Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

Didiosky Benítez et al
Figure 1: Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb and Kolb 2008)
3. The higher education teaching-learning process
Instruction is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> major functions <strong>of</strong> higher education institutions. As an institutional function, it
addresses <strong>the</strong> teaching-learning process at universities as well as its most important underlying
activities: teaching and learning. In formal higher education curriculum and teaching are formally
organized, whereas learning is intentional and explicit designed in terms <strong>of</strong> learning objectives, time
and support (Werquin 2010). As far as ‘education in a formal setting’ is concerned, teaching is <strong>the</strong>
activity performed by teachers in <strong>the</strong> teaching-learning process while learning, as a process, <strong>the</strong>
activity developed by learners.
In higher education <strong>the</strong> teaching-learning process is structured in terms <strong>of</strong> courses, fields <strong>of</strong> study,
subjects, topics, lessons and tasks. They conform a structural hierarchy where tasks, with <strong>the</strong> lowest
level <strong>of</strong> complexity, are located at <strong>the</strong> bottom <strong>of</strong> this hierarchy whereas courses are at <strong>the</strong> top. But,
even though <strong>the</strong> teaching-learning process is projected throughout <strong>the</strong> mentioned hierarchy, it is only
at <strong>the</strong> task level where it is personalized. Thus, from an individual perspective, <strong>the</strong> HE teachinglearning
process can be seen as successive sequence <strong>of</strong> tasks.
3.1 Experiential knowledge categories in <strong>the</strong> higher education teaching-learning
processEraut's (1994) categories are not directly connected to <strong>the</strong> teaching-learning process. They
are general categories that cover those areas <strong>of</strong> knowledge usually found in education where
teaching and learning are included. In accordance with this, Eraut’s categories can be used to
describe <strong>the</strong> experiential knowledge produced by participants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> HE teaching-learning process.
As teaching and learning are <strong>the</strong> two major activities in <strong>the</strong> HE teaching-learning process, experiential
knowledge categories can be mapped to <strong>the</strong> particular context <strong>of</strong> each activity, as is shown in Figure
2.
Figure 2: Experiential knowledge categories in <strong>the</strong> higher education teaching-learning process
In teaching, knowledge <strong>of</strong> people is linked to judgments or opinions about teaching participants. It’s
acquired through direct and indirect encounters with those people whom are in <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> teacher.
Situational knowledge is mapped with <strong>the</strong> teaching situation, with what is considered significant or
susceptible to change. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, knowledge <strong>of</strong> practice is connected to teaching
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