Lesson 8

 Teaching with Contrived Experience

Contrived Experiences- these are edited" copies of reality and are used as to simulate to real-life when it is not practical or do the real thing in the classroom. These are designed situation. 

The model of the atom, the globe, the planetarium, the simulated election process and the preserved specimen fall under contrived experiences, the second band of experiences in Dale's Cone of Experience.

Examples: 

1. Model is a reproduction of a real thing in a small scale, or large scale or exact size. It is a substitute for a real thing which may or may not be operational.

2. Mock-up is an arrangement real device or associated devices, displayed in such a way that representation of reality is created. The mock-up may be simplified in order to emphasize certain features.

3. Specimen is any individual or item considered typical of a group, class or whole.

4. Objects may also include artifacts displayed in a museum or objects displayed in exhibits or preserved insect's specimen in science. 

5. Simulation is a representation of manageable real event in which the learner is active participants engage in learning a behavior in or in applying previously acquired skills or knowledge. 

6. Games played to win

Are used of any of these purposes:

• To practice and/or to refine knowledge/skills already acquire
• To identify gaps or weaknesses in knowledge or skills
• To serve as a summation or review
• To develop new relationships among concepts and principles.

Why do we make use of contrived experiences?

       We use models, mock-ups, specimen and objects to:

• Overcome limitation of space and time.
• To edit "reality” for us to be able to focus on parts or a process of a system that we intend to study.
• To overcome difficulties of size.
• To understand the inaccessible, and Help the learners understand abstractions.