Often active experimentation comes in many forms in education. Items like kinaesthetic learning, statements like “I learn better hands on”, or watching someone solve a diagram or puzzle by just trying things.
It’s a style that I find admirable and alluring but it also causes extreme anxiety while I’m participating as a student in a group dynamics class and puzzle pieces are flying everywhere.
Active experimentation is a way for some learners to test out the ideas that were just introduced to them. Unlike the reflector or observer, they thrive in an environment where they can test out their ideas, see them succeed or fail, and if failure results they can make changes and correct their patterns about the ideas.
Kolb called learners who participated in abstract conceptualization and active experimentation, Convergers.
Often convergers ask how something works. It is as if understanding how the pieces work together allows for them to build their framework to support the new ideas being presented. If they are presented with the facts, they will take them as truth and work with them until it becomes ineffective. If it becomes ineffective, they will then work through the process and tweak small items until the process becomes effective again.
Take a look at the article titled Action Gaming Helps With Quick Decision Making
Do you think action gamers could be considered convergers? Explain your position.
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