacks to the transmission model
This setup might work okay for formal schooling, but think about it—it has some serious drawbacks. First off (and if you’re into communication studies, this should hit hard), think about how the system runs: teachers dish out info, students are supposed to “absorb” it, then teachers test what they think they’ve taught. They create exams or assignments based on their own view of what matters, then grade students on how closely their answers match that vision. It’s like a relay with way too many steps—so many chances for things to get lost, misread, or just plain messed up. You don’t even need a degree to see how broken this chain can get.
Ready for another "gaming" analogy (hope so, 'cause you're getting one!)? So, we have found with the transmission model (sure, I’m oversimplifying, but roll with it for a minute): it’s like trying to play a role-playing game and only grinding stats while ignoring all the other gameplay mechanics. It’s laser-focused on pumping out data and info, but it largely skips out on the stuff that makes us human—like emotions, creativity, willpower, and imagination. And let’s be real, those aren’t just fluff; they’re key to how our brains actually work. Using the transmission model is like trying to run a turbocharged V8 engine but only firing on half the cylinders (if that!). You’re leaving so much potential on the table.
This feels like such a massive waste of what students could actually bring to the table when it comes to tackling complex challenges. Honestly, ABSAprime shares with us, "I've ways suspected (though I can’t prove it) that our weird obsession with the 'transmission model' of teaching comes from the fact it’s how we train doctors and lawyers—fields everyone holds up as the “gold standard” of education." It's hard to argue with that. cramming a ton of info into your brain is critical for those vocations...and thank our lucky stars for that, since you want both lawyers and doctors to be supremely confident of their diagnoses, on the spot, without having to look things up. But let’s not forget, later on, they lean hard into hands-on experience—like internships in hospitals for med students or moot court for law students. So why aren’t we applying that same logic more broadly?
It's like this: traditional learning sort of flops when it comes to making what you learn stick. It’s all lectures and boring classroom environments that barely change, no matter what subject you’re in. It’s like your brain is just sitting there, going, "Cool, another PowerPoint. Yawn." But experiential learning? Now, that is a game-changer.
Think of it like an epic side quest in a video game—you're thrown into wild, unexpected scenarios that force you to actually do things, not just memorize. Your brain lights up because it's not just hearing words; it’s solving problems, making choices, and pulling in every skill it’s got. It's not just "new and shiny" (although that's part of it); it’s the fact that you're tapping into parts of your brain and personality that regular school hasn’t touched you like this in ages. Emotions, imagination, even your sense of values—they all team up to turn boring facts into something you’ll remember. It's like leveling up your mental stats across the board. Traditional learning? Meh. Experiential learning? Awesome!
Tapping what's already in students' minds
One of the biggest fails of the old-school “transmission” model is how it largely ignores what students already bring to the table. Seriously, every student walks into class loaded with life experience and knowledge, no matter how well they’re scoring. People who back the “experiential” model (which, as you can see, I’m all-in on) see students as legit pros in different areas before they even hit the classroom.
The key here? Collaboration. Unlike the boring one-way street where the teacher just dumps knowledge onto students, experiential learning is more like co-op mode in gaming. Everyone’s playing dual roles as both teacher and student, leveling up together. As to ABSAprime? Dr. Philly Jo doesn't want to be some all-knowing “sage on the stage.” No: she's the “guide on the side,” helping blend her skills with the awesome stuff students already know. It’s not about her uploading my data to them—it’s about syncing up and building something next-level together.
Experiential Learning: a world of solutions
We're not diving too deep into the ongoing debates about what counts as "experiential learning" (like, is it different from "experiential education," or all the other names it’s gone by—action learning, free choice learning, cooperative learning, service learning, you name it).
If we’re looking toward the most widely-endorsed definition of experiential learning, most people point to David A. Kolb, a key figure in this field. Kolb says you’ve got to tick these four boxes to level up through experiential learning:
[1] Get in the Game – You’ve got to be ready to dive in and actively engage with the experience.
[2] Replay and Reflect – After the experience, take some time to review and think about what just went down.
[3] Analyze the Strategy – Use those brain cells to figure out the bigger picture and make sense of what happened
[4] Make Your Move – Take what you’ve learned and apply it to new challenges, solving problems like a pro.
So, yeah, experiential learning is all about playing, reflecting, strategizing, and then taking that knowledge to crush it in your next outing.
"As Below, So Above"
[Graphics by Descript's Overlord and Microsoft's Powerpoint. Background videos by Wix.com].
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