The Role of Experience in Learning
Experiential learning is one of the most productive ways of learning and acquiring knowledge. Through personal experience, students develop self-confidence, see more complex relationships in learning subjects, constantly have feedback on their own progress and are constantly in the circle of learning and gaining new knowledge. The paper emphasizes the role of experience in the changes that occur in an individual. Learning styles based on experience greatly influence the success of the learning process. The paper presents some of the theories that define how an individual learns when encountering new content thanks to previous experience, interests and affinities. A description of Kolb’s experiential learning theory, learning styles according to Honey and Mumford, the VARK learning model set by Fleming and Mills, as well as the criteria that experiential learning must meet in order to be efficient and purposeful.