Kolby Learning Cycle Resources
The
Kolby Learning Cycle Explained
In the first phase, the educator involves
the learners in a concrete experience. The experience could be a role play, a live or video demonstration, a case study, or a
testimonial. Generally, it will not be a lecture. The learners are then asked to review the experience from many
perspectives. They ask themselves questions. What happened? What did you
observe? This second phase is referred to as reflective observation. During the third
phase of abstract conceptualization,
the learners develop theories and look at patterns. Further questions are asked. How do you account for what you observed? What
does it mean for you? How is it significant? What conclusions can you draw?
What general principles can you derive? The fourth and final phase of this
experiential model is active
experimentation. The learners suggest ways that they can apply the
principles they have learned. How can we apply this learning? In what ways can
we use it the next time? What would we do differently? In closing, experiential learning provides a
model that enables learners to draw from their past
experiences to acquire new knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes that they
can then apply in their organizational settings.
Kolb's
Learning Cycle and Phases
David
Kolb studied learning and noticed that everyone in a learning situation goes
through a cycle of four phases. However, Kolb also noticed that each individual
generally preferred two phases of this cycle.
The cycle of learning phases.
1.
Having a concrete experience about an action/idea. (I'm painting
a kitchen wall.)
2.
Observing it in a reflective, thoughtful way. (How
does it look? Do I like it?)
3.
Thinking about it in an abstract, theoretical way. (Could
I have used a better method-paint brush vs. roller?)
4.
Experimenting
with the idea/action based on the original experience. (I try a different method.)
Where
do you fit? Kolb gave names to different types of learners, based
on their favourite phases in the learning cycle.
- Diverger:
Prefers phases: (1) having a concrete experience; and (2) reflecting on that experience. Divergers are imaginative and interested in people and emotions. - Assimilator:
Prefers phases: (2) reflecting on an experience; and (3) thinking about the experience in an abstract, theoretical way. Assimilators like to create theoretical models and tend to be less interested in people and practical applications of knowledge. - Converger:
Prefers phases: (3) thinking about the experience in an abstract, theoretical way; and (4) experimenting with the idea/action. Convergers like to be practical and tend to be unemotional and prefer to deal with things rather than people. - Accommodator:
Prefers phases: (1) having a concrete experience; and (4) experimenting with the idea/action based on that experience. Accommodators are good in adapting to new experiences and tend to be intuitive at solving problems.
In contrast, Ally & Fahy in their paper Using Students' Learning Styles to Povide Support in Distance Education, identify learners by a singular preferred phase.
Develop
your learning strategies.
Now
that you've identified yourself according to your
preferred phases, find out about strategies that can help you learn
more effectively.
Teaching Activities for Phases of the Learning Cycle
Table I lists teaching activities
that support different aspects of this learning cycle. Any of these can be
further adapted for individual or group, competitive or collaborative, in-class
or out-of-class activities.
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Table
I |
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Teaching Activities that Support Different Aspects of the Learning
Cycle |
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Concrete |
Reflective |
Abstract |
Active |
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readings |
logs |
lecture |
projects |