Experiential Learning Approaches in Teaching the Humanities

Using the Humanities and Experiential Learning to Promote Character Education

Abstract

This paper conducts an analysis of teaching the humanities by way of experiential learning, with the purpose being to facilitate character education among learners. It begins by providing an understanding of what experiential learning is and where the theory comes from. It then discusses its application in the field of humanities education and why character education and in particularly the development of virtue in learners is important. It provides evidence from research studies that have examined the role that experiential learning has in teaching and learning the humanities. It offers examples of how experiential learning can be applied in this field, and what researchers have done to test the theory of experiential learning in the building of character. Finally, it provides a conclusion regarding what educators can do to foster the development of virtue in learners by approaching the humanities by way of creative play and other methods of experiential learning.

Introduction

Experiential learning theory is based on the idea that learners acquire knowledge best when they can come to it through personal experience. Many theorists, from Dewey to Piaget to Vygotsky to Kolb, have added to this idea over the years, each one contributing to its development. This paper examines how experiential learning theory can be applied to the promotion of character education by way of the humanities. Character education is vital to the formation of virtue in learners, which is fundamental to self-actualization and moral development (Gong, 2010; Kristjansson, 2014; Lickona, 1993). Kohlberg (1963) has stated that moral development is not something that can “stamped into” a learner but rather is something that must be nurtured in an atmosphere that promotes its cultivation. Having exposure to the humanities is a way for learners to have such an atmosphere. However, from the standpoint of experiential learning theory, it is not enough for a learner merely to be exposed to information: the learner must be actively engaged with it so that it becomes part of the learner’s personal experience and facilitates the necessary food for recollection. This paper proposes that the promotion of character education can be facilitated through the process of experiential learning by having learners actively engage with the humanities (i.e., acting out dramas, participating in dialogues, and conducting critical analysis of texts).

Experiential Learning Theory

Dewey (1938) is often considered the seminal author on experiential learning due to his work entitled “Experience and Education,” in which he argued that knowledge contained in text books is “beyond the reach of the experience” that young learners already possess (p. 3). By basing education upon experience, it brings together both mature and immature minds so that there is interaction and engagement, and experience passes from one to the other. Vygotsky argued similarly in his theory of the zone of proximal development (ZPD), wherein it was posited that learners learn best when they can observe others who already have knowledge or skills and can demonstrate them in action. The young learners watch, imitate, perform and develop, much as Dewey suggested they should. Piaget also emphasized that learners develop their cognitive abilities by applying their minds to the real world around them. As Gray and Feldman (2004) have shown, the factor of creative play can help to facilitate this process.

The humanities represented a body of knowledge concerned not only with what it means to be human but also with what it means to be good. The humanities range in subject matter from philosophy, such as that of Plato and Aristotle, to the classics of literature, such as that of Shakespeare and Dostoevsky. Not only are these works informative and enlightening; they are also educative in terms of what it means to acquire virtue. Moreover, they can be engaging and offer an element of creative play that is vital to experiential learning for the young.

Combining the humanities with experiential learning can be a good way to facilitate character education, which is lacking in today’s schools (Kristansson, 2014). Character education is what provides the foundation for the development and application of virtue in the real world, which Gong (2010) notes is sorely needed in any society, including a globalized one. By providing students with an opportunity to enter into a type of creative play with the humanities, educators can help them to experience these works in a manner that they become personal to the learners.

Kolb saw experiential learning as a way for learners to experiment with the ideas and knowledge they are taught; as a way for learners to have an experience directly, upon which they can reflect and from which they can grow; and as a way for learners to deepen their understanding of the knowledge they acquire by looking back and turning their experiences into knowledge that they can then build upon (i.e., scaffolding). Kolb (1984) points out that “learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (p. 38). Experience offers the learner a window onto the real world, where knowledge can be seen to have real application. Kolb’s process of experiential learning consisted of concrete learning, wherein the learner is exposed to new information or given a new way to interpret previous experiences. Next came reflective observation, in which the learner applies his own understanding gained through experience to the information. Abstract conceptualization then occurs as new ideas are formulated within the learner. Finally, active experimentation is engaged upon wherein the learner applies new understanding to the world around him.

