Kolb's Learning Styles

Abstract

A learning style refers to the way individuals process information and learn. There is no better or best learning style, all are of value and represent different ways of gaining knowledge.

Many ways of categorizing learning styles have been developed. One of the most prominent is the Kolb Model which looks at how learners perceive and process information.

Kolb's model is based on two continuums. The first, is called the Processing Continuum (how we approach a task - from doing to watching). The second, is called the Perception Continuum (our emotional response, or how we think or feel about it, - from thinking to feeling). These continuums are represented by horizontal and vertical axis that intersect to form four quadrants.

According to Kolb there are four learning styles, represented by the four quadrants formed by the two axis. The four styles are:

diverging (feeling/watching) assimilating (watching/thinking) converging (thinking/doing) accomodating (doing feeling)

In this interactive tutorial you will be presented with 20 characteristics of the four Kolb learning styles. Your goal will be to determine which of these characteristics describes a diverging, assimilating, converging or accomodating learning style.