EDGAR DALE’S

CONE OF
EXPERIENCE

DESCRIPTION
Dale’s Cone of Experience is a
model that incorporates several
theories related to instructional
design and learning processes.
During the 1960s, Edgar Dale
theorized that learners retain
more information by what they
“do” as opposed to what is
“heard”, “read” or “observed”.
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His research led to the
development of the Cone of
Experience. Today, this
“learning by doing” has
become known as
“experiential learning” or
“action learning”. The cone is
diagramed and explained in
the next sections.
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I am Edgar Dale
I was an American educator who developed the Cone of Experience, also
known as the Learning Pyramid. He made several contributions to audio and
visual instruction, including a methodology for analyzing the content of
motion pictures.
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The Cone of Learning

How Can Instructors Use the Cone 5

of Experience?
It reveals that “action-learning”
techniques result in up to 90%
According to Dale’s research, the
retention. People learn best when
least effective method at the top,
they use perceptual learning styles.
involves learning from information
Perceptual learning styles are sensory
presented through verbal symbols,
based. The more sensory channels
i.e., listening to spoken words. The
possible in interacting with a
most effective methods at the bottom,
resource, the better chance that many
involves direct, purposeful learning
students can learn from it. According
experiences, such as hands-on or
to Dale, instructors should design
field experience. Direct purposeful
instructional activities that build
experiences represents reality or the
upon more real-life experiences.
closet things to real, everyday life.

Principles on the Cone of Experience
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The cone is based on the
relationships of various
educational experiences
to reality (real life), and
the bottom level of the
cone, “direct purposeful
experiences,” represents
reality or the closest
things to real, everyday
life.
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2
The opportunity for 3
The more sensory
the learner to use a channels possible in
variety or several interacting with a
senses. (sight , resource, the better
smell, hearing, the chance that
touching and many students can
movement) is learn from it.
considered in the
cone.
 Each level of the cone above its based moves
learner a step further away from real life
experiences, so experiences focusing only on the
use of verbal symbols are the furthest removed
from real life.

 Motion pictures and also televisions is where it is on

the cone because it is an observational experience
with little or no opportunity to participate or use
senses other than seeing and hearing.
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 Contrived experiences are ones that are highly

participatory and simulate real life situations or
activities.
 Dramatized experiences are defined as
experiences in which the learner acts out a role or
activity.
 Direct experience allows us to use all senses.
 Verbal symbols involved only hearing.

VERBAL SYMBOLS
➜ Principal medium of
communication.
➜ Bear no physical resemblance to the
objects or ideas for which they stand
➜ May be a word for concretion, idea,
scientific principle, formula or
philosophic aphorism
➜ DISADVANTAGE: highly abstract.
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VISUAL SYMBOLS
➜ Chalkboard/whiteboard, flat maps,
diagrams, charts.
➜ Fits the tempo of presentation of
idea, topic or situation.
➜ Very easy to procure and prepare.
➜ Limitations: lack of ability to use
the media size of visuals
simplification of visual materials
leads to misconceptions.
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TELEVISION & MOTION

PICTURES
RECORDINGS, RADIO, STILL ➜ A solution to time and space
PICTURES constraints.
➜ Provides “windows to the world.”
➜ Attention – getting, particularly
➜ Effective for presenting movement,
projected views.
continuity of ideas or events.
➜ Substitute for dangerous direct
➜ Concretize verbal abstraction.
learning experiences.
➜ Limitations:
➜ Limitations: size of pictures or
i. Expensive
illustrations expensiveness of
ii. Viewing problems
projected materials and equipment
iii. Timing with classroom lessons.
timing difficulties between radio iv. Misconceptions about time, size,
shows and classroom lessons. and ideas.
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EXHIBITS DEMONSTRATIONS FIELD TRIPS
➜ Visualized explanation ➜ Undertaken primarily
➜ Present objects or
of an important fact or for the purpose of
processes otherwise experiencing something
idea or process.
impossible inside ➜ May require nothing that cannot be
the classroom. more than observation
encountered within the
➜ Exposure to new classroom.
or students may be
➜ A rich experience in
ideas, discoveries, asked to do what has
learning about objects,
inventions. just been shown how to systems, and situations.
➜ Problems that may do. ➜ Disadvantages: time-
➜ Disadvantages: ideas or consuming expensive
be encountered: too
processes might not be high exposure to danger
little space time –
interpreted or /accidents inadequacy
consuming conceived very well of the community’s
maintenance. visibility to all resources.
learners.
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DRAMATIZED EXPERIENCES
➜ Help get closer to certain realities that are no
longer available at first hand.
➜ Stirring and attention getter.
➜ Participant learns to understand intimately the
character he portrays.
➜ Teaches cooperative work.
➜ Disadvantages: time consuming without
commensurate results participation is limited to
few individuals.
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Contrived Experiences
➜ An “editing” of reality.
➜ Substitutes for confusing or unmanageable first –
hand experiences.
➜ Easier to handle, manipulate or operate.
➜ Disadvantages: simplification leads to
misconceptions, distorted views, and incomplete
pictures of reality no freedom to handle
expensive or fragile models, mock – ups,
specimens, etc.
 Direct, Purposeful
Experiences
 Unabridged version of life itself.
 Direct participation with responsibility for
the outcome.
 The basis for the most effective and lasting
learning.
 Disadvantage: not all things can be learned
through direct, first hand experiencing.
 The Cone of Experience purpose is to inform 15
YOU ARE ABLE TO: readers of how many people remember based
on how they encounter the information.
DEFINE
LIST
The cone of learning may not be reliable, but
DESCRIBE that doesn't mean that memory researchers
EXPLAIN have nothing to offer educators.
1 ANALYZE
DEFINE
CREATE
EVALUATE

DEMONSTRATE
APPLY
PRACTICE
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Thanks!
Karen Marie V. dela Pasion
BSED-MATH III