A Study of Kolb Learning Style on Experiential Learning

Shu-Chuan Lin 1 Yih-Yeong Lin 2

1)
Department of Industrial Education and Technology
National Changhua University of Education
Changhua County, Taiwan (R.O.C.) ;
The Center for Teacher Education
Chaoyang University of Technology
Taichung County, Taiwan(R.O.C.)
lin98060691@yahoo.com.tw
Jing-Ying Lin 3
3)
Department of Radiological Technology;
Center of General Education
Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Taichung County, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
jylin@ctust.edu.tw
2)
Department of Human Resources Development
Hsiuping Institute of Technology
Taichung County, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
lyy4@mail.hit.edu.tw
Chao-Jen Cheng 4
4)
Department of Industrial Education and Technology
National Changhua University of Education
Changhua County, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
micro0402@gmail.com

Abstract - The purpose of this study was to explore the The results were made to provide some references for teachers
reaction of different learning styles students on experiential and learners.
learning course. The research subjects were sophomore taking
"curriculum arrangement and training programs" on II. LITERATURE REVIEW
Department of Human Resources Development at Hsiuping
Institute of Technology in central Taiwan. First, we used Kolb's
A. Experiential Learning
Learning Style Inventory to divide students into 4 kinds of John Dewey’s Pragmatism paid attention to educational
learning style: Diverger, Assimilator, Converger, Accommodator. philosophy included: 1. Education is life; 2. Focus on the
Then, according to a modefied questionnaires as a tool to process concept; 3. Attention to active learning; 4. the same
appreciate their perspectives on experiential learning. importance for both in theory and in learning. we got
The results including teaching strategies, curriculum knowledge, skills and values through practical working in
arrangement and personal feeling. All results showed that action accordance with experiential learning scientific methods,
oriented Accommodator was superior to Assimilator with which is "learning by doing", is also the reflection process [1]
thinking orientation ; Converger with non-emotional character
[3] [4]. Gass stressed that the knowledge transfer of
was superior to Diverger with innovative character. Finally,
According to these findings, we drew the inference that students
experiential learning more valuable than others [5]. David A.
with action orientation & with non-emotional character were Kolb, Harvard Professor of Organizational Behavior, put
more easy than those with thinking orientation & with thinking forward the mode of "experiential learning cycle" respectively:
orientation to adapt and love experiential learning. 1. concrete experience followed by; 2. observation and
experience followed by; 3. forming abstract concepts followed
Index Terms - Kolb learning styles, experiential learning,
by; 4. testing in new situations [2], shown in Figure 1. It was
teaching strategies, curriculum arrangement.
also widely used in related courses. Subsequently, Kurt Hahn,
I. INTRODUCTION British educator, established the British non-profit
organizations - Outward Bound School under the assistance of
In recent years, the evolution of information technologies Lawrence Holt in1941. In addition, Outward Bound Schools
had made lots of changes on learning style, such as on-line had set up around the world [6].
learning, mobile learning (m-learning), even ubiquitous
learning (u-learning). Therefore, e-learning (e-learning) will be
the major way of study in the further. However, there will be
an important issue that how to communicate and coordinate
with others, how to problem solving by teamwork in education
if the frequency of people’s interaction gradually reduced
under the influence of the information convenience.
Wherefore, experiential learning will be the next important
medium of learning in the further.
According to Kolb learning styles, there are Diverger,
Assimilator, Converger, Accommodator[1] [2]. This research
Fig. 1 Kolb experiential learning cycle
aims at probing into the students’ reaction after experiential
Source Kolb (1984) p.42
learning courses for different Kolb learning styles, then find
out the difference about different Kolb learning styles students.
B. Kolb Learning Styles people
Kolb experiential learning theory included four learning Accommodator · greatest strength is doing things
· more of a risk taker
stages: Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract · performs well when required to react to
Conceptualization and Active Experimentation. Generally, immediate circumstances
there are divided into two dimensions: one is the · solves problems intuitively
"understanding" dimension, the vertical axis, represented with Source Kolb and Fry on learning styles (1975)
differences in the way to gain experience between Concrete III. METHODOLOGY
Experience, CE, and Abstract Conceptualization, AC; the
other is " transformation "dimension, the horizontal axis, The subject of this study was sophomore students
represented with differences in the way to change experience recruited from "curriculum design and training programs" at
between Reflective Observation, RO and Active department of Human Resource Development on Hsiuping
Experimentation, AE. The each relative area has its Institute of Technology in central Taiwan, purposive sampling
corresponding learning style: Diverger, Assimilator, to select about 42 students and returned 34 questionnaires.
Accommodator and Converger [1] [2]. There is Kolb learning There is about 81% for effective response rate.
style classification and structure diagram, shown in Figure 2. This study adopted a modified Kolb Learning Style
Figure 2 showed Converger’s learning style preferences Inventory [8] [9] and a modified students’ responses
is “Abstract Conceptualization + Active Experimentation” questionnaires [9] including teaching strategies, curriculum
Diverger’s learning style preferences is “Concrete Experience arrangement, and personal feeling on experiential learning to
+ Reflective Observation” Assimilator’s learning style explore the students’ response after experiential learning
course. There was a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from
preferences is “Abstract Conceptualization + Reflective
1= strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree.
Observation” Accommodator’s learning style preferences is
“Concrete Experience + Active Experimentation”. There is IV. RESULT
Kolb learning characteristic description, shown in TABLE I
Above all, we divide students into 4 kinds of learning
[7].
style: Diverger, Assimilator, Converger, Accommodator by
Kolb's Learning Style Inventory, as shown in TABLE II. Next,
CE
the results obtained from analyzed and tested the data of
modified students’ responses questionnaires by frequency,
percentage, mean. The results including teaching strategies,
Accommodator Diverger
curriculum arrangement, and personal feeling on experiential
learning were achieved as follows:
AE RO
TABLE II
Converger Assimilator DISTRIBUTION OF KOLB LEARNING STYLES
Kolb Percentage
Learning Styles
AC Diverger 14 41%
Where: Assimilator 8 24%
CE Concrete Experience AC Abstract Conceptualization Converger 2 6%
RO Reflective Observation AE Active Experimentation Accommodator 10 29%
Fig. 2 Kolb learning style classification and organization diagram Total 34 100%
Source Kolb & Wolfe(1981) p.188 Source This study

