Curriculum components
From the action learning model it becomes reasonable to understand curriculum as
- Bodies of knowledge to which access might be achieved
- The processes of reflection and insight
- Personal and shared activity and experience
As a basis for learning
This tripartite understanding of the curriculum provides a basis for
-
rich experiential learning
-
tempered by access to existing knowledge and
-
mediated by teachers and other learners
Learning from action and experience
This could lead to utilisation of the experiential learning
cycle. Consider the following simple learning cycle. It appears to capture the main features of experiential learning, action research, and action learning.
At its simplest, it consists of two stages: action and
reflection in an ongoing series of cycles.
However, the reflection gains its point by leading to learning, which in turn leads to changed behaviour in the future:
action --> reflection --> action
We can therefore expand the reflection component. We want to take into account that it is partly a critical review of the last action. It is also, partly, planning for what will happen next.
