PEDAGOGICAL INSIGHTS

Debriefing Experiential Learning Exercises

D. D. (Don) Warrick
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs

Phillip L. Hunsaker
University of San Diego

Curtis W. Cook
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville

Steve Altman
Florida International University

The major responsibility for conducting successful experiential learning exercises rests with the debriefing phase of the exercise. The debriefing is an important process designed to synergize, strengthen, and transfer learning from the experiential exercise. It is often the most overlooked part of the experiential learning process. The article includes a definition of an experiential learning exercise followed by a discussion of its components. Then, the methodology of debriefing is considered followed by examples of spontaneous and structured debriefing procedures, Finally, a number of insights or tips of the trade learned from our successes and failures in debriefing experiential learning exercises are identified and discussed. A frequent participant response to an experiential learning exercise is, That was a lot of fun, a fantastic experience. When asked what was learned and how it can be applied, however, participants are often at a loss for words. It is not uncommon, in fact, for facilitators to have a similar reaction. Perhaps the most pervasive reason for this happy, but confused state, is the failure to adequately debrief the experience. To ensure that meanAddress correspondence to: Don Warrick, College of Business University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907 Journal of Experiential Learning and Simulatlon 1, 91-100 (1979)

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ingful and transferable learning occurs, it is of paramount importance that participants have an opportunity to (1) reflect on their experiences in the exercise, (2) receive specific behavioral feedback, (3) integrate observations and feedback within conceptual frameworks, and (4) create mechanisms for transferring learnings to relevant outside situations. In other words, all four phases of the learning loop need to be completed, i.e., the (1) experiences must be followed by a debriefing where participants (2) reflect and analyze what they did and felt, with respect to (3) existing concepts and new generalizations, so that they can (4) develop hypotheses to be tested in future experiences [I].

What Is an An experiential learning exercise may be defined as a task or activity Experiential involving participants that is designed to generate live data and exLearning Exercise? periences that can be used to teach concepts, ideas, or behavioral insights. A typical experiential learning exercise might include (not necessarily in the order listed below): An introduction on the target subject (for example, handling conflicts) A statement of the objectives of the exercise The exercise A debriefing of the exercise Experiential learning is based on the premise that what the participant discovers for himself or herself has a different meaning than lessons acquired through lecture or discussion modes. Learning resulting from active personal involvement can be superior to passive, traditional means. Although not necessarily applicable in all exercises, the general objectives for participants in such experiences include increasing: (1)an understanding of principles and theories as applied to concrete situations, including transfer to outside situations; (2) skills in certain interpersonal and decision making methods; ( 3 ) skills in observing and diagnosing behavioral phenomena; and (4) an awareness of the participants own values, assumptions, and interpersonal strengths and limitations.

The Debriefing Is The objectives mentioned above for an experiential learning exercise are the Key to not easily achieved. Much of the responsibility for reaching the desired Meaningful objectives rests with the debriefing phase of the exercise. It is in the Learning debriefing experience that concepts, theories, ideas, values, and interpersonal insights are crystallized. Realistically, the debriefing is the key to making an experiential learning exercise a meaningful learning experience. The following sections focus on how to integrate the debriefing into the experiential exercise, provide two debriefing examples, and offer insights on how to make the debriefing experience successful.

Debriefing as a Three factors are involved in the success of an experiential exercise: Total Experience choice of the exercise itself, (2) choice of learning objectives, and

(1) (3)

choice of debriefing methods. To the casual user of exercises, these may appear to be separate factors with perhaps little thought given to choice beyond the selection of the exercises. But in reality these three factors involve interrelated choices for the instructor. To achieve optimum learning value the choices should be evaluated in interaction as suggested in Figure 1.

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FIGURE 1. The Linkages among the components of the experiential learning exercise.

