Direct experiences are firsthand experiences that serve as the foundation of learning.

The opposite of direct experiences are indirect experiences or vicarious experiences.

Direct experiences lead us to concept formation and abstraction. We should not end
our lessons k owing only the concrete. We go beyond concrete by reaching the level of
abstract concepts.
A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes
used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out
for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or
ideological elements.

An experiment is a procedure carried out to support, refute, or validate a hypothesis.

Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome
occurs when a particular factor is manipulated. Experiments vary greatly in goal and
scale, but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results. There
also exists natural experimental studies.

Contrived Experiences

•      These are the edited copies of reality and are used as substitutes for real things when
it is not practical or possible to bring or do the real thing in the classroom.

•      Designed to stimulate real life situations

Examples of Contrived Experiences:

•      Model- A reproduction of a real thing in a small scale, or a large scale or exact size-
but made of synthetic materials. It is a substitute for a real thing which may or may not
operational –Brown, et. al, 1969

•      Mock up- An arrangement of a real device or associated devices, displayed in such
way that representation of reality is created.

•      A special model where the parts of a model are singled out, heightened and magnified
in order to focus on that part or process under study.

Example:

Planetarium
Specimen- Any individual or item considered typically of a group, class, or whole.

Object- May also include artifacts displayed in a museum or objective displayed in

exhibits or preserved insect specimens in science.

Simulation- A representation of a manageable real event in which the learner is an

active participant engage in learning a behavior or in applying previously acquired skills
or knowledge

-Orlich et. al, 1994

Another instructional material included in contrived experiences is GAME.

Games are used in any of these purposes:

To practice and/or to refine knowledge/skills already acquired

To identify gaps and weaknesses in knowledge or skills

To serve as a summation or review

To develop new relationships among concepts and principles

Why do we make use of contrived experiences?

1. Overcome limitations of space and time

2. To edit reality for us to be able to focus on parts or process of a system that we
intend to study.
3. To overcome difficulties of size
4. To understand the inaccessible
5. Help the learners understand abstraction

Ten general purposes of simulations and games

1. to develop changes in attitudes

2. to change specific behaviors
3. to prepare participants for assuming new roles in the future
4. to help individuals understand their current roles
5. to increase the students’ ability to apply principles
6. to reduce complex problems or situations to manageable elements
7. to illustrate roles that may affect one’s life but that one may never assume
8. to motivate learners
9. to develop analytical processes
10. to sensitize individuals to another person’s life role.

Source: https://dctedtech1sy2016.blogspot.com/2016/08/lesson-8-contrived-
experiences.html

  I have learned that contrived experiences are the edited version of direct experiences
which are use to substitute for the real thing when it is not practical or not possible to
bring in the classroom.

The contrived experiences varied in different types:

 Model  -  reproduction of real thing in a small scale,or large scale,or exact size
but made of synthetic materials
 Mock up - an arrangement of real device or associated devises displayed in such
a way that representation of reality is created.
 Specimen- any individual or item considered of a group, class or whole
 Objects- may also include artifacts displayed in a museum or objects displayed in
exhibits
 Simulation-  a representation of a manageable real event in which the learner is
an active participant engaged in learning a behavior or in applying previous skills or
knowledge.
Contrived experience is use to overcome limitations of space and time to edit reality to
focus on parts or a process of a system that intent to study, to overcome difficulties of
size, to understand the inaccessible and help the learners understand abstraction. The
teacher use simulations and games to make their class interactive and to develop the
decision-making skills and knowledge construction skills of their  students

Source: https://melancolicobeatriz76.blogspot.com/2010/12/teaching-with-contrived-
experiences.html