Consultancy Project Experiential Learning

MGT529Dr. Khurrum S. Mughal

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Lecture 5

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“Experience is, for me, the highest authority. The touchstone of validity is my own experience. No other person’s ideas, and none of my own ideas, are as authoritative as my experience. It is to experience that I must return again and again, to discover a closer approximation to truth as it is in the process of becoming in me.”

(Carl Rogers)

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CognitiveMemorizing facts

ExperientialDoing and experiencing

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“Experiential learning takes place

when a person involved in an activity

looks back and evaluates it,

determines what was useful or important to remember,

and uses this information to perform another activity.”

John Dewey 5

Experiential Learning

• The learner is a participant rather than a spectator in learning.

• Experiential learning occurs when carefully chosen experiences are supported by reflection, critical analysis, and synthesis.

• Learning must have present as well as future relevance for learners and the society in which they will participate.

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• The results of the learning are personal and form the basis for future experiences and learning.

• Relationships are developed: learner to self, learner to others, and learner to the world at large.

• Individuals increase their awareness of how personal values and meanings influence their perceptions of choices of action.

Experiential Learning

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Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory

• “…learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Kolb, 1984, p. 38)

• Integrating new information into existing knowledge

• Involving the whole person• Transacting between the person and the

environment

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Six Propositions of Learning

• Learning is a process, not outcome• Learning is relearning• Learners move between reflection, action,

thinking, feeling• Learning is holistic• Learning involves interactions with the

environment and the learner• Learning is constructivist – abstract and

concrete9

Four Processes of Learning

• Watching– Senses – perceiving information

• Thinking – Mind – reflecting how it impacts life

• Feeling– Emotions – fitting into learner’s experiences

• Doing– Muscle – performing new ways to act

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Four Learning StagesConcrete

Experience

Reflective Observation

AbstractConceptualization

Active Experimentation

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Concrete Experience

• Doing or having an experience

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Reflective Observation

• Reviewing or reflecting on the experience

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Abstract Conceptualization

• Concluding or learning from the experience

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Active Experimentation

• Planning or trying out what you have learned

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Activities to Support Each PhaseConcrete Experience• Labs• Observations• Field work• Trigger films• Readings• Problem sets• Examples

Reflective Observation• Logs• Journals• Discussions• Brainstorming• Thought questions• Rhetorical questions

Abstract Conceptualization• Lectures• Reports• Models• Projects• Analogies

Active Experimentation• Simulations • Case studies • Labs• Field work• Projects

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Which learning stage do you prefer or learn more effectively from?

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Four Learning Styles

Accommodator Diverger

Converger Assimilator18

Accommodator

• Learns through concrete experience• Transforms learning into abstract

experimentation• Leaders, risk takers, needs a mentor, strength

in doing, likes examples

• Teaches students by encouragement, modeling

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Diverger

• Learns through concrete experience• Transforms learning by reflective observation• Likes to brainstorm, solve problems,

imaginative, emotional, people person

• Teaches through lectures and motivates students to learn

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Converger

• Learns through abstract conceptualization• Transforms information through active

experimentation – by doing• Prefers objects, dislikes group activities, likes

questioning, problem-solver, unemotional

• Teaches by questioning and encouraging students

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Assimilator

• Learn through abstract conceptualization• Transform learning through reflective

observation• Likes reading, research, organizing, working

alone, likes class calendar

• Teaches students by lecturing, traditional classroom

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Which learning style are you?

• Accomodator

• Diverger

• Converger

• Assimilator

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Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle

• Abstract Conceptualization

• Active Experimentation

• Reflective Observation

• Concrete Experience

Accommodator Diverger

AssimilatorConverger

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Similarities

• Use of environment/experiences for learning– Constructivist Learning Theory (Vygotsky)– Behaviorist’s Theory (Skinner)

• Learn through social interactions– Social Learning Theory (Bandura)

• Affective and cognitive dimensions of learning– Humanist Theory (Freud, Rogers)

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Critique

• Cultural considerations are not included• Little research support• Stages of learning may be sequenced

differently• Does not apply in all types of learning

situations• Insufficient information on reflection• Doesn’t explore nature of knowledge in depth

– Smith, (2001).26

Do

ReflectApply

Experiential Learning Model

1EXPERIENCE

the activity;perform, do it

2SHARE

the results,reactions, and observations

publicly

3PROCESS

by discussing, locking at the experience;

analyze, reflect

4GENERALIZEto connect theexperience to

real worldexamples

5APPLY

what was learnedto a similar or

different situation;practice

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EXPERIENCE the activity; do it

• Begin with a concrete experience that:– Can be individual or group experience, but

involves doing.– Most likely will be unfamiliar to learner or first-

time activity– Pushes learning beyond previous performance

levels– May be uncomfortable to learner– Includes the risk of failure

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SHARE reactions and observations publicly

• Get participants to talk about experience• Share reactions and observations• Discuss feelings generated by the experience• Let the group (or individual) talk freely and

acknowledge ideas generated

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PROCESS by analyzing and reflecting upon what happened

• Discuss how the experience was carried out• Discuss how themes, problems, and issues are

brought out by the experience• Discuss how specific problems or issues were

addressed• Discuss personal experiences of members• Encourage the group to look for recurring themes

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GENERALIZE note what was learned and connect to real life

• Find general trends or common truths in the experience

• Identify “real life” principles that surfaced• Identify key items that were learned• List key terms that capture the learning

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Few Work Related Skills

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Few work related skills

• Action planning• Entrepreneurship• Decision making – problem solving• Negotiation• Social net working• Resource utilization• Self appraisal• Team working• Effective communication

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Action planning

• It is about learning “defining a goals and devising means to achieve that goal with in a given period of time”.

