Jarvis's Learning Process (1987)
From Adult Education
Edited by Carmen Russell Fall 2008
Contents |
Introduction
British educator and researcher, Peter Jarvis, developed a theory about the process of learning through social experiences. He has received several academic honors in Europe, The United States of America, and Japan. He is also a frequent speaker on all aspects of adult education, distance learning and lifelong learning throughout the world. He serves on editorial boards of a number of journals in the area of Adult Education. [[1]]
Jarvis's Learning Process
According to the 1987 learning process model Jarvis’ considers an experience as a learning process adults need along with a reflective action. Many adults might gain little or nothing from experiences. This can be good or bad, because the experiences turn out to be a routine for that person. Jarvis (1987) set out nine routs of responses for the potential learning situation. He categorized these routs into three levels which are described in detail below.
Level One: Non-learning
In the first three routs or choices of the nine routs no learning takes place:
1) Presumption people react through mechanical response (like saying hello) or a presumption that what has previously worked will work again.
2) Non-consideration when a person does not respond to a potential learning situation.
3) Rejection when a person consciously chose to reject the opportunity to learn.
Level Two: Non-reflective learning
The second three routs of the nine include a small amount of learning occurring for the individual:
4) Pre-conscious when having experiences in daily living that are not really thought about.
5) Practice when a person practices a new skill until it is learned. An example would be training for a particular physical skill or the acquisition of a language.
6) Memorization when acquiring presented information the learner learns the information so it can be reproduced at a later time.
Level Three: Reflective learning
The final three routs of the nine considered choices of reflective learning.
7) Contemplation when a person thinks about what is being learned.
8) Reflective practice when there is reflection prior to an action and during the action. An example would be problem solving.
9) Experiential learning when there is actual experimenting on one’s environment. It is postulated this might be the way to learn pragmatic knowledge. [[2]],[[3]]
David Kolb on experiential learning
David A. Kolb is a Professor of Organizational Behavior. He created a famous model out of four elements: concrete experience→ observation and reflection→ the formation of abstract concepts→ testing in new situations. He made it into a cycle that can start at any one of the four points and be approached as a continuous spiral. He represented these in the famous experiential learning circle. David Kolb's central theme is that learning and knowledge are intimately related. However, he does not really explore the nature of knowledge in any depth.
Jarvis (1987) set out to show that there are a number of responses to the potential learning situation. He used Kolb's model with a number of different adult groups and asked them to explore it based on their own experiences of learning. He was then able to develop a model, which allowed different routes. Jarvis's learning process pointed out different outcome levels of experiential leaning. Furthermore, Jarvis's learning process highlighted what can be classified as experiential leaning. *
Experiential learning and adult education
Peter Jarvis's learning process model offers an insight of how learning occurs and clarifies the functional component of the learning process. The model also highlighted the theory of how learning occurs which was not provided by some of the other adult learning models. For educators in the field of adult learning Peter Jarvis’s model gives a better direction for facilitating adult education learning opportunities.
Using the Jarvis theory gives us some insight into how to best accomplish learning and posits the following:
1. Adult lifelong experiences can be used as a foundation to build on learning.
2. An adult’s self-concept of independence empowers learners.
3. The development of adults’ social roles enhances their motivation to learn.
Using these concepts will help educators prepare educational materials that fit directly into adult reflective learning. Case studies and writing a paper requiring problem-solving application gives learners an opportunity to apply different learning strategies. Learners can record their experiences about reading, study habits, and attitudes in a written journal activities. These activities help students to learn about their own self-development and their own feelings of empowerment.[[4]]
Additional References
An Experiential Learning Assignment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGbefAuuccM
David A. Kolb on Experiential Learning http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn.htm
Experiential learning articles and critiques of David Kolb's theory http://www.reviewing.co.uk/research/experiential.learning.htm
Learning cycles and learning styles: Kolb's experiential learning theory its application in geography and higher education http://www2.glos.ac.uk/GDN/discuss/kolb1.htm
Peter Jarvis Staff Profile http://www.surrey.ac.uk/politics/profiles/jarvis.htm
References
Jarvis, P. (n.d). Peter Jarvis staff profile. Retrieved November 20, 2008 from http://www.surrey.ac.uk/politics/profiles/jarvis.htm.
Smith, M. (1996). David A. Kolb on experiential learning. Retrieved November 20, 2008, from http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn.htm.
- Experiential Learning Theory Bibliography: Prepared by Alice Kolb and David Kolb, this is an extensive bibliography of on experiential learning theory from 1971-2001.