Kolb’s theory expands upon the work of Dewey (1938), who stated that “every experience enacted and undergone modifies the one who acts and undergoes, while this modification affects, whether we wish it or not, the quality of subsequent experiences” (p. 35). And as Dewey (1938) noted that educators should “utilize the surroundings, physical and social, that exist so as to extract from them all that they have to contribute to building experiences that are worthwhile” (p. 40), it makes sense for educators to make use of the humanities, which are in abundance and can include plays, films, shows, books, religious and philosophical works, and more.

The Humanities

The humanities fit into this scheme because they offer a representation of the real world that is fixed and can be analyzed and experienced. They offer a representation that is realistic and that mirrors nature. This is important to education because as Hunt Institute (2011) has shown, the philosophy of education that matters most in schools today and that aligns with the Common Core practice used in schools is the philosophy of realism. The humanities can help learners to develop understanding of themselves and the world by giving them a real world depiction of people like themselves in real life situations like what they might encounter. Whether it is Plato’s Euthyphro dialogue in which Socrates and Euthyphro discuss what it means to be good, or whether it is Hamlet asking what the point of living is, the humanities provide learners with questions that they are likely to ask themselves. Exposing them to these texts can help them gain knowledge—but if they can experience them directly, by acting them out, analyzing them together, and associating them with other real life examples and experiences, the theory of experiential learning can be combined with the humanities.

And because the humanities teach learners about what it means to be human and what it means to be good, the advantage that the learner gains is not only the real world experience of these lessons but also a sense of how they themselves can better themselves so as to be self-actualizing and virtuous. Lickona (1993) shows that by having educators bring character education into the classroom learners are better prepared for higher education. Kristjansson (2014) notes that Aristotelianism is a good place to start with learners, as it is Aristotle (n.d.) who stated: “There are, then, these three means of effecting persuasion…(1) to reason logically, (2) to understand human character and goodness in their various forms, and (3) to understand the emotions.” Understanding logic, understanding their own human character, and understanding the emotions are keys to the development of the character; and development of the character is key to developing virtue. By experiencing the humanities directly, learners can acquire a deep down understanding of themselves and what they should strive to be. This is the essence of active learning and the essence of experiential learning.

Biesta (2015) has shown that the humanities are important in character education when it is rooted in human action. Educators have to focus on active learning when it comes to teaching the humanities because it is through this active participation or experiential learning that the humanities are able to take root in the soul of the learner and flourish (Biesta, 2015). This focus on spirit via human activity is the basis of character development. Anggraini and Emmanuel (2021) corroborate this with their findings on character education and moral development in young learners: they show in their study that Play Method, Storytelling Method, Assignment Method, and Conversation Method all help to bring the humanities to life for young learners. Inherent in each of these methods is the concept of experiential learning. By experiencing the humanities directly, the young learners develop a deeper understanding and acquire a deep-down knowledge of the lessons that the humanities teach, and their direct experiences and experimentation with these lessons helps them to build on what they acquire.

Application

Experiential learning has been applied in the humanities and researched by Lucas and Radia (2017). The educators in this study enrolled young learners in an afterschool community drama program in which the learners experienced Shakespeare’s plays directly and personally. The success of the program showed that learners respond better to understanding and developing themselves when they can experience dramas in such a direct manner. In other words, it is one thing to read a play in a book in a desk at school, and it is quite another to act it out, watch it performed, and experience the cathartic effect directly.

Riddell, Murray and Dickson (2021) showed that experiential learning facilitates collaboration in the study of the humanities: “students are exposed to the plays on the page, on the stage, and behind the scenes; they are offered a model of collaborative knowledge-making both in the theater and in the team-based course design and delivery; and, with these examples before them, they are encouraged to take risks, to collaborate, and to form communities of their own in their learning” (p. 172). By immersing learners into the world of the theater stage, of what goes into a production, how people must work together to bring a play to life on the stage, and how to deliver a final product that is pleasing to an audience, teachers provide students with an experiential portal that facilitates the development of their minds and wills. The students in this study worked in teams, experimented by applying their experienced-based knowledge to a production, and found out what worked and what did not work. They grew in knowledge and understanding throughout the process and engaged in a type of creative play that facilitated the process and moved it along. They learned from one another and from watching others, which aligns with the idea of ZPD. Riddell et al. (2021) thus showed that experiential learning in the humanities is possible and effective.

Levy, Tanenbaum and Schlieski (2017) conducted a study in which they showed that experiential learning can be used to facilitate critical thinking for students as they engage with real world problems in a humanities learning module. They created a virtual reality program that students could use to deepen their understanding in the humanities. They surveyed learners and found that students overwhelmingly responded in a positive way to the virtual reality program as it gave them an experience-based way to apply their knowledge and experiment with it. The evidence they present is that when learners are given an opportunity to experience the humanities and to experiment with their understanding in a real world type of situation, even if it is simulated, the learners are grateful and feel as though they have genuinely learned something.

What It Means

The humanities are clearly a gateway to a deeper understanding of human nature and to what it means to be a good person (Kristjansson, 2014; Lickona, 1993; Riddell et al., 2021). The humanities provide one with an experience of others, who may make good or bad decisions in life. The learner can see the outcome of these decisions—whether it is Hazel Motes in Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood blinding himself, or whether it is King Lear handing over his kingdom to his daughters. The learner sees an action and a reaction, a consequence and an outcome. If the learner experiences these works, they become personal to him. And that means he now has more knowledge to build upon and to apply in the real world.

How can the learner experience these humanities? The research shows that this can be done in numerous different and creative ways. Levy et al. (2017) used simulation and virtual worlds to help learners experience them. Riddell et al. (2021) used a stage production to assist in the matter. Lucas and Radia (2017) put learners in a drama community program to help them experience the humanities. All of these are viable options for educators.

Acting out dramas, participating in dialogues, and conducting critical analysis of texts can all be good ways to facilitate this process as well. Acting out dramas conforms to what the research shows: learners learn how to collaborate, how to experience, and how to experiment when they are directly part of a production (Riddell et al., 2021). They get a sense of what it takes to bring all the moving pieces and parts together, and they learn from one another, which aligns with Kolb’s theory of experiential learning. They also enter into the ZPD and learn from observing and then doing on their own. They grow in cognition and in application.

Participating in dialogues is another way for this to occur. Plato showed how Socrates engaged learners in dialogues: Socrates would ask questions to his students or to anyone he met and put a series of questions to them. Then he would analyze the answers along with the students to see whether the answers actually made sense or were logical. He would ask whether the answers were actually sufficient to answer the question posed. These dialogues are great tools for developing one’s critical thinking skills. And they are dialogues that do not have to be read in a desk: they can be acted out and analyzed. Moreover, students can be prompted to go out and engage others in similar dialogues to see what happens. For example, a learner could pose a question that Socrates poses to one of his students to a friend or mentor and examine the response of the other person. The student thus experiments with the experience and knowledge obtained from the initial dialogue by applying it directly in the real world.

Learning the humanities is essential to character development, as based on the seminal literature of Beesley (1940). Beesley (1940) shows that particularly when it comes to the cultivation of virtue, the experience of the humanities in a young learner’s life can shape that young learner in a positive way. The humanities take the learner back through time and into different cultures, contexts and situations. They reveal that even though civilizations and societies change, human nature is what it is—it stays the same. The same universal problems and struggles that a character in a Shakespearean tragedy encounters can be relevant to the life of a person living today. Learners are able to recognize and identify different characters, traits, flaws and heroic qualities. They can apply these to their own day and age through examination and interaction with others, and it helps them to understand what they are seeing in their own lives, as the humanities enable them to understand not only their own selves better but also the world around them. Small (2013) concurs with this assessment and illustrates that the humanities can teach a learner how to be a good citizen. Small (2013) suggests that the practice of teaching the humanities fell out of favor in education because more focus was placed on other areas of learning—but if education is to be truly holistic and focus on developing the whole person it is essential that the humanities be a focus of that education so that the learner becomes an ideal citizen.