Kolb+and+experiential+learning

[] this link is amazing, all you want to know, for or against....make up your mind "This is the most comprehensive review and list of experiential learning articles I have found. A masterful piece from Mr. Greenaway!"

his theory is seen as being a great concept by many, beneficial in particular for the teachers but of little relation with the actual way we learn ( [|Dictionary of Personal Development] by Paul Tosey and Josie Gregory,Human Potential Research Group.) "The implications for teaching have been drawn logically from the theory rather than from research findings." (Akella 2010) Robotham D (1999) The application of learning style theory in higher education teaching. Unpublished article, Wolverhampton Business School, Wolverhampton UK. cited in Learning together: Kolb’s experiential theory and its application by Devi Akella, College of Business, Albany State University, Albany GA, USA JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION Volume 16, Issue 1, March 2010

"As for the Inventory, Kolb, himself, points out its greatest limitation. The results are based solely on the way learners rate themselves. It does not rate learning style preferences through standards or behavior, as some other personal style inventories do, and it only gives relative strengths within the individual learner, not in relation to others. In my own case, I found the results dubious. The wording in the questions seemed vague and the results did not jive with my own view of my preferred learning style"

experiential learning was in essence rediscovered in the 80

" [|The full article] (plus references*) provides a useful historical overview (placing Kolb in context) with some interesting insights. But I can't quite believe that the role of experience in learning was so completely overlooked until the 1980's. Why, for example, are the writings of Dewey, Kelly and Lewin not referred to in this article?

Rogers, A. (1996). Teaching Adults (2nd ed.). Buckingham: Open University Press." "In my opinion, the major benefit from use of the inventory lies not in its effect on learners, but rather, in its effect on educators. Regardless of what results the inventory might produce, its mere presence reemphasizes experience as an critical part of learning. Even today, most education is still essentialist, an approach that ignores learner experience. Also, as Brookfield points out, teachers tend to be so concerned with presenting information that they overlook student needs to reflect upon it. Instead, he encourages "praxis ," thereby:
 * n.b. The reference to 'Rogers 1996' is Alan not Carl ...

> "...ensuring that opportunities for the interplay between action and reflection are available in a balanced way for students. Praxis means that curricula are not studied in some kind of artificial isolation, but that ideas, skills, and insights learned in a classroom are tested and experienced in real life. Essential to praxis is the opportunity to reflect on experience, so that formal study is informed by some appreciation of reality." (Brookfield, 1990, p. 50) The Theory of Experiential Learning can also be integrated in one's way of teaching. For example, after introducing a new grammar or difficult point, the instructor might give the students a minute or two of silence to reflect and then another minute or two to discuss. The Learning Style Inventory serves as a reminder that the internal processes of learning need just as much care as the external."

=**__ [|Experiential Learning (Kolb)] __** = Summary: A four-stage cyclical theory of learning, Kolb’s experiential learning theory is a holistic perspective that combines experience, perception, cognition, and behavior. Originators: David A. Kolb (1939-) Key Terms: Learning cycles, learning styles, concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, active experimentation ** Experiential Learning (Kolb) **

Building upon earlier work by John Dewey and Kurt Levin, American educational theorist David A. Kolb believes “learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (1984, p. 38). The theory presents a cyclical model of learning, consisting of four stages shown below. One may begin at any stage, but must follow each other in the sequence: Figure 1. // Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle //. Kolb’s four-stage learning cycle shows how experience is translated through reflection into concepts, which in turn are used as guides for active experimentation and the choice of new experiences. The first stage, // concrete experience // (CE), is where the learner actively experiences an activity such as a lab session or field work. The second stage, // reflective observation // (RO), is when the learner consciously reflects back on that experience. The third stage, // abstract conceptualization // (AC), is where the learner attempts to conceptualize a theory or model of what is observed. The fourth stage, // active experimentation // (AE), is where the learner is trying to plan how to test a model or theory or plan for a forthcoming experience.
 * concrete experience (or “DO”)
 * reflective observation (or “OBSERVE”)
 * abstract conceptualization (or “THINK”)
 * active experimentation (or “PLAN”)

Kolb identified four learning styles which correspond to these stages. The styles highlight conditions under which learners learn better. These styles are:
 * assimilators, who learn better when presented with sound logical theories to consider
 * convergers, who learn better when provided with practical applications of concepts and theories
 * accommodators, who learn better when provided with “hands-on” experiences
 * divergers, who learn better when allowed to observe and collect a wide range of information

For more information, see:  **experiences/conditions** (Anderson 1988). The Inventory has also been used within a fairly limited range of cultures (an important consideration if we approach learning as [|situated] i.e. affected by environments). As Anderson (1988, cited in Tennant 1996) highlights, there is a need to take account of differences in cognitive and communication styles that are culturally-based. Here we need to attend to different models of [|selfhood] - and the extent to which these may differ from the 'western' assumptions that underpin the Kolb and Fry model. **The idea of stages or steps does not sit well with the reality of thinking.** There is a problem here - that of sequence. As Dewey (1933) has said in relation to reflection a number of processes can occur at once, stages can be jumped. This way of presenting things is rather too neat and is simplistic - see [|reflection]. **Empirical support for the model is weak** (Jarvis 1987; Tennant 1997). The initial research base was small, and there have only been a limited number of studies that have sought to test or explore the model (such as Jarvis 1987). Furthermore, the learning style inventory 'has no capacity to measure the degree of integration of learning styles' (Tennant 1997: 92). **The relationship of learning processes to knowledge is problematic**//**.**// As Jarvis (1987) again points out, David Kolb is able to show that learning and knowledge are intimately related. However, two problems arise here. David Kolb doesn't really explore the nature of knowledge in any depth. In chapter five of //Experiential Learning// he discusses the structure of knowledge from what is basically a social psychology perspective. He doesn't really connect with the rich and varied debates about the nature of knowledge that raged over the centuries within philosophy and social theory. This means that I do not think he really grasps different ways of knowing. For example, Kolb focuses on processes in the individual mind, rather than seeing learning as situated. Second, for David Kolb, learning is concerned with the production of knowledge. 'Knowledge results from the combination of grasping experience and transforming it' (Kolb 1984: 41). Here we might contrast this position with [|Paulo Freire]. His focus is upon informed, committed action ( [|praxis] ). Given these problems we have to take some care approaching David Kolb's vision of experiential learning. However, as Tennant (1997: 92) points out, 'the model provides an excellent framework for planning teaching and learning activities and it can be usefully employed as a guide for understanding learning difficulties, vocational counselling, academic advising and so on'.