David Kolb’s Learning Theory: Boost Your Skills and Results
David Kolb’s Learning Theory – is 40 years old this year.
When it comes to learning a new language, everyone has their own way of picking up new skills.
David Kolb’s learning styles Theory can help you understand how you learn best and how to use that to your advantage.
This article will be informative, so get ready to explore a scientific theory and research I’ve gathered for you. You might be thinking, “Oh, I don’t like boring theories,” but keep reading—I’ve made sure the information is easy to read and remember. Most importantly, it’s a fantastic resource for you to explore and apply in real life.
In my article How to learn best I introduced VARK system.
Now let’s extend our knowledge with Kolb’s model Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory (the famed LSI).
David Kolb’s Learning Theory
Kolb’s model has been used in various educational systems to improve teaching practices and curriculum design, including in some schools in Toronto (it is how I learned about it) and other parts of Canada, but it wasn't uniquely introduced there.
According to the website Simply Psychology:
David Kolb published his learning styles model in 1984, from which he developed his learning style inventory.
Kolb’s experiential learning theory works on two levels: a four-stage learning cycle and four separate learning styles. Much of Kolb’s theory concerns the learner’s internal cognitive processes.
Kolb states that learning involves acquiring abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations. In Kolb’s theory, the impetus for the development of new concepts is provided by new experiences.
“Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Kolb, 1984, p. 38).
David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) is a widely recognized model that explains how individuals learn through experience. Kolb’s theory emphasizes the importance of experience in the learning process, proposing that effective learning is a cycle that involves four stages.
This cycle allows learners to grasp concepts, reflect on their experiences, and apply what they’ve learned in practical situations.
David Kolb’s Learning Theory: The Four Stages of Experiential Learning
- Concrete Experience (CE):
- This stage involves engaging in a new experience or encountering a familiar situation in a new way. It's about doing or feeling—actively participating in an activity or event. For example, learning a language by traveling to a country where it's spoken would be a concrete experience.
- Reflective Observation (RO):
- After the experience, learners reflect on what happened, how they felt, and what they observed. This stage is about looking back on the experience to analyze and understand it. Reflective observation might involve thinking about how a language learner felt while trying to communicate in a new language and considering what worked or didn’t.
- Abstract Conceptualization (AC):
- In this stage, learners develop theories or concepts based on their reflections. They make sense of the experience by forming ideas, principles, or models that can explain what happened. For instance, a language learner might realize that certain phrases or vocabulary are more effective in specific situations and develop a strategy for using them.
- Active Experimentation (AE):
- The final stage involves applying the new ideas or concepts in practice, testing them in real-life situations. This is where learners use what they've learned to make decisions, solve problems, or try new approaches. A language learner might, for example, try using newly learned vocabulary in different contexts to see how well it works.
The Learning Cycle
Kolb’s model is cyclical, meaning that after completing the four stages, learners can re-enter the cycle at the Concrete Experience stage with new experiences, continuing the learning process. This cycle helps learners deepen their understanding and build on what they’ve learned.
Learning Styles in Kolb’s Theory
Kolb also identified four distinct learning styles, which are based on how individuals prefer to
1. Diverging (Concrete Experience + Reflective Observation)
- Description: Diverging learners are imaginative and able to view situations from multiple perspectives. They excel in situations that require brainstorming and generating ideas, as they are open-minded and sensitive to the feelings and views of others. These learners prefer to observe rather than act, gathering information and reflecting on it before making decisions.
- Strengths: Creativity, empathy, strong observational skills, and the ability to see the big picture.
- Best Learning Environment: Group work, discussions, creative tasks, and environments that encourage exploring diverse viewpoints.
2. Assimilating (Reflective Observation + Abstract Conceptualization)
- Description: Assimilating learners prefer a logical, analytical approach to learning. They focus on ideas and abstract concepts rather than people and are more interested in understanding theoretical models and frameworks. These learners excel in organizing information into clear, logical formats and are comfortable with structured learning environments.
- Strengths: Analytical thinking, logical reasoning, and the ability to synthesize information into coherent models.
- Best Learning Environment: Lectures, reading assignments, structured work, and environments that focus on theory and conceptual understanding.
3. Converging (Abstract Conceptualization + Active Experimentation)
- Description: Converging learners are practical and focused on solving problems. They prefer to apply ideas and theories to real-world situations, excelling in tasks that require decision-making and the application of knowledge. These learners are goal-oriented and thrive in situations where they can experiment with new ideas and see tangible results.
- Strengths: Problem-solving, practical application of concepts, decision-making, and technical skills.
- Best Learning Environment: Hands-on tasks, technical projects, simulations, and environments that allow for experimentation and practical application.
