Kolb's Theory

1 Pages 332 Words

Learning styles can be described as “the different ways in which children and adults can think and learn”. We all develop a preferred and consistent set of behaviors and approaches to the way we learn (Litzinger & Osif). This is very true. Each of us as individuals learns very differently from each other. Kolb shows us that learning styles can be seen on a continuum that we move through over time.
The first learning style is concrete experience. This means being involved in new experiences. For the concrete experiencer, learning by doing field work or working in a laboratory would be ideal. Next, is the style of reflective observation. This is watching others or developing observations about ones own experiences. The reflective observer would learn by using journals or logs and even brainstorming. Then there is abstract conceptualization. This means that one creates theories to explain observations. The abstract conceptualizer learns best from lectures and papers. And lastly, there is the active experimentation style. This is using theories to solve problems and make decisions. Case studies and homework work best in teaching this learner (Blackmore).
Kolb did believe that we as humans move over this continuum over time, but he also knew that people come to prefer and rely mainly on one learning style above the others.
This article helped me to see the different ways in which people learn. We know that not all people learn the same, but now we can use this information to gain better knowledge of how to teach to students whose learning styles are different from our own. We can now be more aware of how we teach; making sure that we are meeting the needs of every child and choosing materials that are diverse enough to relay the message that it being taught. I love the interactive website that is made available for the different learning styles and plan to use this information to help me reach all of my students the best way I kno...