A Comparative Study of Experiential Learning Cycle in Human and Nonhuman Environments: Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, and Vocabulary Development

Subject Areas : Comparative Literature Studies

Somayeh  Sahebalzamani ¹ (Ph.D. candidate of TEFL, Maybod Branch, Islamic Azad University, Maybod, Iran. )
Amin  Naeimi ² (2Assistant Professor of TEFL, Yazd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yazd, Iran(Corresponding author) [e-mail] [e-mail])
Mehry  Haddad Narafshan ³ (3Assistant Professor of TEFL, Kerman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran. )

Received: 2023-09-07 Accepted : 2024-06-02 Published : 2024-06-02

Keywords: critical thinking, experiential learning, reading comprehension, teacher mediator, technology mediator,

Abstract :

Educational experts posit that technology-based experiences can augment students’ academic performance and foster their critical thinking ability. In this study, the efficacy of human-mediated and non-human-mediated environments was compared in terms of Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, concerning the critical thinking, reading comprehension, and vocabulary development of young English language learners. Over a period of four months, two groups of 60 learners (30 in each group) were exposed to mediation via two modalities: teacher-made and computer-made mediators. Pre-tests and post-tests were deployed to gauge learners’ progress in critical thinking, reading comprehension, and vocabulary development. The findings evinced those learners who received technology-mediated instruction outperformed the teacher-mediated group in terms of critical thinking, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension. It is evident that learners who interacted with a computer mediator trumped those who interacted with a human-made mediator, i.e., the teacher. This could be attributed to the alluring features of non-human mediators (technology), which are evidently more compelling than their human