Macro-Design · Applicable to any session length

Dale's Cone of Experience

A visual analogy representing a continuum of learning experiences from the highly concrete to the highly abstract. It categorizes instructional methods based on the degree of learner participation and sensory engagement, moving from 'doing' (enactive) to 'observing' (iconic) to 'symbolizing' (symbolic).

When to use Dale's Cone of Experience

Most effective during the strategy and media selection phase of instructional design to determine the appropriate level of 'realism' required for a specific learning objective.

How Dale's Cone of Experience works

Instructional designers can use the Cone to audit their media mix, ensuring that abstract concepts are grounded in concrete experiences, especially for novice learners or complex new topics.

Phases of Dale's Cone of Experience

  1. Direct Purposeful Experiences (Direct, firsthand participation)
  2. Contrived Experiences (Models, mock-ups)
  3. Dramatic Participation (Roleplay, puppetry)
  4. Demonstrations (Visualized explanations)
  5. Field Trips (Observing real-world processes)
  6. Exhibits (Meaningful displays)
  7. Motion Pictures (Film, television)
  8. Recordings / Radio / Still Pictures (Audio and static visuals)
  9. Visual Symbols (Charts, graphs, maps)
  10. Verbal Symbols (Written or spoken words)

Key principles

  • Learning experiences move from participant-based (bottom) to spectator-based (top).
  • Concrete experiences provide the necessary foundation for understanding abstract symbols.
  • Effective instruction often requires a balance; over-reliance on concrete experience can hinder the ability to generalize concepts.
  • Media selection should be based on the interaction between the learner, the context, and the nature of the message.

Best for

  • Media selection
  • Curriculum mapping
  • Differentiated instruction for various developmental stages

Considerations

  • Frequently misrepresented by the 'Remembering Cone' myth (the false 10/20/30/50/70/90% recall statistics).
  • The Cone is an analogy of experience, not a hierarchy where 'bottom is always better.'
  • Abstract learning is often more efficient for advanced learners who have sufficient prior concrete experience.

Attribution & sources

Developed by Edgar Dale, 1946 (Revised 1954, 1969)

Primary source

Design a session with Dale's Cone of Experience

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