Theories and Principles in the use and Design of Technology Driven Lesson

All teachers are required to make an  effective lesson plan to ensure the achievement of learning outcomes. With this it will engage learners to perform expected standards that would enhance their knowledge and skills. So in designing a lesson with the integration of technology, it is crucial to observe a framework that can act as a guide in its formulation.One framework is the ASSURE model.

    Dale‘s Cone of Experience

 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. Dale's Cone of Experience is a visual model that is composed of eleven (11) stages starting from concrete experiences at the bottom of the cone then it becomes more and more abstract as it reach the peak of the cone.

Here is an illustration of Dale's Cone of Experience:

How Can Instructors Use the Cone of Experience? 

According to Dale’s research, the least effective method at the top, involves learning from information presented through verbal symbols, i.e., listening to spoken words. The most effective methods at the bottom, involves direct, purposeful learning experiences, such as hands-on or field experience. Direct purposeful experiences represents reality or the closet things to real, everyday life. The cone charts the average retention rate for various methods of teaching. The further you progress down the cone, the greater the learning and the more information is likely to be retained. It also suggests that when choosing an instructional method it is important to remember that involving students in the process strengthens knowledge retention. 

It reveals that “action-learning” techniques result in up to 90% retention. People learn best when they use perceptual learning styles. Perceptual learning styles are sensory based. The more sensory channels possible in interacting with a resource, the better chance that many students can learn from it. According to Dale, instructors should design instructional activities that build upon more real-life experiences.

 

 The Cone of Experience corresponds with three major modes of learning

Inactive or direct experience involves practising with objects (the student actually ties a knot to learn knot-tying). This kind of experience involves concrete, immediate action and use of the senses and body.
Iconic experience involves interpreting images and drawings (the student looks at drawings, pictures or films to learn to tie knots). Such experiences are once removed from the physical realm and limited to two or three senses.
Symbolic experience involves reading or hearing symbols (the student reads or hears the word “tie” and forms an image in the mind). Usually, in such experiences, the action is indifferent and the experience is limited to thoughts and ideas.

Experiences – Categories and Levels

First Category human being encounter is that of symbolic learning, this includes verbal and visual symbols. This level of experience involves; reading, hearing and seeing the information.

These are the most abstract and complex levels where the learner is more passive. Usually, the visual symbolic level involves charts, maps, graphs, and diagrams for abstract representations. On the contrary, the verbal symbolic level does not involve visual demonstration or any traces to their meanings. Mostly, the things involved in this level are words, ideas, principles, formula, and the likes.

The Second Category focuses on observing, activities such as seeing pictures and hearing recordings known as, iconic.

Expanding upon the components in further detail, level of television, motion pictures and still pictures are counted in. This is considered as part of Edtech, as televisions and motion pictures entail the values through media. Besides, other hands, still pictures, recordings, and radio are visual and auditory devices that can be used by a learner/group of learners that could enhance and extend the learning experience.

All the remaining levels are part of the Third and most concrete category of this model. This is known as encative or direct experiences as it deals with immediate actions. The exhibits followed by the study/field trips are the levels that extend the understanding of experiences through trips or visits that are not just restricted to classrooms but dragged in a more complex nature. Actually if looked upon in detail, exhibits are experiences that are “for your eyes” only. But some exhibits include sensory involvements which could be related to direct purposeful experiences. In this level, meanings ideas are presented to the learners in a more abstract manner. This creates a perspective for students to understand the meaning and relevance of things based on the variety of pictures and presentations.