CHAPTER 5: THE CONE OF EXPERIENCE

The cone of experience is a visual model that is composed of experiences which are arranged according to the degree of abstraction and the number of senses involved rather than the degree of difficulty. The bottom of the cone is composed of concrete and active experiences, and the further you go away from the bottom of the cone the more abstract it becomes. It also becomes passive.

There are 10 stages in the cone of experience, these are:

Direct purposeful experiences- this is the bottommost of the cone and the most concrete. These are firsthand experiences which serves as the foundation of our learning. This level is also called firsthand sensory experiences since many senses are involved or used in order to build up the knowledge. It engages the learners to hands-on experiences.

Contrives experiences- in here, representative models or mock-ups of reality are used in order to provide experience that as close as reality. This experience is for practical reasons and makes the real life accessible to the students’ perception and understanding.

Dramatized experiences- the learner participate in reconstructed experience that could give them better understanding of the event r concept. They immerse themselves to “as if” situations.

Demonstrations- a visualized explanation of an important fact, idea or process through the use of photographs, drawings, films, displays or guided motions. In this level, things are shown based on how they are done.

Exhibits- these are displays to be seen by spectators. Exhibits are combination of mock-ups and models. It is “for your eyes” only experience.

Television and motion pictures- can reconstruct the reality of the past so effectively that we are made to feel we are there. It implies values and messages though televisions and films.

Still pictures, recordings, radio- visual and auditory devices that can be used by an individual or group that could enhance and extend learning experience.

Visual symbols- charts, maps, graphs, and diagrams are used for abstract representation.

Verbal symbols- things involved in this level are words, ideas, principles, formulas, and the likes.