ASSIGNMENT
TOPIC
: Dale`s cone of experience
Submitted By SubmittedTO,
Sruthi suresh Prof. Mumthas S.
English
optional Asst.Prof in Education
Peet
Memorial Training College
Mavelikara
Dale’s
Cone of Experience is a model that incorporates several theories related to
instructional design and learning processes. During the 1960s, Edgar Dale
theorized that learners retain more information by what they “do” as opposed to
what is “heard”, “read” or “observed”. His research led to the development of
the Cone of Experience. Today, this “learning by doing” has become known as
“experiential learning” or “action learning”. The cone is diagramed and
explained in the next sections. During the 1960s,
Edgar Dale theorized that learners retain more information by what they “do” as
opposed to what is “heard”, “read” or “observed”. His research led to the
development of the Cone of Experience.
The Cone was
originally developed in 1946 and was intended as a way to describe various
learning experiences. Essentially, the Cone shows the progression of
experiences from the most concrete (at the bottom of the cone) to the most
abstract (at the top of the cone).When Dale researched learning and teaching
methods he found that much of what we found to be true of direct and indirect
(and of concrete and abstract) experience could be summarised in a pyramid or
‘pictorial device’. He stated that the cone was not offered as a perfect or
mechanically flawless picture to be taken absolutely literally. It was merely
designed as a visual aid to help explain the interrelationships of the various
types of audio-visual materials, as well as their individual ‘positions’ in the
learning process.
It
is important to note that Dale never intended the Cone to depict a value
judgment of experiences; in other words, his argument was not that more
concrete experiences were better than more abstract ones. Dale believed that
any and all of the approaches could and should be used, depending on the needs
of the learner.
Looking
at Dale’s cone of Experience, one can realize that there can be numbers of
model that can be used by the teacher to reach the learner depending on the
learners need. From the top, the models are in their abstract nature although
not useless; teachers bring the world to the learner by the use of what they
read, hear, view among others. Considering effective teaching in the eyes of
what Hughes and Adamson said earlier in this discourse, “the only true
education is self education” where the learner is allowed to discover knowledge
for themselves with some guide. Self expression propels effective teaching
however the models from the top of Dale’s cone of Experience do not allow that.
Dale’s
cone of Experience provides teaching and learning models that allows teachers
to understand how to increase the retention rate of learners by involving the
learner. This means that while the learner participate and get involved in the
learning process by expression, they awaken the sensory organs. This cone of
Experience goes hand in hand with Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences
which says that you can’t reach learners with a style of learning but several.
The several styles therefore helps awaken the sensory organs of each learner
and helps him or her achieve self education.
This
further explains the necessity of education through art. When children are
taught by the use of art, they are allowed to express themselves and awaken the
sensory organs. With art, most complex theories can be understood by learners
since they are involved with the process. Teachers must therefore understand
Dale’s cone of experience in order to increase retention and understanding since
this means effective teaching.
