Experiential learning is an immersive and engaging learning process that focuses on experiences and personal self-reflection. It is where application of theoretical knowledge and concepts towards real-life situations are done through doing, experimenting, interacting and exploring. 

The experiential learning cycle, namely concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimenting, can be fulfilled in a learner’s educational journey through the approach of educational technology (the use of technology to facilitate learning).

As the first component of the experiential learning cycle, concrete experiences involves the daily experiences across a variety of settings and environment. These experiences may be either novel or familiar, but regardless, it presents a learning opportunity for the learners themselves and their team members to reflect and improve, to undergo personal growth and development. 

Reaching the second component of the experiential learning cycle, reflective observation centers on sight. After concrete experiences are gained, naturally, the next step is reflection, which is often colored by previous beliefs and preconceived notions. This places critical thinking and careful reflection as vital tools because it is only with an objective viewpoint and an open mind that one can adjust their perspective to better face future challenges.

Abstract conceptualization, which is the third component of the experiential learning cycle, takes on a different focus. It is pure thinking at its essence, drawing insights and valuable lessons based from the foundations of prior experiences. It goes beyond self-reflection, developing personal observations into a theoretical approach or new life perspective. To maximize learning potential and personal development, learners must undeniably experience abstract conceptualization.

Lastly, the fourth component of the experiential learning cycle is active experimenting. From the previous step, the new theoretical approach or perspective is to be tested actively. This is certainly similar to conducting a scientific experiment, first starting off with a hypothesis (in this case, the one developed from abstract conceptualization), and then testing its validity through a structured experiment. The end result from this process is to reevaluate, revise and refine these abstract theories such that it becomes immaculate and well-grounded.

MonsoonSIM facilitates all these components of the experiential learning cycle perfectly, presenting abundant learning opportunities for students as they run their “virtual business” in an immersive, hands-on learning environment. Encapsulating thousands of business concepts into one comprehensive business simulation, learners can uncover the way thirteen interconnected business departments rely and work with one another to run the business smoothly. More importantly, learners can extract invaluable insights and sharpen their entrepreneurial mindset from the business simulation platform through the experiential learning cycle.  

MonsoonSIM’s business simulation and gamification education platform is the quintessential educational technology to enrich education, with a unique horizontal experiential learning model that successfully integrates multi-disciplinary pedagogy and experience-based learning into any and every classroom around the world!