TABLE I A. Teaching Strategies

KOLB LEARNING CHARACTERISTIC DESCRIPTION The findings showed that priorities of average scores on
LEARNING STYLE LEARNING CHARACTERISTIC DESCRIPTION the reaction for Teaching Strategies were converger,
Converger · strong in practical application of ideas
· can focus on hypo-deductive reasoning on
assimilator, diverger and accommodator are shown in Figure
specific problems 3, shown in Figure 4.
· unemotional
· has narrow interests
Diverger · strong in imaginative ability
· good at generating ideas and seeing things from
different perspectives
· interested in people
· broad cultural interests
Assimilator · strong ability to create theoretical models
excels in inductive reasoning
· concerned with abstract concepts rather than
 Fig. 5 Curriculum arrangement question items charts

Fig. 3 Teaching strategies question items charts

Fig. 6 Curriculum arrangement charts

C. Personal Feeling
The findings showed that priorities of average scores
on the reaction for Personal Feeling were accommodator,
converger, diverger and assimilator are shown in Figure 7,
Fig. 4 Teaching strategies charts
shown in Figure 8.
B. Curriculum Arrangement
The findings showed that priorities of average scores
on the reaction for Curriculum Arrangement were converger,
diverger, accommodator, and assimilator are shown in Figure
5, shown in Figure 6.

Fig. 7 Personal feeling question items charts
Fig. 8 Personal feeling charts
V. CONCLUSION
Fourth Kolb learning styles as follows: Diverger who
have imagination and understanding things ability, innovative
character, mainly composed with two learning types by
Concrete Experience and Reflective Observation Assimilator
who have inductive ability and establishing theoretical
framework ability, with thinking orientation, mainly composed
with two learning types by Reflective Observation and
Abstract Conceptualization Converger who with problem
solving, knowledge- used ability, a non-emotional character,
mainly composed with two learning types by Abstract
Conceptualization and Active Experimentation
Accommodator who easy to adapt the environment, intuitive
than logical, with action orientation, mainly composed with
two learning types by Active Experimentation and Concrete
Experience [2].
The teaching method of experiential learning is using
games, assistive devices, and creating learning situations, so
that students can personally operate themselves, more clearly
understand the actual construction and operation, and then
transfer into memory. The study found that priorities of
average scores on the reaction for Teaching Strategies were
converger, assimilator, diverger and accommodator. The result
showed accommodator with action oriented responses was
superior to assimilator with think orientation; converger with
non-emotional character responses was superior to diverger
with innovative character.
Experiential learning curriculum arrangement including
Helium Stick, Procupin Progression, now Flake, Spider's Web
and other projects. The study found that priorities of average
scores on the reaction for Curriculum Arrangement were
converger, diverger, accommodator, and assimilator. The
result showed accommodator with action oriented responses
was superior to assimilator with think orientation; converger
with non-emotional character responses was same as diverger
with innovative character.
The study found that priorities of average scores on the
reaction for Personal Feeling were accommodator, converger,
diverger, and assimilator. The result showed accommodator
with action oriented responses was superior to assimilator with
think orientation; converger with non-emotional character
responses was superior to diverger with innovative character.
In conclusion, this study divided students into Diverger,
Assimilator, Converger, Accommodator by Kolb's Learning
Style Inventory to appreciate their perspectives on experiential
learning. The study found that priorities of average scores on
the reaction for Teaching Strategies, Curriculum Arrangement,
Personal Feeling were the same as accommodator with action
oriented responses was superior to assimilator with think
orientation; converger with non-emotional character responses
was superior to diverger with innovative character. By
analyzed results, we suggest that students with action oriented
and non-emotional character are more easy than those with
innovative thinking character and think orientation to adapt
and love experiential learning course.
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