Learning Objectives Experiential learning objectives often involve a mix of desired outcomes.
However, the instructor needs to establish clearly in his or her planning framework the primary emphasis of learning. Is the experiencingldebriefing to focus on process dimensions involving the personal behaviors and feelings of the participants as they interact with the task and one another? Or, is the overriding benefit to be astrengthening of one or more content themes as the group works through the debriefing to test theoretical constructs, identify crucial variables influencing a phenomenon, or to add direction to cognitive maps? While both types of objectives may be sought, success is more likely if one theme is selected as primary and the other as supportive. Regardless of the major direction of the learning emphasis, specific objectives (such as types of behavior to explore, or theoretical themes to relate) need to be identified so the introduction, exercise, and debriefing can all be planned to reach the desired objectives.

Exercise Mode Experiential exercises are to two basic types-programmed

and nonprogrammed. A programmed exercise requires participants to engage in a specific task, often involving object or concept manipulation. Participants in such an activity usually have a reasonably clear expectation of where they are headed and how to know when the task is completed. Often in such tasks the presumed attention of participants during the

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exercise is focused on job requirements with behavioral awareness a byproduct made apparent largely through debriefing. In contrast, the nonprogrammed exercise is inevitably free of object manipulation. The task and roles may be ambiguous with only some participants apparently involved. Here behavior is the direct target with stress and tension often manifest. Perceived risk through disclosure usually is higher than in more task-specific object manipulation types of programmed exercises.

Debriefing Debriefing activity may range from structured to spontaneous or a comMethodology bination of both. In a structured session, the instructor plays a key role
in selectively guiding discussion and learning insights. Observational forms may be used for this activity or questions sequenced in ways that keep the discussion focused. For the spontaneous free-form debriefing, the instructor allows the group to control conversation and take it in the direction(s) sought by the more active members. As debriefing moves toward the spontaneous free-flowing method, learning outcomes are less predictable. For most exercises there is a minimum threshold of learning which is more reasonably obtained through a guided debriefing. However, when objectives are process-focused and the exercise is nonprogrammed, a spontaneous debriefing in which advance thought has been given to possible areas of discussion can enhance the total experience and remain consistent with the task itself. Specific interpretations of these concepts will be illustrated through two contrasting types of exercises.

Spontaneous Debriefing: The I Throwing a Kiss Exercise

An example of a spontaneous debriefing is illustrated in the kiss exercise. The exercise is typically used during the motivation segment of an organization behavior or general management course, and requires only that the students have read the assigned chapter on motivation before attending class. No other advanced warning is given. The instructor walks into class, moves directly to the board, and writes the topic for discussion, MOTIVATION, and the learning objectives. The instructor turns to the class and waits. No pleasantries, no ice-breaking, no sound. Silence. The air gets thick with tension, and the squirming begins in about 30 seconds. After about a minute or so the silence becomes intolerable, and the anxiety level begins to rise. Inevitably one of the students will blurt out a tension reducing wisecrack. The instructor throws the student a piece of candy (a Hershey kiss). The room tends to erupt in laughter mixed with disbelief! Another wisecrack, another piece of candy. Tension is reduced, but the ambiguity begins to rise, another wisecrack, another wisecrack, but no more candy is offered until some reference to the topic of motivation is made. This time, selective reinforcement continues until the topic for discussion, motivation, is initiated. Of course confusion continues. Some students try to psych out the instructor. Others try to get a handle on the process. Some retreat to their texts to elicit pearls of wisdom (real pearls get lots of candy!), while some get furious and withdrawn. The process continues for up to one hour without a word from the instructor. The variety of reactions would be too lengthy to review here (some throw the candy back to motivate the instructor, others form

