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Valuing experience in a baccalaureate social work class on human behavior
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Valuing experience in a baccalaureate social work class on human behavior

Trevor G Gates
Journal of Practice Teaching and Learning, Vol.31(1), pp.76-85
2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1921/jpts.v13i1.810
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https://doi.org/10.1921/jpts.v13i1.810View
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Abstract

Social Work social work education experiential learning theory human behavior
ocial problems are best understood through active engagement in the community, experiences that bring to light the social problems at hand. Social work education lends itself especially to practical application and experience, as addressing social welfare problems can never be entirely theoretical. Experiential education offers social work students such an opportunity, and the social work field experience offers social work students an opportunity for applied learning. Kolb's theory of experiential adult learning, which argues that adults learn through concrete experiences, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation, provides a useful framework for understanding the importance of experiential learning in social work education. In this paper, I discuss Kolb's contribution to adult learning theory, particularly how his theory built upon previous conceptual frameworks for understanding the adult learner. I also apply Kolb's theory to my own learning and social work education practice. Finally, I reflect upon how my own learning experiences inform my understanding of Kolb's experiential learning theory and my current perspective as a social work educator in a baccalaureate social work human behavior class in the United States.

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