THE CONE OF EXPERIENCE
The cone of experience is a pictorial device used to explain the
interrelationships of the 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 as when dale created it. nd
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. Also, according to Dale, the arrangement in the
cone is not based on its difficulty but rather based on abstraction and on the
number of senses involved. The experiences in each stages can be mixed and are
interrelated that fosters more meaningful learning.
According to one of the
principles in the selection and use of teaching strategies, the more senses
that are involved in learning, the more and the better the learning will be but
it does not mean that concrete experience is the only effective experience that
educators should use in transferring knowledge to the learner. Like what was
mentioned above, the experiences in each stages can be mixed and are
interrelated thus, a balance must be achieved between concrete and abstract
experiences in order to cater the and address all the need of the learner in
all the domains of development and in order to help each learner in their
holistic development.
Moreover, the generalization about the Cone of Experience that was presented
above is not enough. Actually, we should try to go deeper in each of the
component of the cone since Educational Technology basically revolves around
the Cone of Experience. By going one-by-one, starting from concrete to
abstract, we will understand more the different components of the cone that
will help us in grasping the real meaning of educational technology.
To expand on each of the components, let us begin with the Direct Purposeful
Experiences. These are first hand experiences which serve as the foundation of
learning. In this level, more senses are used in order to build up the
knowledge. Also, in this level, the learner learned by doing things by
him/herself. Learning happens through actual hands-on experiences. This level
explains and proves one of the principles in the selection and use of teaching
strategies, the more senses that are involved in learning, the more and the
better the learning will be. This level also proves that educational technology
is not limited to the modern gadgets and software that are commercially
available nowadays. This shows that even the simple opportunity that you give
to each child could help them learn.
The next level would be the Contrived Experiences. In this level,
representative models and mock-ups of reality are being used in order to
provide an experience that as close as reality. This level is very
practical and it makes learning experience more accessible to the learner. In
this stage, it provides more concrete experiences, even if not as concrete as
direct experiences, that allows visualization that fosters better understanding
of the concept.

On the other hand, the next level would be the Dramatized experiences. In this
level, learners can participate in a reconstructed experiences that could give
them better understanding of the event or of a concept. Through dramatized
experiences, learners become more familiar with the concept as they emerge
themselves to the “as-if” situation.
The next level would be the Demonstrations. It is a visualize explanation of
important fact, idea, or process through the use of pictures, drawings, film
and other types of media in order to facilitate clear and effective learning.
In this level, things are shown based on how they are done.
Another level would be the Study Trips. This level extends the learning
experience through excursions and visits on the different places that are not
available inside the classroom. Through this level, the learning experience
will not be limited to the classroom setting but rather extended in a more
complex environment.
The level of study trips is followed by exhibits. It is a somewhat a
combination of some of the first levels in the cone. Actually, exhibits are
combination of several mock ups and models. Most of the time, exhibits are
experiences that is “for your eyes” only but some exhibits includes sensory
experiences which could be related to direct purposeful experiences. In this
level, meanings ideas ar presented to the learners in a more
abstract manner. This experience allows student to see the meaning and
relevance of things based on the different pictures and representations
presented.
The next levels would be the level of television and motion pictures and still
pictures, recordings, and Radio. I decided to combine these two stages since it
is related to one another. Because of the rapid development of the modern
technology, a lot of people believe that Educational technology is limited to
these stages. They are not aware that these sages are only a small portion of
Ed Tech. For television and motion pictures, it implies values and messages
through television and films. On the other hand, still pictures, recordings and
radio are visual and auditory devices that can be used by a Lerner/group of
learner that could enhance and extend learning experience
Lastly, I also chose to combine the last two levels because they are used
hand-in-hand. The last two levels would be the Visual symbolic and Verbal
symbolic. These two levels are the most complex and abstract among all the
components of the Cone of Experience. In the visual symbolic level, charts,
maps, graphs, and diagrams are used for abstract representations. On the other
hand, the verbal symbolic level does not involve visual representation or clues
to their meanings. Mostly, the things involved in this level are words, ideas,
principles, formula, and the likes.
After going through the different components of the Cone of Experience, it
could be said that in facilitating learning, we can use variety of materials
and medium in order to maximize the learning experience. One medium is not
enough thus if we can take take advantage of the other media. There’s nothing
wrong with trying to combine several medium for as long as it could benefit the
learners. Also, through the levels provided by the Cone of Experience, it could
be said that concrete experiences must be provided first in order to support
abstract learning. Lastly, staying on the concrete experiences is not
even ideal because through providing abstract experiences to the learner, the
more he/she will develop his/her higher order thinking skills which is
important for more complex way of thinking and for dealing with more complex
life situations. Through understanding each component of the Cone of
Experience, it could be said that Educational Technology is not limited to the
modern gadgets that we have right now but rather it is a broad concept that
includes all the media that we can use to attain balance as we facilitate
effective and meaningful learning.