Lesson 8:

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 Contrived Experiences - Model

- Mock up

- Specimen 

- Simulation

- Object

- Game

 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.

Game

Games are use in any of these purposes.

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

2. To identify gaps and weaknesses in knowledge or skills.

3. To serve as a summation or review.

4. 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.