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Curtis W. Cook i s an Associate Professor of Management, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. His research and teaching interests span both macro (corporate strategy development) and micro management perspectives (motivation, work reorganization, leadership). Dr. Cook is coauthor with Douglas C. Basil of The Management of Change (McGraw-Hill). Steve Altrnan is an Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at Florida International University, Previously, he served as Assistant Vice President for University Outreach and Services, and as Chairperson, Division of Management in the School of Business and Organizational Sciences. He is the author of two books on Organizational Behavior, and numerous articles and research reports. Dr. Altman is a frequent speaker at prpfessional ossociations, business organizations, and governmental agencies,

strategy groups to plot their retaliation or to brainstorm the reasons for linking the exercise to the chapter in the text). Gradually, however, the discussion leads to a consideration of motivation theories, concepts, and hypotheses. Other topics, such as goal identification, leadership, and group dynamics aften emerge. The classroom becomes a live organization with ambigious goals, inadequate information, and poor coordination, and it becomes the responsibility of the class to integrate course material into what is happening, Only minimal shaping of the direction of the exercise is provided by the silent instruGtor by selected rewards. Debriefing such an event is important for personal and professional reasons. Many students take it as a personal affront if they dont receive enough candy. Others believe they have been double-crossed and run the risk of dysfunctional behavior for the rest of the term. But more important, without proper debriefing, the exercise becomes a game devoid of meaning and a waste of precious class time. The objectives of the debriefing period include six specific areas:
1. Identification of different perceptions and attitudes of what occurred. 2. Linking the exercise to specific content theory for this segment of the course. 3. Linking the exercise to skill-building techniques (useful at the time of the exercise and subsequent class sessions). 4. Development of a common set of experiences for further data analysis. 5. Making sure that each participant, or group of participants, receive feedback on the nature of his involvement and his specific behavior. 6. Reestablishing the desired classroom climate. It may be necessary, for example, for the instructor to renegotiate a climate of trust and r e p sure the students that exercises will always be purposeful.

Participants are encouraged to describe what happened and what they felt. Since no assumptions can be made about individual preceptions, considerable time is devoted to this. The instructor points to specific behaviors that occurred and seeks identification of these behaviors to course content areas. For example, the differences between internal and external motivation factors become clear after minimal candy acquisition has occurred. Behavior or discussion that was not goal related was not rewarded, while rewards were gained for topical discussion (positive reinforcement).

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Don Warrick is an Associate Professor of Management and Organization Behavior at the University of Colorodo at Colorado Springs. He is a specialist in Organization Development, Management Development, and Personal Development and has been a consultant to over 100 organizations. Dr. Warrick has authored two books, pulished over 15 articles, and is the current editor of the Academy of Management OD Newsletter. He has designed numerous experiential learning exercises as well as two experiential laboratories. Phil Hansaker is an Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Development, School of Business Administration, University of S a n Diego. He has developed four simulations for leadership, interpersonal skills, and decision making training and assessment. Dr. Hunsaker has over twenty-five publications in the areas of experiential learning and simulation.

It is important for the instructor to immediately establish a supportive, encouraging climate during the debriefing. Particulary for participants who are hostile, or withdrawn, an effort is made to interact personally with each to ensure no dysfunctional effects remain. Also, the instructor should have a well-prepared debriefing design that accounts for many of the issues that may be raised (lack of planning, goal ambiguity, perception, learning, motivation, etc.) In general, because of the nonprogrammed nature of the exercise with process as well as content objectives, a heavy investment in debriefing planning is recommended.

Structured A structured debriefing tends to lend itself best to programmed exercises Debriefing: Dont and to content as opposed to process-oriented objectives. However, in Topple the Tower the final analysis, exercise and debriefing should be a function of the
audience, the learning objectives, and especially the strengths of the facilitator. The Tower Building exercise is a good example of an experiential learning exercise that uses structured debriefing. The exercise is designed to facilitate learning about management behaviors and their effect on group performance. While data-sharing or confrontation about personal behaviors in the exercise may also be pursued, such outcomes are of secondary importance in the exercise. The specific debriefing approach described is called Serialized Theory Development Debriefing. Serialized theory development during debriefing employs two instrumental processes. One is the structuring of the exercise so that there are a series of task activities followed by debriefing sequenced into three or four successive iterations. The second element involves a guided emphasis by the facilitator of the debriefing sequence so that part of the data observations at each stage feed into a dominant theoreticallconceptual construct. In effect, the facilitator plans (or second guesses) the types of issues or behavioral phenomena that will likely be encountered and establishes a series of important concepts to be learned after each task phase. Depending on the exercise and the facilitator, the synthesizing concept need not be rigidly bound by time frame (i.e., concept B might be developed after phase 1 rather than phase 2), nor in free-flowing participant spontaneity discouraged. In the Tower Building exercise, participants are assigned to groups of four (or three if necessary). Roles are assigned: one supervisor, two

