ABSTRACT

A review of modern perspectives on learning would not be complete without some mention of the increasing awareness that we now have of the importance of experiential learning and its relationship in developing not only domain skills within the learner but also an understanding of new applications for such domain skills. Although experiential learning was first proposed by David Kolb in his 1984 paper titled Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development, the principles outlined in this work can be traced back to the concept of the craft apprenticeships in the Middle Ages. Kolb also referred to an old aphorism accredited to Confucius around 450 B.C.: “Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand.” This chapter discusses experiential learning in a modern perspective and provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the concepts associated with these ideas and the likely future directions for applying experiential leaning within the context of technology-enhanced lifetime learning.