The Cone Of Experience

What is Dale's Cone of Experience?

•  The Cone of Experience is a pictorial device use to explain the interrelationships of various types of  audio-visual media, as well as their individual "positions" in the learning process.
• The cone's utility in selecting instructional resources and activities is a practical today when Dales created it.

Principle on the Cone Experience



• The Cone is based on the relationships of various educational experiences to reality  and the bottom level of the cone, "direct purposeful experiences" represents reality or the closest things to real, everyday life.
• The opportunity for a learner to use a variety or several senses (sight, smell, hearing, touching movement) is considered in the cone.
• Direct Experiences allows us to use all senses.
• Verbal symbols involve only hearing.
• The more sensory channels possible in interacting with a resource, the better the chance that many students can learn from it.
• Each level of cone above its base move a learner a step further away from real life experiences, so experiences focusing only on the use of verbal symbols are the furthest removed from real life.
• Motion pictures (also television) is where it is on the cone because it is an observational experience with a little or no opportunity to participate or use senses other than seeing and hearing.
• Contrived experiences are ones that are highly participatory and stimulate real life situations or activities.
• Dramatized experiences are defined as experiences in which learner acts out a role or activity.

Verbal Symbols

►  Principle medium of  communication.
►  Bear no physical resemblance to the objects or ideas for which they stand.
►  May be a word for concretion , idea, scientific principle, formula or philosophic aphorism.
►  Disadvantage: highly abstract 

 

Visual Symbols

• ►  chalkboard/whiteboard, flat maps, diagrams, charts

►  fits the tempo of presentation of idea, topics or situation

►  very easy to procure and prepare

►  Limitations:  Lack of ability to use the media size of visuals simplification of visual materials leads to misconceptions. 

Recordings, Radio, Still Pictures

► attention-getting, particularly projected views.

► concretize verbal abstraction

► Limitations:  size of pictures or illustrations expensiveness of projected materials and equipment timing difficulties between radio shows and classroom lessons.

 

Television and Motion Pictures

 

 ►  a solution to time and space constraints

 ►  provides " windows to the world "

 ► effective for presenting movement continuity of ideas or      events.

►  substitute for dangerous direct learning experiences

►  Limitations:    

                ☻ expensive

                ☻ viewing problem

                ☻ timing with classroom lessons

                ☻ misconceptions about time, size and ideas



 Exhibits

►  present objects or processes otherwise impossible inside the classroom.

► Problem that may encountered:

                      ☻ too little space

                      ☻ time-consuming

                      ☻ maintenance

Demonstrations

►  visualized explanation of an important of fact or idea or process.

► may require nothing more than observation or students may be asked to do what has just been shown how to do.

►  Disadvantages: ideas or processes might not be interpreted or conceived very well visibility to all learners.

Fieldtrips

►  undertaken primarily for the purpose of  experiencing something that cannot be encountered within the classroom.

►  a rich experience in learning about objects, systems, and situations.

►  Disadvantages:

        ☻ time consuming

        ☻ expensive

        ☻ high exposure to danger/accidents

        ☻  inadequacy of the community's resources 

 

Dramatized Experiences

►  help get closer to certain realities that are no longer available at the first hand.

►  stirring and attention getting.

►  participant learns to understand intimately the character he portrays.

► teaches cooperative work.

►  Disadvantages:

     ☻ time consuming without commensurate

     ☻ results to participation is limited to few individuals.

Contrived Experiences

►  an "editing" of reality.

►  substitutes for confusing or unmanageable first- hand experiences.

►  easier to handle, manipulate or operate

► Disadvantages: 

     ☻ simplification leads misconceptions

     ☻ distorted views

     ☻ incomplete pictures of reality

     ☻ no freedom to handle

     ☻ expensive or fragile models, mock up, specimens, etc.

 Direct, Purposeful Experiences

► unabridged version of life itself.

► direct participation with responsibility for the outcome.

►  the basis for the most effective and lasting learning.

► Disadvantages:

          ☻ not all things can be learned through direct, first hand experiencing.