LEARNING STYLES

David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory

Presented by: Blessy Marielle Aseral Quimno

Henry Palabrica Hermoso
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
1. INTRODUCTION

2. KOLB’S EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CYCLE

3. KOLB’S LEARNING STYLES AND LEARNING MODES

4. KOLB’S LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

5. SUMMARY
“If learners cannot learn the way we teach, maybe
we should teach them the way they learn”
-Ignacio Estrada
VIEWS ON LEARNING
STYLES
• Process whereby knowledge is created through
the transformation of experience (Kolb, 1984)

• Preferential way in which the students absorb,

process, comprehend and retain information
(Jones and Blankenship, 2017)
VIEWS ON LEARNING
STYLES
• The importance of knowing the concept of
learning styles could influence the understanding
of teachers on the individual differences of
students (Li et al., 2016)

• When teachers are critically aware of learning

styles, they are likely to be very careful when
designing a lesson plan, during their teaching and
when assessing individual student (Pajares, 1992).
KOLB’S EXPERIENTIAL
LEARNING CYCLE
 Concrete
Experience
(doing/having an experience)

Active Reflective
Experimentation Observation
(planning/trying out what you (reviewing/reflecting on the
have learned) experience)

Abstract
Conceptualisation
(concluding/learning from the
experience
 EXPERIENCE

ACT REFLECT

ANALYZE
KOLB’S LEARNING STYLES
AND LEARNING MODES
 CONCRETE EXPERIENCE
(feeling)

Accommodating Diverging
(feel & do) (feel & watch)
ACTIVE REFLECTIVE
EXPERIMENTATION OBSERVATION
(doing) (watching)
Converging Assimilating
(think & do) (think & watch)

ABSTRACT CONCEPTUALIZATION
(thinking)
 ACCOMMODATIVE
DESCRIPTION LEARNING MODES

• Learners excel at accomplishing CONCRETE EXPERIENCE

tasks by following directions, • Focus: Involved interpersonal
meticulously planning, seeking experiences
new experiences. • Values: real-world situations

• They are opportunistic, action- ACTIVE EXPERIMENTATION

driven and risk-takers, can solve • Focus: Influencing people and
problems in intuitive trial and error
changing situations
manner than careful examination
• Values: Ability to manipulate
of facts, rely heavily on other
environments
people for information than their
analytic ability.
 DIVERGENT
DESCRIPTION LEARNING MODES

• Divergent learners are best at CONCRETE EXPERIENCE

tasks that require imaginative • Focus: Involved interpersonal
ability and awareness of meaning experiences
and value; can identify concrete • Values: real-world situations
examples and generate numerous
qualities of a concept from many REFLECTIVE OBSERVATION
perspectives; considered as brain
• Focus: Understand meaning of ideas
stormers; prefer to observe than
• Values: Patience, impartiality and
act; are emotionally oriented and
thoughtful judgment
tend to be very creative.
 ASSIMILATIVE
DESCRIPTION LEARNING MODES

• Learners can reason inductively; ABSTRACT CONCEPTUALIZATION

can create theoretical models in • Focus: Involved interpersonal
assimilating disparate experiences
observations into an integrated • Values: real-world situations
explanation; concerned with
ideas and abstract concepts REFLECTIVE OBSERVATION
than with people and social
• Focus: Understand meaning of ideas
interactions; concerned with
• Values: Patience, impartiality and
abstract logical than practical
thoughtful judgment
aspect of theories.
 CONVERGENT
DESCRIPTION LEARNING MODES

• Learners’ ability to efficiently solve ABSTRACT CONCEPTUALIZATION

problems, make decisions and apply • Focus: logic, ideas, concepts
practical ideas to solve problems; do • Values: conceptual systems and
well on standard conventional rigorous data analysis
intelligence tests because they can
organize knowledge in hypothetical- ACTIVE EXPERIMENTATION
deductive reasoning and converge • Focus: Influencing people and
to one given answer; well adept in
changing situations
controlling emotions; prefer dealing
• Values: Ability to manipulate
with technical tasks and problems
environments
than issues on interpersonal and
social interactions
KOLB’S LEARNING
ENVIRONMENTS
 TYPES OF DESCRIPTION
ENVIRONMENT
• Learning environment which emphasizes
concrete experiences so that learners experience
the real thing.
• Affective learning tasks include activities such as
1. AFFECTIVE LEARNING
practical exercise, simulations or field
ENVIRONMENT
experiences.
• Activities are none competitive, feedback should
not be comparative but personalized to the
individual learner’s goals and needs.
 TYPES OF DESCRIPTION
ENVIRONMENT
• Learners are involved in trying to solve problems
for which there is usually a right answer or the
best solution.
2. SYMBOLIC LEARNING
• Activities may include lecture, homework and
ENVIRONMENT
theory readings.
• The teacher is acknowledged as expert, enforcer
of rules, regulator of time and taskmaster.
 TYPES OF DESCRIPTION
ENVIRONMENT
• Emphasizes the process of problem solving rather
than coming up with the best solution.
• Learning processes may include reflective
exercises like keeping journals, writing reflective
3. PERCEPTUAL essays or engaging in dialogue with other
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT students.
• Teacher’s role is to act as facilitator of the learning
process, be non-evaluative and act as a mirror by
reflecting student observation and comments.
 TYPES OF DESCRIPTION
ENVIRONMENT
• It emphasizes active application of knowledge or
skills to a practical problem.
4. BEHAVIORAL LEARNING • Activities should not be structured so that
ENVIRONMENT learners gain intrinsic rewards and values.
• The teacher acts as a coach or guide but only
when the student initiates or solicits help.
SUMMARY
• Learning experiential theory was developed
by David Kolb.
• Kolb’s Learning Experiential Cycle includes
Concrete Experience, Reflective
Observation, Abstract Conceptualization, and
Active Experimentation.
• Accommodative, Divergent, Assimilative, and
Convergent are learning styles according to
David Kolb.
TAKEAWAYS
THANK YOU!
Have a good day, everyone!