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Kolb’s Learning Styles

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Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning

Synonyms

Learning mode; Learning preference

Definition

Kolb’s learning styles are defined by an individual’s relative preference for the four modes of the learning cycle described in experiential learning theory: Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization, and Active Experimentation. These learning styles can be assessed by the Kolb Learning Style Inventory (2005). Nine distinct learning style patterns have been observed: experiencing, diverging, reflecting, assimilating, thinking, converging, acting, accommodating, and balancing.

Theoretical Background

Learning style describes the unique ways that individuals spiral through the learning cycle based on their preference for the four different learning modes: CE, RO, AC, & AE. Because of our genetic makeup, our particular life experiences, and the demands of our present environment, we develop a preferred way of choosing among these four learning modes. We resolve the conflict between being concrete or...

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References

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Correspondence to Alice Kolb .

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© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Kolb, A., Kolb, D.A. (2012). Kolb’s Learning Styles. In: Seel, N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_228

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_228

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

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