Sequencing a progression of activities can be an important part of assuring the greatest learning—or changing—opportunity possible. Stanchfield wrote that sequencing is “the careful ordering of group activities based on the group’s needs, goals and setting” (p. 34). From this perspective, thoughtful sequencing of activities is important because it will help “maximize learning opportunities and the emotional and physical safety of the group” (Stanchfield, p. 34).
To help assure this happens, ordering activities in a logical order is clearly important. For example, if I were facilitating a short session on a ropes course, I would most likely start with an icebreaker or warm-up activity to help focus the group’s energy and establish a collective environment. Following this warm-up activity, I'd lead a more challenging activity, such as a problem solving initiative. Only after the successful completion of these “easier” activities would the group move to the ropes course’s built elements.
Until reading Zull and now Stanchfield, I’ve never thought much about sequencing activities. The above ordering of activities is just how you do it—start small and get bigger. That seemed so obvious to me that there was no reason to think about it. This sequencing helps assure good group dynamics and safety in the progressively challenging activities. It also provides the facilitator the opportunity to continuously assess the group’s functioning level as the challenge level increases. Finally, careful sequencing of activities helps assure the group’s success.
Progress Toward a Goal
However, another value in the careful sequencing of activities is creating a sense of movement. Zull wrote, “Pleasure in learning… comes from the perception of progress toward a goal” (p. 234). It seems to me that careful sequencing of activities can help reinforce this progress.
If a series of activities were all of an equal level of challenge, there would be no forward movement. If a series of activities progressed in a manner that didn’t seem intentional, any movement that did happen would seem confused and unconvincing. If, however, the day starts by playing Elbow Tag, undoubtedly includes a setback or two along the way, and ultimately ends with our hero dangling on a zip-line, the progress is undeniable. The progress is a story.
Like a story, effective sequencing has a beginning, middle and end. And, it seems to me that effective sequencing creates a sort of story from the experience. Stories are essential to learning, involving all areas of the brain, allowing us to “package events and knowledge in complex neuronal nets, any part of which can trigger the others” (Zull, p. 228). Remember the setback and you'll remember the whole story.
Beyond simply helping learning to stick, though, Zull wrote that the undeniable progress of this sequencing is also reinforcing and even motivates a desire to learn. He wrote, “Achievement itself is rewarding, and that may simply be because it is recognized as movement” (p. 62). Elsewhere, he wrote, “People cannot stay motivated enough to learn unless they experience some success” (p. 238). Hanging from a zip-line must certainly qualify as success under most any circumstance.
Cycle of Learning
“Stories engage all parts of the brain” (Zull, p. 228). If the goal is to facilitate change, structuring experiential learning as stories makes sense to me. Sequencing has another function, though, and that is assuring that learning occurs.
Kolb defined a four stage learning cycle, which consists of experience, reflection, abstraction and active testing (Zull, p. 13). For true learning to occur, all four stages must happen and "all are necessary for learning that is important, long lasting and meaningful” (Jacobson & Ruddy, p. 14).
According to Zull, this sequencing of the learning cycle parallels the manner in which the brain processes information. When an experience occurs, the cerebral cortex has three functions in processing the information regarding that experience. These are sensing, integrating and acting (Zull, p. 15). These natural biological functions of the brain are paralleled in Kolb’s learning cycle. As Zull stated, “[T]he learning cycle arises naturally from the structure of the brain” (p. 19).
The Four Ps
Most of the treatment groups I lead are focused on building skills and nearly every session includes experiential activities to help illustrate and/or practice new information. Based on the information above, as well as what has been effective for me in the past, I’ve been thinking about how I sequence group sessions.
I’ve realized that my most effective group sessions generally follow a four-step sequence. I’ve named these steps Prepare, Present, Practice and Process.
Prepare – Warm-up the participants’ brains.
A few ways I do this include using an opening activity, having participants conduct peer interviews related to the topic, and creating “brainstorm posters” that serve as a sort of collective pre-test. Not only does this step warm-up the brains of participants, but it also starts the session off by acknowledging prior knowledge.
Present – Share the new information.
At their core, the treatment groups I facilitate are psychoeducational in nature. That means there is new information to be presented during most sessions. When sharing this new information, I always strive for what I think of as “more do and less you.” In other words, the less I lecture, the better. In addition, Zull suggests limiting the amount of new information to three or four items at one time (p. 184).
Practice – Put the new information into action.
Experiential learning provides rich opportunities to practice alternate behaviors and engage in healthy risk taking. This is at the very core of the use of experiential learning in clinical settings. Neuroscience provides additional insight. Sensory input from an experience is most valued by the brain (Zull, p. 145). In addition, the brain remembers what the body does. In other words, experiential activities build new neuronal networks that hopefully contain more adaptive behavioral choices.
Process – Create connections.
This step is about making links between the new information, the practice step and the real world. Without these connections, transfer of learning is unlikely to occur and change won’t happen.
This final step helps assure integration of my model with Kolb’s learning cycle. It is such an important part of experiential learning that it warrants further exploration in the future. As such, I will hold of saying much about it for now.
Works Cited
Jacobson, M. & Ruddy, M. (2004). Open to Outcome. Oklahoma City, OK: Wood'N'Barnes Publishing.
Stanchfield, J. (2007). Tips and Tools: The Art of Experiential Group Facilitation. Oklahoma City, OK: Wood'N'Barnes Publishing.
Zull, J. (2002). Art of Changing the Brain, The. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.
