Using the experiential learning cycle in clinical instruction

The experiential learning cycle is a model that clinical instructors can use to help students process their experiences in the clinical setting, as well as in the classroom. As a facilitator, the clinical instructor guides the process so that students formulate the correct learning schemas for a particular task or skill by themselves. This shifts the learning environment from teacher-centered to student-centered and leads students to take responsibility for their learning. The concepts of learning over time (see the Konin and Amato article in this issue) and experiential learning complement each other well and can be synthesized in activities that allow students to test learning schemas that integrate classroom knowledge and multiple clinical skills in practical situations.