Kolb's Learning Styles: Experiential Learning Theory

 

David Kolb's Theory of Experiential Learning is part of the humanistic and constructivist approaches to education, which emphasize that learning happens spontaneously. Kolb argued that experience was essential for the creation of knowledge since learning happens via exploration and active engagement. Kolb defined learning as “The process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Kolb, 1984).

The Experiential Learning Theory by Kolb is divided into two components. The first is that learning happens in a cycle with four stages, as shown below. 

Kolb thought that in an ideal situation, employees would move through the stages to finish a cycle and then convert their experiences into knowledge. The second component of Kolb's theory, or the cognitive processes involved in knowledge acquisition, was centred on learning styles. In essence, Kolb thought that people might show their understanding of the learning that took place when they could apply abstract ideas to novel situations.

When all phases of the cycle have been completed, the experience can become knowledge. The entire tenet of Kolb's philosophy is the idea of turning experience into knowledge. The learner can combine new observations with their existing learning with each new experience. 

The goal is for employees to have the chance to move through each level.

Kolb believed that things must be changed or transformed, and this idea is at the heart of his theory. The learner has received no benefit from memorization or recall of the concepts given, hence this does not constitute learning. According to Kolb's paradigm, learning must result from the experience in order to be considered to have occurred.

Four Stages of Learning-

This learning process has four stages. Concrete experience, reflective observation, active experimentation & abstract conceptualization.

01. Concrete experience

Kolb's cycle of the learning process starts with a concrete experience. This could either be a brand-new experience or a previously experienced one that has been recreated. In a real experience, every learner participates in a task or activity. Kolb thought that engagement is the key to learning. For employees, reading about it or watching it in action is insufficient. The work must be actively pursued by the learner if new knowledge is to be acquired.

02. Reflective Observation
 
The employee takes a step back after participating in the concrete experience to think about the assignment. The learner has the opportunity to discuss the experience with others at this point of the learning cycle and ask questions. At this point, communication is crucial because it enables the learner to spot any differences between what they have understood and what they have actually experienced. Having a strong vocabulary also enables a thorough assessment of the events that took place.

03. Abstract Conceptualization

Making sense of these events is the following stage in the learning cycle. The learner makes an effort to derive conclusions from the experience by considering their past knowledge, applying concepts they are familiar with, or bringing up potential theories with peers. When a learner starts to categorize ideas and draw judgments about what happened, they go from introspective observation to abstract conceptualization. This entails analyzing the event and drawing analogies with their existing conceptual understanding. It is not necessary for concepts to be "new" for learners to assess new data and revise their interpretations of preexisting theories.

04. Active Experimentation

The testing phase of the cycle is at this point. Employees take part in a task once more, but this time they are trying to apply their learning to new situations. They have the capacity to forecast outcomes, evaluate tasks, and plan how they will apply newly learned knowledge in the future. You can make sure that the knowledge is remembered in the future by letting employees put what they have learned into practice and demonstrating how it applies to their everyday life.

We frequently use Kolb's Learning Cycle while instructing employees to help them comprehend the value of experiential learning. The model below exemplifies this procedure:

1. Orientation - Through reflection and practical experience, employees get familiar with the learning objective.

2. Cognitive Processing - Through practical exercises, students actively engage with the subject matter.

3. Retrieval - Through repetition and memory, employees are able to recollect the material.

4. Consolidation - Employees incorporate new knowledge into their long-term memory.

5. Motivation & Evaluation - The value of the activity is evaluated by employees.

6. Integration - Employees combine fresh knowledge with what they already know

7. Application - Employees use fresh knowledge to address issues.

8. Exploration – Employees keep learning more about the learning.

Conclusion

Even though definitions have a way of making things seem more certain than they are, it may be useful to summarize this chapter on the characteristics of the experiential learning process by offering a working definition of learning. “Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” This definition emphasizes several critical aspects of the learning process as viewed from the experiential perspective in the hospitality filed as well.

First is the emphasis on the process of adaptation and learning as opposed to content or outcomes. Second is that knowledge is a transformation process, being continuously created and recreated, not an independent entity to be acquired or transmitted. Third, learning transforms experience in both its objective and subjective forms. Finally, to understand learning, we must understand the nature of knowledge and vice versa.

References

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