DIRECT,

PURPOSEFUL
EXPERIENCES AND
BEYOND
The most real in Dales Cone of Experiences
Prepared by: SHEENA APULI

HOW DO WE LEARN
SPECIAL SKILLS?

COOKING

DANCING

SINGING

PLAYING BASKETBALL

LEARNING BY DOING.

EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST

TEACHER.

INDIRECT EXPERIENCES

Experiences of
other people that
we observe, read or
hear about.

vicarious

(substitute
experience, clear)

DIRECT,PURPOSEFUL
EXPERIENCES
Concrete and firsthand
experiences that make
up our foundation of
learning.
Rich experiences that
our senses bring from
which we construct the
ideas, the concepts, the
generalizations that give
meaning and order to
our lives. (Dale, 1969)

IN OTHER WORDS

Direct, purposeful
experiences are
firsthand, sensory
experiences that
serve as the
foundation of
learning.
Learning-by-doing
technique
Sensory experience
(Dale, 1969)

EXAMPLES

PREPARING MEALS

MAKING A PIECE OF
FURNITURE

PERFORMING
AN EXPERIMENT

DELIVERING A SPEECH

TAKING A TRIP

 It

was only when I went

o the Manila zoo that I
learned that a giraffe is
that tall and an elephant
is that big.
-Grade 4 pupil

DOING A POWERPOINT
PRESENTATION

My husband and children used to do

computer job for me which made me
totally dependent on them. The problem
was they were not always around to help
me with my reports, lectures notes. To
redeem myself from my helplessness, I
forced myself to learn, first by encoding,
then sending e-mail and surfing the
Internet and do PowerPoint lecture
presentation, even when no one is around
to help only after I had to do these things
myself.
- Graduate School Professor

WHY ARE THESE DIRECT EXPERIENCES

DESCRIBED TO BE PURPOSEFUL?
They are not purely
mechanical. They
involve the asking of
significant questions.
They are undergone
in relation to a
purpose.

Serves

one goal:
LEARNING

An ounce of experience
is better than a ton of
theories.
-John Dewey

IMPLICATIONS
TO THE
TEACHING-LEARNING
PROCESS

1. GIVE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN BY

DOING.

2. MAKE USE OF REAL THINGS AS INSTRUCTIONAL

MATERIALS FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN.

3. HELP THE STUDENTS DEVELOP THE FIVE SENSES TO THE

FULL TO HEIGHTEN THEIR SENSITIVITY TO THE WORLD.

4. GUIDE STUDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN DRAW

MEANING FROM THEIR FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCES.

MAKING THE
CONNECTION

How much you learn

6%

3% 3%

13%

75%

Sight
Hearing
Touch
Taste
Smell

QUESTION:

THINK OF A SKILL YOU

HAVE. HOW DID YOU
ACQUIRE IT?