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workers, and one silent observer (if groups of four are used, roles are rotated after each five-minute task period). Participants are told their task is to construct a tower using folded index cards, stacked in tiers of two cards each. Workers are to alternate stacking cards, using a maximum of twenty cards if possible. The supervisor is responsible for establishing an output goal for his or her round, expressed as the number of cards stacked without topling the tower during the alloted five minutes. Workers are told that they are to use their nondominant hand. They are also blindfolded. Following each construction period, debriefing first occurs within the groups with the observer providing perceptions and insights, followed by workers perceptions, and then by the supervisors interpretation. The facilitator then asks the total group for observations and quickly keys in on one concept. Through detailed questioning, individual views, feelings, and perceptions are solicited and related to the concept. Where applicable, participant observations may be referenced back to a theory or conceptual framework previously introduced. In this way, the experience reinforces earlier concepts. Or, the topic-focused debriefing may serve as a springboard to introduce a new model or explanation that unifies or labels the felt experience. At times, a series of propositional statements may be generated to explain andlor offer contingency prescriptions for participant consideration. Depending on the desired content objectives, debriefing after each task period could focus on any number of concepts. Among some of those experienced as appropriate to this exercise are: (1) goal-setting criteria and processes, (2) communication disclosure and feedback, (3) how technology impacts on requiring task changes, (4) individual differences and how a supervisor adapts to or fails to differentiate among workers, (5) need for achievement and self-control in roles of workers, (6) closeness of supervision and effects on workers needs, and (7) factors appropriate to periodic performance appraisal. Such an exercise that involves a programmed and tangible task is ideally suited to cognitive processing of the experiences. Where repitition of the task is possible between debriefings, the facilitator can selectively unfold and develop a major conceptual theme.

Insights into Debriefing Experiential Learning Exercises

The main function of the debriefing is to integrate experinces with concepts and applications transferable to real world experiences. In our efforts to achieve such lofty goals, collectively we have accumulated a number of debriefing insights from our debriefing successes and failures. Hopefully, these insights will stimulate some creative thinking about the debriefing experience as well as spare others from the anguish we experienced in learning them. The insights refer to the total experiential learning exercise experience since a good debriefing is integrated into all four phases.

Introduction
1. Always keep in mind that you are dealing with live, sensitive, hu-

man beings-not objects that can be casually played with. Personal feelings and rights should be respected. With this realization in mind, the facilitator should develop a secure and supportive learning

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climate where participants adhere to norms of mutual help and are free to express desires not to participate or to receive feedback without fear of rejection. Too often we involve people in learning experiences that they prefer not to be in, or we debrief their behavior as if they were nonfeeling robots.
Learning Objectives
2. Never assume that the participants will automatically learn what you

intended for them to learn. It is often helpful to provide a handout with the learning objectives of the exercise at the beginning (or end if more appropriate) of the exercise and to carefully plan the introduction, exercise, and debriefing around the stated objectives. Introductions are often too general, exercises are sometimes ill chosen, and debriefings lack closure unless the learning experience is carefully planned around clearly stated objectives. 3. Learn from failures as well as successes. Stating objectives is invaluable in planning experiential learning, but the objectives do not always have to be reached for the learning experience to be a rich one. A good debriefer will explore reasons why an exercise did not work out as expected.
Exercise
4. Avoid using deceptive gimmicks such as planting a disruptive per-