• An action plan is comprised of;– Specific tasks – what will be done and by whom?– Time horizon – when will it be done?– Resource allocation – what specific funds are available for

specific activities.

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Entrepreneurship

• The capacity and willingness to develop, organize and manage a business venture along with any of its risks in order to make a profit.

• Starting a new business to produce profits by employing– Land– Labor– Capital– Natural resources

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Decision making

• The thought process of selecting a logical choice from the available options.

• Example: Purchasing computers for an office.• Process;1. Define the problem.

2. Identify the decision criteria.

3. Allocate weights to the criteria.

4. Develop the alternatives.

5. Evaluate the alternatives.

6. Select the best alternative.

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Negotiation

• Bargaining process between two parties.• It is basically a discussion aimed at reaching an

agreement.• Generally managers are involved in

negotiation at the time of hiring an employee• Dealing with banks while obtaining loans etc.

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Social net working

• Creating a group of associates and keeping it active through regular communication for mutual benefit.

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Resource utilization

• Using in effective manner the proportion of the available resources.– Time– Materials– Humans– Etc.

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Self appraisal

• It is an act of judging oneself as compared to others.– Knowledge– Skills– Work experience

Equality results in satisfaction

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Team working

• The process of working collaboratively with a group of people in order to achieve a goal.

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Effective communication

• A two way information sharing process which involves one party sending a message that is easily understood by the receiving party.

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Experiential learning through:

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Experiential learning through:

• Work observation/job shadowing• Internship/practicum• Apprenticeship• Cooperative education• Work study plan

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• Job Shadowing– 1 day or less

– Student watches worker(s)

– Develops awareness of:• Work• Variety of jobs• Work environment

Experiential learning through:

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• Internship– Students:

• observe and participate in daily operations• develop direct contact with job personnel• ask questions about particular careers• perform certain job tasks

– Internships may be paid or unpaid. – Work experience is directly

related to the student’s career pathway.

Experiential learning through:

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• Apprenticeship– This type of program typically occurs outside of a

university setting.– It is run by a business– Incorporates both class room instructions and

hands-on learning. – The apprenticeship is a common method of

utilizing a skilled craftsman/experienced person to train a new employee.

Experiential learning through:

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• Co-Op (cooperative education)– Co-Op is a paid program for students where the

student spends time working in the field, typically for a semester or more.

– Co-ops are generally full – time and paid positions.– The work done in the field is coordinated with

classroom instructions.– Northeastern University - Boston - USA students

participate in Co-Op each year and when they graduate they have work experience in their resumes.

Experiential learning through:

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• Work study Plan– The work-study program is designed to provide

on-campus work experience for full-time students who require assistance in covering their education-related costs.

– In this model the student obtains a paid job in his/her field, but instruction is not directly supervised by the school and job duties are not necessarily tied to curriculum.

Experiential learning through:

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• Consultancy Project– A team of four to five students work as

consultants to the sponsoring company supported by a faculty advisor and industry experts.

– Stay in close liaison with company representative as well as faculty advisor

– The students usually complete this project along-with their other coursework while they are on campus, with the exception of necessary field visits & client meetings

Experiential learning through:

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• Consultancy Project– Students may help in:

• Marketing & Sales Strategy• Market Opportunity Assessment• New Product Launch & Market Entry Strategy• Revenue Optimization Strategies• Growth Strategy• Operational Efficiency/Improvement• Organizational Change Management• Financial Planning/Modeling etc.

Experiential learning through:

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• Consultancy Project– As students strengthen their consulting and

project management skills, they also learn to successfully navigate new business environments and cultures - a prerequisite for success in a globalized economy.

– Students to learn from and apply their business skills to real world situations in areas relevant to business school courses and individual career interests.

Experiential learning through:

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Benefits for students/employees

• Provides opportunities to apply classroom learning to workplace experiences.

• It increases technical skills through their application in authentic (real) tasks (tacit knowledge).

• Allows observation of work ethics of workplace professionals.

• Establishes professional contacts for future employment (socialization).

• Learning by observing and doing – Kolb’s view

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Benefits for employers/businesses

• Opportunity to address skills gap.• Enhanced corporate image.• It encourages employers to get involved in

curriculum development.• Helps in R&D by getting new ideas from fresh

thinkers.• Provides potential skilled and motivated workers.

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Benefits for universities

• It helps in expanding curriculum and learning facilities.

• Provides access to new and emerging techniques and technology.

• Makes education more relevant and valuable for students.

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