4. Accommodating (Concrete Experience + Active Experimentation)
- Description: Accommodating learners are hands-on and rely on intuition rather than logic. They prefer to learn by doing and enjoy new challenges and experiences. These learners are adaptable, often seeking out opportunities to act quickly and take risks. They excel in environments that require flexibility and are often good at working with people and in teams.
- Strengths: Adaptability, intuition, action-oriented approach, and the ability to thrive in dynamic environments.
- Best Learning Environment: Experiential learning, group work, fieldwork, and environments that require adaptability and real-time problem-solving.
These learning styles reflect how individuals prefer to engage with the learning cycle, making it important to tailor educational experiences to match their strengths and preferences.
More to read:
How to be a successful English learner? Personality matters
How to Make Your English Learning Goals More Achievable
.Crafting an Effective Learning Plan: Proven Tips for Success
Study Helper: How To Create a Healthy Daily Routine
The Best English Learning Tips 2024: Create an Actionable Plan
How to Learn English Step by Step the Right Way
How to learn English step by step free. Strategies
5 Powerful Steps to Use SMART Goals to Reach Success
Application in Language Learning
When applying Kolb’s learning styles to language learning, each style offers unique strengths that can be leveraged to enhance the learning process.
Here’s how each style can be applied in language learning:
1. Diverging (Concrete Experience + Reflective Observation)
- Application: Diverging learners excel in language learning environments that encourage creativity and the exploration of different perspectives. They thrive in activities that involve storytelling, role-playing, and discussions, where they can reflect on cultural nuances and various ways of expressing ideas.
- Activities: Participating in group discussions, exploring cultural contexts of the language, using visual aids like mind maps, engaging in creative writing, and reflecting on personal experiences in the language being learned.
2. Assimilating (Reflective Observation + Abstract Conceptualization)
- Application: Assimilating learners prefer structured learning environments where they can focus on the rules and grammar of a language. They benefit from studying theoretical aspects of language, such as syntax and phonetics, and enjoy working through exercises that involve analyzing and organizing information.
- Activities: Reading grammar books, studying language theory, engaging in structured writing tasks, analyzing sentence structures, using flashcards, and listening to lectures or podcasts that explain language rules.
3. Converging (Abstract Conceptualization + Active Experimentation)
- Application: Converging learners are goal-oriented and enjoy applying their language skills in practical, problem-solving situations. They prefer tasks where they can use the language to achieve specific objectives, such as solving puzzles, completing assignments, or engaging in language immersion experiences.
- Activities: Engaging in language immersion programs, participating in language exchange or conversation practice, working on translation tasks, completing language exercises that involve problem-solving, and using language-learning apps that focus on interactive tasks.
4. Accommodating (Concrete Experience + Active Experimentation)
- Application: Accommodating learners are hands-on and prefer to learn by doing. They thrive in dynamic environments where they can experiment with language use in real-world contexts, such as through travel, interacting with native speakers, or engaging in spontaneous conversations.
- Activities: Traveling to countries where the language is spoken, participating in language exchange programs, using language in everyday tasks (like shopping or ordering food), role-playing scenarios, and using apps that simulate real-life conversations.
Tailoring Language Learning to Your Style
- Diverging learners might focus on cultural immersion and reflective activities, like journaling in the target language.
- Assimilating learners can benefit from in-depth study sessions that involve analyzing language structures and rules.
- Converging learners should seek out opportunities to apply language in practical situations, like project-based tasks or language apps with interactive features.
- Accommodating learners should immerse themselves in the language environment and seek out real-world opportunities to practice.
Understanding and applying your preferred learning style, you can choose the most effective methods and activities to enhance your language learning.
Kolb suggested that people have “learning styles,” meaning they might feel more comfortable with certain stages of the learning cycle than others.
However, the idea of “learning styles” has been largely debunked today, with critics noting that Kolb's conclusions weren't based on strong evidence.
For example, people taking his Learning Style Inventory (LSI) can get different results at different times, raising questions about its reliability.
Despite these critiques, Kolb's ideas have influenced much of the modern thinking about teaching and learning, especially in higher education. Concepts like active learning, reflective practice, and the value of internships and cooperative education are rooted in Kolb's learning theory.
I’ve heard that this inventory has been helpful in some schools in Toronto, so it might be worth considering as another tool for your studies.
You might want to check it out. Thanks for reading, and until next time!
M.K.
References
Kolb, D. A. (1976). The Learning Style Inventory: Technical Manual. Boston, MA: McBer.
Kolb, D.A. (1981). Learning styles and disciplinary differences, in: A.W. Chickering (Ed.) The Modern American College (pp. 232–255). San Francisco, LA: Jossey-Bass.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (Vol. 1). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
https://learningfromexperience.com
https://www.georgebrown.ca/media/tlxnewsletter09-nov21pdf
