Edgar Dale's Cone of Experience

Edgar Dale Edgar Dale (1900-1985) served on

The Ohio State University faculty from 1929 until 1970.

He was an internationally renowned pioneer in the utilization of audio-visual materials in instruction.

Professor Dale's most famous concept was called the "cone of experience," a graphic depiction of the relationship between how information is presented in instruction and the outcomes for learners.

What is the Cone of Experience?

First introduced in Dale’s 1946 book, “Audio-Visual Methods in Teaching”

Designed to “show the progression of learning experiences” (Dale (1969) p. 108) from the concrete to the abstract.

Concrete vs. Abstract LearningCONCRETE LEARNING ABSTRACT LEARNING

First-hand experiences

Learner has some control over the outcome

Incorporates the use of all five senses

Difficulty when not enough previous experience or exposure to a concept

Every level of the Cone uses abstract thinking in come way

Influences on the Cone of Experience Hoban, Hoban & Zisman’s Visual Media Graph

Value of educational technology is based on their degree of realism Jerome Bruner’s Theory of Instruction

Three levels in the learning processEnactive – direct experienceIconic – representation of experienceSymbolic – words or visual symbols

The process of learning must begin in concrete experiences and move toward the abstract if mastery is to be obtained.

Intentions of the Cone of Experience

Dale (1969) wrote that May lead to a more useful way

of thinking about audio visual materials and their application in the classroom

The levels of the Cone are interactive

As one moves up the Cone there is not necessarily an increase in difficulty but rather an increase in abstract thought

Misconceptions of the Cone

All teaching/learning must move from the bottom to the top of the Cone.

One kind of experience on the Cone is more useful than another

More emphasis should be put on the bottom levels of the Cone

The upper level of the Cone is for older students while the lower levels are for younger students

LEVELS OF THECONE OF

EXPERIENCE

Enactive – direct experiences Direct, Purposeful Contrived Dramatized

Iconic – pictorial experiences Demonstrations Study trips Exhibits Educational television Motion pictures Recordings, radio, still pictures

Symbolic – highly abstract experiences Visual symbols Verbal symbols

ENACTIVE

Direct and Purposeful Experiences

Direct, first hand experiences

Have direct participation in the outcome

Use of all our senses Examples:

Working in a homeless shelter

Tutoring younger children

Contrived Experiences Models and mock-

ups “Editing of reality” Necessary when

real experience cannot be used or are too complicated

Dramatized ExperiencesReconstructed experiencesCan be used to simplify an

event or idea to its most important parts

Divided into two categoriesActing – actual participation

(more concrete)Observing – watching a

dramatization take place (more abstract)

Monticello Students engaged in a mock trial

ICONIC

ICONIC EXPERIENCES ON THE CONE Progressively moving toward greater use of

imagination Successful use in a classroom depends on how

much imaginative involvement the method can illicit from students

Involves: Demonstrations Study trips Exhibits Motion pictures Educational television Radio, recordings, and still pictures

Demonstrations• Visualized explanation of

an important fact, idea, or process

• Shows how certain things are done

• Examples:▫How to make a peanut

butter and jelly sandwich

▫How to play the piano▫How to lift a

fingerprintFlame Salt Test Demonstration- You Tube

DNA Crude Extraction

Study TripsWatch people do things

in real situationsObserve an event that

is unavailable in the classroom

Examples: Civil War Re-enactment Old World Wisconsin Class trip to Washington

D.C.

Exhibits Something seen by a

spectator Two types

Ready made○ Museum○ Career fair

Home-made○ Classroom project○ National History Day

competition

Educational Television and Motion PicturesTelevisio

nMotion Pictures

Bring immediate interaction with events from around the world

Edit an event to create clearer understanding than if experienced actual event first hand

Example:TV coverage of 9/11

Can omit unnecessary or unimportant material

Used to slow down a fast process

Viewing, seeing and hearing experience

Can re-create events with simplistic drama that even slower students can grasp

Recordings, Radio, and Still Pictures

Can often be understood by those who cannot read

Helpful to students who cannot deal with the motion or pace of a real event or television

Examples: Time Life Magazine Listening to old radio

broadcasts Listening to period music

copyservices.tamu.edu/clipart/clip09/index.html

SYMBOLIC

Very little immediate physical action Difficult only if one doesn’t have

enough direct experience to support the symbol

Used at all levels of the Cone in varying importance

Involves:• Visual symbols• Verbal symbols

VISUAL SYMBOLS No longer involves

reproducing real situations Chalkboard and overhead

projector the most widely used media

Help students see an idea, event, or process

Examples: Chalkboard Flat maps

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Verbal SymbolsTwo types

Written words – more abstract

Spoken words – less abstract

Examples:DiscussionExplanation/lecture

What does the Cone mean for instruction?

Dale (1938) taught teachers that they should help their students learn how the media effects us, and to critically evaluate it.

Teachers must evaluate the benefit of the learning vs. the amount of time required in the lesson

How to effectively use instructional media to helping students move from concrete to abstract thought

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Questions to Ponder: How do you use technology in your

instruction? Does the use of technology enhance

learning? Do today’s technology savvy students

require greater usage of technology than in the past?

How can you use technology to create learning experiences?

Conclusion:

•The Cone of Experience is a visual device to aid teachers in the selection of instructional media

•The Cone is based on the movement from concrete experiences to abstract experiences

•The literal interpretation of the Cone has resulted in misconceptions of its use

•The Cone has practical applications in classroom instruction