Airah M.

Guiling

Bachelor of Elementary Education: 1st year.

REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ON LEARNING AND THINKING STYLES

David Kolb's Learning and Thinking Styles Theory, which focuses on highlighting that
learning happens naturally, includes David Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning. Due
to the fact that learning happens via exploration and active participation, Kolb argued
that experience was essential in the growth of knowledge construction. Additionally,
learning was described by Kolb as "the process by which knowledge is formed via the
transformation of experience" (Kolb, 1984).

David Kolb proposed a four-stage cycle for learning in this theory, which he explained
below. Kolb thought that in an ideal situation, students would go through the phases of a
cycle to the point where they were turning their experiences into knowledge. The
second component of Kolb's theory, or the cognitive procedures that took place in order
to gain knowledge, concentrated on learning styles. In essence, Kolb thought that
people might show their understanding or the learning that had taken place when they
were able to apply abstract ideas to novel circumstances. Because of this, this theory
divides learning into four stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract
conceptualization, and active experimentation. Kolb described the various types of
learning styles the diverging, assimilating, converging and accommodating. Experience
can only become knowledge when all phases of the cycle have been completed. The
principle of turning experience into knowledge is the foundation of Kolb's entire
philosophy. The learner is able to combine new observations with their prior knowledge
with each new experience. The ideal situation would be for students to move through
each phase. For example, a classic teacher-student lecture may be both a concrete and
an abstract experience, based on how the learner interacts with it.
To sum up, David Kolb's Learning and Thinking Styles Theory has had a significant
influence on today's age. It can be used precisely in any teaching environment. In order
to accommodate various learning styles, this theory always includes a wide variety of
learning activities. No of their preferred learning approach, all learners benefit from a
range of experiences since it allows them to expand their skill sets and become more
adaptable and well-rounded individuals.

References:
Kolb, D.A. (1984). Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and
development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.