son in a group to generate the desired results for debriefing. Deceptive gimmicks create distrust and will sensitize the participants to look for gimmicks in future exercises. 5. Be careful in choosing exercises that may cause intergroup divisions that cannot be repaired (for example, prisoners dilemma or some power exercises may alienate groups from each other or the instructor for the remainder of the semester or workshop). If high-risk exercises are used, the facilitator should be experienced and capable of making the learning experience a positive one. 6. Always tell the participants what you are doing regardless of the rich debriefing data that can be acquired by clandestine methods (for example observing through one way glass without telling the participants you are doing so). 7. The use of video taping may provide an excellent debriefing method if the exercise produces the desired behavior. However, it is important to select a well-tested exercise, or watching the video replay can prolong the demise of a bad exercise. If the facilities permit, it is best to tape through one way glass so the equipment will be out of the exercise room. Be sure and tell the participants that you are taping the exercise!
Debriefing
8. The facilitator may need to desensitize a particularly moving exer-

cise. This can be done by pointing out that the exercise was simply a vehicle used to illustrate certain points and that the participants were playing roles. Otherwise, the participants may continue to be

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identified with the roles that they played. It may also be necessary to follow up the exercise with trust-building efforts. 9. It may be helpful (and necessary) to coach observers ahead of time and to give them a common format (preferably a debriefing form) to make and report their observations. 10. Time management is very important in experiential learning. Enough time needs to be provided in the debriefing to allow for personal, group, and content information to be processed and integrated. 11. Participants should be well versed in the techniques of giving and receiving feedback (focusing feedback on behavior versus what a person is, observations versus facts or inferences, descriptions of behavior versus judgements, specific here and now versus abstract there and then, providing alternatives versus advice). 12. Strong statements should be checked out with a number of participants for validity. Outspoken people are often very opinionated and seemingly speak for the whole group since the other members may be silent unless their opinions are solicited. 13. Debriefing data can be improved if following the exercise, participants are given an opportunity to write down some of their observations and insights. Breaking into smaller groups for debriefing and then merging for summary presentations from each group may also produce better results. Another alternative is to provide specific questions to be answered. 14. Flexibility is important to maximize the value of the debriefing. One of the most exciting aspects of experiential learning is that unforseen events that provide new insights often occur. A good debriefer must be flexible enough to explore these new insights. On the other hand, one should be cautious in deviating too far from the game plan, because becoming overly flexible may result in loss of control and loss of closure. 15. It is sometimes necessary or advisable to debrief the exercise on another day. The lapse of time will allow participants to spend more time reflecting on the exercise and indentifying important learnings. When this approach is used, guidelines, models, theories, or readings should be provided to the participants to help them evaluate the learning experience. One apporach is to have them develop generalizations as propositional statements, i.e., in X situations, Y behaviors will produce Z outcomes. In discussing the statements, it will usually be necessary for the instructor to guide the participants in transforming some of the generalizations into more precise statements that can be applied to the real world. 16. Watch out for Facilitator Euphoria. Even well-seasoned facilitators sometimes get carried away with exercises and see things that arent there! Wow! Did you see what Joe did? What insights Diane got from the feedback! Especially when there are several facilitators involved, its possible for the facilitators to imbelish the exercise far beyond what actually took place.

Summary and Conclusions

When the learning goal is to provide a lively, interesting, and meaningful learning experience that participants will personally internalize, experiential learning provides an excellent learning tool. Much of the responsibility for achieving the goals of experiential learning lie with the effectiveness of the debriefing. However, to achieve optimal effective-

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ness, the debriefing needs to be well planned and integrated into all phases of the experiential learning exercise. The integrated approach suggested here along with the guidelines and insights provided to improve the debriefing will hopefully stimulate further thinking on what we consider to be the most important phase of experiential learning exercises.

Reference

1. Kolb, David A., Rubin, Irwin M., and McIntyre, James M., Organizational Psy-

chology: An Experiential Approach, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: PrenticeHall, 1974, p. 16.