I have always been an advocate of experiential learning, for me, the notion of sitting in a classroom being spoken at is anathema, especially for the active mind that invariably struggles to maintain attention.
However, in the modern day, the active, creative or free thinking mind, mainstream education is a poison chalice, that can hinder their learning, instead of enhancing it. Any child who does not fit in to the ‘Robot behaviour’ that is the norm, is so easily diagnosed as ADHD and then pumped with Ritalin, which is criminal. Now, with the move to ‘Academies’ education is becoming the servant of the corporations, inhibiting free thinking and focusing on creating ‘worker Ants’ for the future.
I came across this man a few years ago, and I was really impressed by his experiment, but not surprised by the results. On a personal level, I was one of the children who could not maintain attention at school, I could not focus, I lost interest and was easily distracted or bored. It was not until years later, when I went to University as a mature student that I realised it was not me, it was in fact the teaching methods in schools.
After completing my business studies, I was privileged to have been offered a place on a pioneering ‘Action Learning Master’s Degree, this was based on discussion, experiential learning, and interaction. This was the most progressive education period I have ever experienced and it confirmed my thoughts on learning styles.
Read more about my thoughts on interactive/action learning HERE: