International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning, 2(1), 65–82
Learning through Learning:
Experiential Resonance in an Online
Management Course
David Starr-Glass
State University of New York, USA
Experiential resonance is a pedagogic approach that allows learners to gain
a deeper understanding of the subject matter theory by using that theory
directly in the structure, dynamics, and learning spaces of the course. Learn-
ers informed about the application of course theory are asked to reflect on
its use. In this preliminary study, management principles were embedded in
the learning spaces of two online distance learning management courses. A
post-course survey, although statistically limited because of the sample size,
showed strong learner agreement that management theory had been a reso-
nant theme in the learning experiences and that its uses had been beneficial.
Keywords: authenticity; critical reflection; double-loop learning; experiential
learning; knowledge; learning spaces; management; online distance learning
In all teaching and learning environments – whether conducted in traditional
face-to-face or online distance modalities – a primary objective is creating
learning spaces in which productive learning can take place. At a macro
level, especially in traditional campus-based teaching, the learning space
begins with a physical setting and architectural design that invites and sus-
tains learner participation and engagement (Oblinger, 2006). Subsequently,
learners create their own unique interior spaces in which personal learning
occurs. For all students, significant learning does not take place in formally
designated places (Cross, 2007): it takes place in informally designed lo-
cations, and for online distance learners it takes place in a virtual learning
environment (Johnson & Lomas, 2005; Thomas, 2010). The task of the on-
line distance learning instructor is to create learning spaces that provide
learners with optimal benefits and facilitate their learning experiences.
There has been a significant move towards distance learning (Allen &
Seaman, 2011), although its origins – in the form of print-media and cor-
respondence schools – date back more than 150 years (Schulte, 2011).
In the present generation of distance learning, Web 2.0 and online tech-
nology – using synchronous or asynchronous platforms – have been widely
employed (Taylor, 2001). Some online distance learning courses are pre-
constructed by instructional designers; however, most courses allow instruc-
tors considerable opportunities to design and facilitate their individualized
www.issbs.si/press/ISSN/2232-5697/2_65-82.pdf
66 David Starr-Glass
learning spaces. In designing them, the most widely used pedagogical ap-
proach is constructivism (Anderson & Dron, 2011). Constructivist pedago-
gies understand that knowledge is not passively transmitted, but actively
assembled by the learner in an interactive social environment (Cakir, 2008;
Jonassen, Marra, & Palmer, 2002; Richardson, 2003). Constructivist peda-
gogies challenge the online course designer/facilitators to create learning
spaces within which new and useful knowledge can be created and co-
created through learner interaction.
This article considers a learning space in which significant and authen-
tic learning could occur. The learning experience was an online distance
course in Management and Organizational Design, offered by an accredited
American university. Course participants were adult learners, who were ei-
ther active service members of the US military or military dependents. In
designing and facilitating the learning experience, it was recognized that
participants had accumulated considerable experience of management and
organizational settings. This provided a valuable resource and it was consid-
ered important to encourage and support the participants to reflect on their
work experience in light of the theory taught in the course. This suggested
purposefully embedding a management framework – with elements such
as planning, organizing, communicating, and leading – into the design and
dynamics of the course. It was thought that such a framework would pro-
vide an opportunity for the participants to appreciate that the course was
conducted in a manner that reflected the theory studied. It was hoped that
this appreciation would lead to a deeper understanding of the theory and to
a sense that learning was authentically grounded in a real-world application
of that theory. This approach – where course dynamics mirror the underlying
theory of the subject matter – is referred to in this article as ‘experiential
resonance.’
The first section of the article begins with a consideration of the the-
oretical underpinnings of experiential resonance and a discussion of why
such an approach might enhance learning. The second section describes
the research context and methodology used to determine the extent to
which experiential resonance was effective in contributing to a significant
and authentic learning experience. The third section discusses results ob-
tained and is followed by a discussion and the limits of the study. It is
important to recognize that this is a preliminary exploration of experiential
resonance and that the sample size and methodology limit the overall reli-
ability, validity, and generalizability of the findings; nevertheless, it is hoped
that the findings will provide a basis for future research initiatives. The con-
cluding section explores the situations where experiential learning might
be implemented, suggests the areas for the continuing development of the
approach, and considers future research possibilities.
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning
Learning through Learning 67
Experiential Resonance: Theoretical Framework and Literature Review
Experiential resonance (Starr-Glass, 2011) is a pedagogic strategy that
is embedded in the design and facilitation of an online distance learning
course. Course design, and the way in which the instructor facilitates the
course, mirrors the core theoretical issues presented in the subject matter.
The object is to provide a resonance between the learner’s experiences of
taking the course and the subject matter explored. Experiential resonance
connects the learning experience with applied principles and concepts de-
rived from the course subject matter. For instance, in Management and Or-
ganizational Design the learning objectives include the functions of manage-
ment and the ways in which organizational design impacts the managerial
process.
In using experiential resonance, key principles of management behaviour
are employed in designing and facilitating the learning space. In imple-
menting experiential resonance within a Management and Organizational
Design course, the instructor would select learning activities, monitor learn-
ing goals, provide goal-centred communication, employ motivation, and use
leadership in ways that mirror management theory.
Learners might not be initially aware of this mirroring. When resonance
is explained to them, however, they can be asked to reflect on their experi-
ences. They can be asked to consider how the course was organized and
facilitated. They can also be asked to examine their experiential involvement
in the course in light of the management principles, trying to see whether
theory was applied and discernible in their learning engagement. Encourag-
ing learners to reflect on actual experience – seen through a new awareness
of management theory employed – may lead to a greater appreciation of the
relevancy and applicability of the theoretical issues raised.
Pedagogically, experiential resonance draws on a number of distinct but
related approaches: experiential learning, double-loop learning, theories-in-
action, critical reflection, and authenticity. In order to appreciate the use-
fulness of experiential resonance, these different learning approaches are
briefly reviewed.
Experiential Learning
David Kolb (1984) defined experiential learning as an on-going learning
experience in which ‘knowledge is created through the transformation of
experience’ (p. 38). Kolb’s work was deeply influenced by the writing of
John Dewey (1938) and reflected Dewey’s approach to the learning process:
learning is not an exclusively interior process of cognition, but requires con-
tact with, and adaptation to, an external world. Learning was understood as
a continuous process involving four phases: engagement in concrete expe-
rience, reflection on that experience, abstract conceptualization based on
Volume 2, Issue 1, 2013
68 David Starr-Glass
reflection, and active experimentation that tests the abstract model by a
new engagement in concrete experiences of the world.
Cantor (1995) found that the potential value of experiential learning lay
in activities ‘that engage the learner directly in the phenomena being stud-
ied’ (p. 1). Direct experience leads to reflection, reappraisal, and a grow-
ing awareness that manifestations of the subject matter exist beyond the
specific learning context. Alice and David Kolb (2005), noted ‘primary fo-
cus should be on engaging students in a process that best enhances their
learning – a process that includes feedback on the effectiveness of their
learning efforts [. . .] a holistic process of adaptation to the world’ (p. 194).
Kolb’s work has provided significant ways of looking at the process of learn-
ing and its connection with incursions into the learner’s world (Bergsteiner,
Avery, & Neumann, 2010; Fenwick, 2001). His insights have been partic-
ularly important to practitioners, and experiential learning has been vigor-
ously advocated in many areas of higher education, including business and
management education (Hagan, 2012; McHann & Frost, 2010).
Double-Loop Learning
Argyris and Schön (1974, 1996), considering the manner in which organi-
zational learning took place, distinguished between single- and double-loop
learning. In single-loop learning a problem is detected and dealt with. If the
problem subsequently re-appears, it is again dealt with the use of experi-
ence gained in the first encounter. Learning is developed in recognizing the
problem and in applying past experience in resolving it; however, the learn-
ing loop is ‘single’ in that it focuses on the reality of the present problem.
A deeper approach involves not focusing on the isolated problem, but con-
necting it with a broader context and seeking other explanations and more
fundamental loops of causation.
The analogy most often cited is of a thermostat. The room is too hot and
a single-loop action strategy calls for opening the window. This is effective,
and the room is quickly restored to the desired temperature. Single-loop
learning focuses on the temperature rise and provides effective solutions –
which might be described as first-order changes – such as opening windows.
Actionable strategies may well be effective, but they are restricted to cur-
rently known conditions and causations: adaption. If, however, the tempera-
ture in the room continues to increase despite multiple single-loop interven-
tions, then those in the room might explore second-loop action strategies.
These involve looking beyond the phenomenon encountered (increased tem-
perature). In this case, those in the room become aware that there is an
air-conditioner and that its thermostat is set too high. Changing the ther-
mostat setting will result in a permanent solution, which keeps the room at
the desired temperature without the periodic opening of windows. Double-
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning
Learning through Learning 69
loop learning moves beyond the immediate locus of the problem, looks for
connections and drivers, and suggests new strategies that address the fun-
damental relationships and causal chains. In dealing with organizational
problems, double-loop learning leads ‘to second-order change and trans-
formation [. . .] to a paradigm shift, to a change in the fundamental gov-
erning values that define the institution’ (Tagg, 2010, p. 54). Double-loop
learning recognizes deeper change issues that are masked or obscured
by single-loop expediencies. Rather than seeking adaption, double-loop so-
lutions can be regarded as a learning process predicated on innovative
disruption.
Originally advocated as a strategy for bringing about paradigm-shifts in or-
ganizations, double-loop learning is also a significant learning approach for
the individual (Tagg, 2007, 2008). Learners moving from single- to double-
loop approaches begin to question their theories-of-action. Learners may
claim to hold a general ‘espoused-theory’ that they have learned; however,
when actually confronted with problems, they consistently use a more lim-
ited and specific ‘theory-in-use’ (Argyris, 1976). Both theories lead to appro-
priate solution, but one consists of opening windows even when it is ‘known’
that the preferred solution might involve readjusting thermostats. For exam-
ple, many learners correctly espouse central theories in management and
in social work; however, when confronted with real-world situations they fail
to appreciate how the espoused theory could be applied and instead resort
to their own theories-in-use (Annan, Bowler, Mentis, & Somerville, 2011;
Savaya & Gardner, 2012). These learners do not reject espoused-theory.
They are perfectly well aware of it, but they simply do not make a cognitive
connection between its abstraction and applicability.
Theories-of-action and double-loop strategies have been widely used in
higher education teaching (Freeman & Knight, 2011; Todd, Bannister, &
Clegg, 2004). Experiential resonance encourages learners to engage in
double-loop thinking and challenge their personal theories-in-action. In doing
so, experiential resonance seeks to reposition the learning process from a
surface learning activity – where theories are learned and satisfactorily re-
produced at examinations – to a deep learning activity. In deep learning,
subject matter theories encountered by learners are recognized as rele-
vant, applicable, and capable of explaining real-world situations and actual
learner experience (Biggs, 1999; Prosser & Trigwell, 1998).
Critical Reflection
Donald Schön (1983, 1987) encouraged practitioners – and those wishing
to apply their knowledge generally – to critically reflect on the outcomes
of their work. Reflective practice allows the opportunity ‘to experience sur-
prise, puzzlement, or confusion in a situation, which he finds uncertain or
Volume 2, Issue 1, 2013
70 David Starr-Glass
unique [. . .] [consider] the phenomenon before him, and on the prior un-
derstandings which have been implicit in his behaviour’ (Schön, 1983, p.
68). In a similar manner, Conrad and Donaldson (2004) argued that critical
reflection ‘can provide insight for instructors on their teaching and for the
students in their learning’ (p. 73). Many consider that reflective practice is
a necessary and valuable counter-balance to teaching subject areas such
as management, in which rationality and evidence-based approaches are
espoused: reflective practice accentuates the ambiguity and complexity of
real experience (Saltiel, 2006).
Boud, Keogh, and Walker (1985) understood reflective practice as a con-
scious process allowing teachers and learners to reconsider learning activi-
ties. Indeed, reflective practice has been used successfully in that regard in
online distance learning environments (Glowacki-Dudka & Michelle, 2007).
A reflective approach has also been particularly influential in many differ-
ent communities of professional practice, and it has been advocated as a
means of exploring the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in higher
education (Duarte, 2007; Tsang, 2009). Conscious and critical reflection is
valuable for faculty and instructors; however, it is also beneficial for stu-
dents and their attempts create and refine knowledge. Correia and Bleicher
(2008) have noted that critical reflection stimulates connection-building be-
tween theories learned and actions taken, because it ‘helps students make
stronger connections between theoretical perspectives and practice [. . .]
[assists] students in making sense of their learning experience’ (p. 41).
Consistent with critical reflection, experiential resonance alerts learners
to the relationship between the subject matter and its expression in the
learning space. It triggers learners to reflect on the different way in which
theory has been encountered and encourages them to consider different
ways of knowing theory and connecting it to real experience.
Authentic Learning
Fink (2003) affirmed that significant learning takes place when learners are
changed by their experience and that there must be ‘some kind of last-
ing change that is important in terms of the learner’s life’ (p. 30). Signif-
icant learning suggests that learners arrive at a different way of appreci-
ating subject matter and have been personally changed by the encounter.
Significant learning leads to critical reflection and re-evaluation. Learning
activities that resonate with real-word concerns and prior experience rec-
ognize that learning is relevant and authentic (Andersson & Andersson,
2005; Cranton & Carusetta, 2004; Jordi, 2011). Recognizing that the object
of learning is relevant and authentic is critical for the learner, particularly
the adult learner. A demonstrated connection between theory and utility
fosters higher motivation to learn, deeper engagement with subject mat-
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning
Learning through Learning 71
ter, and better opportunities to integrate what is learned into the learner’s
world.
Authentic approaches to learning have been used extensively in higher
education (Ma & Lee, 2012). They have been employed as a teaching prac-
tice to promote more genuine teacher-learner and teacher-discipline con-
nections (Cranton, 2006; Kreber, 2007). Learners can be encouraged to
connect their own desires and aspirations to what they learn and how they
learn. There is also evidence that learners are inspired to on-going self-
development in disciplinary areas if they recognize that their instructor not
only understands the topic but is genuinely committed to it. As Palmer
(1998) noted about his own teaching practice: ‘no matter how technical
my subject may be, the things I teach are things I care about – and what I
care about helps define my selfhood’ (p. 17).
In experiential resonance, the instructor is encouraged to design learning
spaces that project – in a professionally assured and educationally relevant
manner – an authentic concern for self, learners, and subject matter. For ex-
ample, how can the learner confidently answer the question ‘Why is learning
this particular management theory important for me?’ when the instructor
seems disengaged from the theory that is being presented? If it seems that
the subject matter is neither valued nor present in the professional life of
the instructor, why should it be important or integrated into the learner’s
world?
The use of ‘resonance’ in experiential resonance is significant. Reso-
nance implies that the structure and dynamics of the learning encounter
respond to, and accentuate, themes in the subject explored. At a minimal
level, resonance supports and exemplifies the dominant themes in a subtle,
barely realized level. For example, in facilitation of a Management and Orga-
nizational Theory course, learning activities and asynchronous conference
facilitation are attuned to managerial expressions: planning, effective com-
munication, and motivational encouragement. Using a musical analogy, the
way in which the online environment is facilitated picks up the management
theory harmonics and resonates sympathetically with them.
If learners are told that experiential resonance has been employed in
the course, they can then be asked to reflect on how they encountered
and experienced that alignment. This requires a reappraisal of what was
learned experientially, a consideration of double-loop possibilities, a critical
reflection on experience, and an awareness of subject matter and instructor
authenticity. During this process, the amplitude of the resonance between
experience encountered and theory taught is expected to increase. Experi-
ential resonance is an internal property of the online course, not its driving
force. It is a way of producing an integrated learning space in which what
was taught is in harmony with what was experienced.
Volume 2, Issue 1, 2013
72 David Starr-Glass
Survey Methodology
The conceptual framework for experiential resonance has been considered.
Based on this framework, two sections of a senior-level online manage-
ment course were designed and facilitated using an experiential resonance
in the winter semester of 2012. The question was whether this learning
space provided utility for students. In the sixth week of the eight-week on-
line course, participants were told that management theory had been used
in designing and operating the online class. They were asked to consider
this. In the final week of the course, they were invited to complete an online
survey.
The survey was delivered to all course participants via the learning plat-
form (Jansen, Corley, & Jansen, 2006). Participation was anonymous and
voluntary. Participants were informed that survey completion would not im-
pact their final grades. Sampling was opportunistic – limited to those readily
accessible because of their course participation – and not random. Be-
cause of this restricted sampling approach, results cannot be generalized
to the wider undergraduate population. The survey explored participant un-
derstanding of how management principles were reflected in course design
and administration, and the degree to which they felt this had been bene-
ficial. The survey used a five-point Likert scales (1 = strongly disagree; 5
= strongly agree). Questions asked had face validity, but no claims can be
made regarding the reliability or validity of the survey instrument. This re-
search was conducted with attention and concern for ethical issues in the
selection and inclusion of participants, consent, anonymity, data collection,
and data storage
Survey Findings
The number of participants in the two sections of the course totaled 40, all
of whom were sent the survey. Thirty useable returns were collected, con-
stituting a return rate of 75%. The survey was voluntary and those who
had decided not to participate were neither re-contacted nor reminded.
The responding group comprised 14 men and 16 women, which closely
reflects the gender composition of the classes involved. Most participants
had considerable prior online distance learning experience (average of 7.5
completed courses), although three had none. All respondents were either
active US military service members or military dependents.
A summary of the findings in this initial exploratory study are set out in
Table 1. The table shows the survey statements and participant responses
as percentages on a five-point Likert scale. Modal values are shown in bold
type. Generally, participants expressed strong positive agreement with the
questions posed. Again, it should also be noted that the sample size is low
and extrapolation or generalizability accordingly limited.
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning
Learning through Learning 73
Table 1 Distribution of Five-Point Likert Responses to Survey Statements
Statement 1 2 3 4 5
Learning environment demonstrated good planning and clearly
defined goals for learning expectations.
10 90
Feedback was timely and designed to keep you focused on these
goals.
17 83
Learning activities directed towards learning goals. 20 80
Instructor used appropriate motivation to enforce these expectations. 7 7 86
Instructor demonstrated leadership skills in facilitating the learning
experience.
4 13 83
Management theory should be used in designing and facilitating the
course.
10 10 80
Management instructors should use management principles in
facilitating online management courses.
3 3 24 70
I would have more confidence in a management instructor who actually
applied management theory in the class.
20 80
Course facilitation caused me to reflect on my own management
experience.
3 27 70
Instructor seemed to value my management experience. 3 27 70
Using management theory in course design and facilitation helped me. 3 27 70
Reflecting on prior experience was more helpful than textbook cases. 3 6 27 64
Notes 1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree. Numbers indicate percentage of responses
(n = 30), with the modal value shown in bold type.
Additionally, while no request for comments was made on the survey
instrument, several students added notes. These may serve to provide a
qualitative aspect to the study:
•Student A: Overall, the environment in the class has been incredibly
conductive to learning. The way the conferences are set up have al-
lowed me to comment and participate in an open and stress free
style, learning from other students, the course work, and from the
professor . . . . the professor’s involvement has been very positive
throughout the course, giving individual feedback and positive rein-
forcement to individuals and to the class.
•Student B: Your approach to get other students to stay people active
in the conferences was super effective. Maybe one day the rest of the
instructors will figure it out.
•Student C: The instructor was clearly very knowledgeable and an-
swered questions with a great deal of passion for his topic.
•Student D: I really have enjoyed the course. This class has allowed me
to check and verify my management style with management theory.
•Student E: I felt that you had a realistic approach to our course, you
Volume 2, Issue 1, 2013
74 David Starr-Glass
demonstrated exactly what you taught and that made it easier to un-
derstand how what we are learning will be useful in real life. Thank
you for commitment to this course.
Discussion
Results, which are preliminary and tentative in nature, suggest that experi-
ential resonance is a useful strategy for allowing learners to consider the
subject matter that they have been studying. Students considered that the
inclusion of management principles in the course design and facilitation
was appropriate and not idiosyncratic. Reference to the subject matter the-
ory in the course management seemed to provide confidence in the in-
structor and validate the participants’ prior experiential learning. It allowed
them to understand the structure and dynamics of the learning space in
a different manner, a manner that demonstrated the applicability of the
subject matter theory in real-world situations. In real-world situations, ex-
periential encounters lead to useful insight; however, in the virtual world
of online distance learning encounters are muted but just as real: ‘in the
most basic form, the online learning environment is just another physical
environment: more complex than others, but a new space for teaching and
learning’ (Alexander & Boud, 2002, p. 4).
Experiential resonance recognizes these opportunities, and learners in
this study also seemed to appreciate the existence of new dimensions for
considering the theory they were studying. But a number of questions are
raised: Can experiential resonance be incorporated in other online courses?
What limitations might be encountered? How can experiential resonance
assist instructors and learners, rather than confuse them?
•Effective practice. Online learning spaces present multiple opportuni-
ties for instructors and learners; however, the enthusiastic adoption
of online distance learning modalities has not been matched by train-
ing novice faculty to appreciate or utilize these opportunities (Bonk &
Zhang, 2008; Diaz & Bontenbal, 2000; Lloyd, Byrne, & McCoy, 2012).
Training faculty in facilitating online distance learning environments of-
ten focuses on novelty and the perceived barriers of technology, rather
than on pedagogy (Baran, Correia, & Thompson, 2011). It is critical
that online distance learning spaces are constructed as appropriate
and effective places in which learning can take place. Experiential res-
onance is not a separate learning theory, but it does actively connect
the subject matter content and the instructor’s disciplinary interest
with the teaching/ learning process. Although experiential resonance
relies on learning theory, it does not require the instructor to be fa-
miliar with this theory. As such, it might be a simple but useful option
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning
Learning through Learning 75
for the novice online instructor, making a useful bridge between disci-
plinary theory and practice.
• Teaching as well as learning. Experiential resonance is suggested
as a structural approach to building more effective online learning
spaces. Instructor innovation, creativity, and responsibility extend be-
yond course design. A sense of instructor ownership and professional
responsibility is increased by instructor-led explorations of learning
and educational outcomes. Encouraging faculty to be actively involved
in the issues of teaching and learning allows them to create innovative
learning spaces and to evaluate their impact on the learning process
(O’Brien, 2008). Experiential resonance – with its concern for both
disciplinary and pedagogic theory – is a useful bridge for those not
currently engaged in the scholarship of teaching and learning. Bring-
ing pedagogy and disciplinary theories together may encourage faculty
members to appreciate that instructors in online distance learning re-
quire competencies in both education and subject matter (Pecorino &
Kincaid, 2007).
•Promoting deep learning. Experiential resonance provides a cohesive
element to the structure and dynamics of an online course. It favors
deep, rather than surface, learning. Deep learning is a pervasive de-
sire in higher education, but for it to materialize ‘we must devote
ourselves to intentional rather than happenstance efforts to teach
for deep student learning’ (Smith & Colby, 2007, p. 9). Experiential
resonance is a contributing aspect of the pedagogic strategies that
inform the online course. It would be easy for a blinkered focus on
experiential resonance to introduce unnecessary instructor-centred
perspectives into the learning space, weakening learner-centred con-
structions of meaning.
•Suiting some disciplines better than others. Experiential resonance
presents new opportunities, but its limitations have to be recognized.
Some disciplines lend themselves more easily to incorporating theory
directly in the strategic design and course dynamics: if there is a pre-
sumption of fit, experiential resonance might be useful. It is important
that there is a natural alliance between the approach and the spe-
cific subject matter being presented, not an artificial and potentially
dysfunctional mix. In management and business education, experien-
tial resonance would seem to be possible for a number of courses:
communication, cross-cultural management, motivation, and project
management to name a few. The decision as to whether experiential
resonance is employed should be carefully evaluated by the instruc-
tor. He, or she, needs to feel comfortable with the approach: seeing
Volume 2, Issue 1, 2013
76 David Starr-Glass
it as adding value – rather than as being a distraction – and providing
real opportunities for the learner.
This article has set out the theoretical framework and the case for ex-
periential resonance, which is understood to be a novel teaching approach
not been previously reported in the literature. By embedding relevant sub-
ject matter theory in the way in which the learning space is structured and
facilitated, there is an attempt to produce learner experiences that resonate
with the theories of the subject.
Learners, alerted to the approach, can consider their course experience
and reflect on it regarding the value and applicability of the theory encoun-
tered. It is anticipated that this will prompt critical reflections on course
experiences, promote double-loop learning, and develop as a sense of sub-
ject matter presented in an authentic manner. These opportunities provided
in online distance learning spaces will undoubtedly be more attenuated than
real-world encounters. Although attenuated, it is suggested that experiential
resonance is sufficiently strong to provide learners with a direct connection
between experience and theory and enhance learning.
