The Do & Reflect Experiential Learning Model
We all have experiences every day, but do we always learn from them? If you have ever found yourself in the same sticky situation more than once, then you understand that experience alone is not always enough. We keep being given the same lessons in life until we learn from them.
The “Do-and-Reflect” model of learning asks learners to look back at an experience and reflect on the lessons it contained. These reflections may take the form of private journal entries or they may involve public discussion. From a trainer’s point of view, the key is to facilitate quality reflection and discussion.
The “Do-and-Reflect” model is a cycle, not a one-way process. Learners are encouraged to feed their reflections back into future actions. In this way, lessons learned from past experiences lead to refined ways of working in the future.
“To keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result is insane”
—Albert Einstein
Learners can also step into the process at the reflection (rather than the doing) stage. When they find themselves having to make a tough decision, they can draw on similar situations they have faced before and the lessons that have already learned about what does and doesn’t work in those situations.
