Experiential Learning and the Humanities in Character Education

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 contributed to this idea over the years, each one adding 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; Kristjánsson, 2014; Lickona, 1993). Kohlberg (1963) has stated that moral development is not something that can be "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 one way for learners to experience 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 provides the necessary material for reflection and 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—that is, 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 Experience and Education, in which he argued that knowledge contained in textbooks 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 possess knowledge or skills and can demonstrate them in action. 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.

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 a direct experience upon which they can reflect and from which they can grow; and as a way for learners to deepen their understanding of acquired knowledge by looking back and turning their experiences into knowledge they can then build upon—that is, 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 four stages: concrete learning, wherein the learner is exposed to new information or given a new way to interpret previous experiences; reflective observation, in which the learner applies understanding gained through experience to the new information; abstract conceptualization, in which new ideas are formulated; and finally, active experimentation, 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). Dewey (1938) further 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). This makes it sensible for educators to make use of the humanities, which are abundant and can include plays, films, shows, books, religious works, philosophical texts, and more.

The Humanities and Character Education

The humanities represent a body of knowledge concerned not only with what it means to be human but also with what it means to be good. They 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 (Kristjánsson, 2014). Character education 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 experience these works in a manner that makes them personally meaningful.

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 the Hunt Institute (2011) has shown, the philosophy of education that matters most in schools today—and that aligns with Common Core practice—is the philosophy of realism. The humanities help learners develop an understanding of themselves and the world by giving them realistic depictions of people like themselves in situations they might encounter. Whether it is Plato's Euthyphro dialogue, in which Socrates and Euthyphro discuss what it means to be good, or Hamlet asking what the point of living is, the humanities provide learners with questions they are likely to ask themselves. Exposing them to these texts can help them gain knowledge—but if they can experience these works directly, by acting them out, analyzing them collaboratively, and associating them with real-life examples, the theory of experiential learning can be effectively combined with the humanities.

Because the humanities teach learners about what it means to be human and what it means to be good, the advantage that learners gain is not only the real-world experience of these lessons but also a sense of how they can better themselves so as to be self-actualizing and virtuous. Lickona (1993) shows that when educators bring character education into the classroom, learners are better prepared for higher education. Kristjánsson (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 one's own human character, and understanding the emotions are keys to the development of character; and the development of character is key to developing virtue. By experiencing the humanities directly, learners can acquire a deep understanding of themselves and what they should strive to be. This is the essence of active learning and of experiential learning.

Biesta (2015) has shown that the humanities are important in character education when that education is rooted in human action. Educators have to focus on active learning when teaching the humanities because it is through this active participation—this 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. Their study shows that the 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, young learners develop a deeper understanding and acquire a fundamental knowledge of the lessons the humanities teach; their direct experiences and experimentation with these lessons help them to build on what they acquire.

Conclusion

Experiential learning theory, as explained by Dewey and developed further by Piaget, Vygotsky, Kolb, and others, is helpful in showing how the acquisition of deep-down knowledge is achieved in learners. Creative play is vital to the development of learners, and the more hands-on and actively participating learners are in the educative process, the more understanding, application, experimentation, and reflection they can engage in. Experiential learning is a good way for learners to internalize information they obtain through texts: it allows them to develop their own experiences, which they can then draw upon to increase their knowledge and understanding.

This is particularly pertinent in the study of the humanities and in the development of character because it enables the learner to engage with the lessons the humanities provide and put those lessons into practice. Creative play, production, questioning, dialogue, and critical analysis are all ways that learners can apply these lessons and make them their own. Through character education, supported by the humanities and experiential learning, learners can foster the development of virtue, which is important for good citizenship. Even in the globalized world of today, the cultivation of virtue ethics remains a pressing need. Experiential learning of the humanities can facilitate an appreciation for virtue among learners, which they can implement in their own lives as they develop the necessary experience of how to apply virtue in the real world.

References

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