The findings in this study indicate that an experiential approach allowed
learners to reflect on their experience and understand it as an authentic
application of theory. Findings also strongly suggest that learners found the
experiential approach a legitimate approach to learning, providing a sense
of involvement with an instructor authentically engaged. Experiential reso-
nance can provide benefits by enhancing the richness of learning spaces
and presenting opportunities for deep and reflective learning. It can also
provide benefits for faculty by encouraging them to explore the dynamics of
online distance learning, see the connection between disciplinary expertise
and the art of teaching, and develop a more thoughtful approach to the
educational process.
Limitations and Future Research
This initial survey is an exercise in proof-of-concept. Although findings sug-
gest that such a proof exists, a number of considerations must be kept in
mind. Hopefully, these reservations will be addressed in further research
into the place and efficacy of the experiential resonance concept.
First, while the results are positive, the size of the experimental group
surveyed places statistical limitations on the measures of reliability, valid-
ity, and generalizability. The study was considered tentative and preliminary,
and more extensive work with a larger sample is called for. More exten-
sive research – including more learners and perhaps different instructor ap-
proaches to experiential resonance – will hopefully increase the robustness
and generalizability of results.
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning
Learning through Learning 77
Second, the study used embedded management theory to create expe-
riential resonance. Participants strongly agreed that this was both appropri-
ate and beneficial; however, it might be argued that any well-organized and
well-presented course should evidence management skills. Management is
not a specific disciplinary area: it is a pervasive practice in the course de-
sign, educational presentations, and daily life. Thus, there remains some
degree of ambiguity as to whether participants in this study understood
‘management’ in terms of a specific body of espoused theory, or in a more
generalized way. In other contexts, approaches similar to experiential res-
onance have been used in management instruction. For instance, Goal-
Setting Theory (a motivation theory) has been purposefully embedded in an
undergraduate distance learning course dealing with motivation in the work-
place (Latham & Pinder, 2005; Locke & Latham, 1990; Mitchell & Daniels,
2003). Learners, when informed of the embedded theory, were able to iden-
tify the specific teaching strategies used and successfully named the mo-
tivational theory-in-action. This suggests it may be useful to differentiate
between a specific ‘resonance’ and background noise – such as general
approaches to management and motivation – by embedding a more dis-
tinctive theory in the course and have learners explicitly indicate how they
identified it in the course facilitation (Starr-Glass, 2011).
Third, further research is required to explore the different subject ar-
eas, both within and beyond the business curriculum, where an experiential
resonance approach might be beneficial. Although experiential resonance
seems natural in a management course – something with which students
readily agreed – it is untested in other subject areas that might have more
diffuse or less applicable theory.
Lastly, research is needed into the dynamic of how learners react to an
awareness of experiential resonance: of how they actually go about rec-
ognizing experiential learning in their coursework; of how they engage in
critical reflection on their experiences; and, how these processes lead to a
deeper appreciation of subject matter and contribute to greater learner sat-
isfaction. This study reflects sentiments and opinions; however, it does not
explore the actual dynamics involved in the learner’s recognition and utiliza-
tion of experiential learning. Learner-centred research is needed to reveal
the experiences, learning dynamics, and utility that an experiential reso-
nance approach provides to individual learners. It is hoped that these dif-
ferent lines of research will contribute to the construction of learning spaces
that encourage learners to learn more effectively through their learning.
Acknowledgements
The author wishes to acknowledge the courtesy and professionalism of the
Editor-in-Chief and editorial team of the International Journal of Management,
Volume 2, Issue 1, 2013
78 David Starr-Glass
Knowledge, and Learning during the submission and editorial process. The
author also expresses his gratitude to two anonymous reviewers who provided
constructive and insightful comments on the original draft of this manuscript.
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David Starr-Glass is a mentor with the Prague Unit of SUNY Empire State
College’s International Programs. He is primarily involved with supervising the
Volume 2, Issue 1, 2013
82 David Starr-Glass
final undergraduate dissertations of business administration students, but
also teaches a wide range of business subjects related to cross-cultural man-
agement. He is also an online distance learning instructor with the European
Division of the University of Maryland University College (UMUC). David has
received numerous awards from both institutions for exemplary and innova-
tive instruction and research. He publishes widely in management education
and online distance learning. David considers himself an eclectic and inter-
national scholar, having earned master’s degrees in business administration
(California), organizational psychology (London), and online pedagogy (Aus-
tralia). david.starr-glass@esc.edu
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License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/).
International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning