David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory

Learning isn’t a passive process. It also doesn’t just involve memorizing facts. According to psychologist psychologist David Kolb, it’s a process that involves our experiences, reflections, and ability to utilize what we’ve learned in new situations. His theory of experiential learning involves learning from experience.

Kolb was influenced by the work of other theorists, including John Dewey, Kurt Lewin, and Jean Piaget. He defined this type of learning as “the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Knowledge results from the combinations of grasping and transforming the experience.”

Experiential learning theory differs from cognitive and behavioral theories. Cognitive theories emphasize the role of mental processes, while behavioral theories ignore the possible role of subjective experience in the learning process. By dividing learning into four stages—concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation—Kolb’s approach framed learning as an active and dynamic cycle.

Experiential Model Theory

This theory of experiential learning suggests that we engage with information in two key ways, both of which play an essential part in the learning process. First, we must grasp the experience. Then, we must transform it.

In the experiential model, Kolb described two different ways of grasping experience:

• Abstract conceptualization
• Concrete experience

He also identified two ways of transforming experience:

• Active experimentation
• Reflective observation

These four modes of learning are often portrayed as a cycle. According to Kolb, concrete experience provides information that serves as a basis for reflection. From these reflections, we assimilate the information and form abstract concepts.

Examples of How Experiential Learning Works

By testing our ideas, we gather information through experience, cycling back to the start of the process. However, this process doesn’t always begin with experience. Instead, each individual must select the learning mode that will be most effective based on the specific situation.

For example, let’s imagine that you are going to learn how to drive a car:

• The reflective learner: One person may choose to begin learning via reflection by observing other people as they drive.
• The theoretical learner: Another might prefer to start more abstractly by reading and analyzing a driving instruction book.
• The hands-on learner: Yet, a different person could decide to just jump right in and get behind the seat of a car to practice driving on a test course.

Preferences That Play a Role

How do we decide which mode of experiential learning will work best? While situational variables are important, our own preferences play a large role.

“Because of our hereditary equipment, our particular past life experiences, and the demands of our environment, we develop a preferred way of choosing,” Kolb explains.

These preferences also serve as the basis for Kolb’s learning styles. In this learning style model, each of the four types has dominant learning abilities in two areas. For example, people with the diverging learning style are dominant in the areas of concrete experience and reflective observation.

Support for the Theory of Experiential Learning

Kolb’s own research suggests that there is a correlation between students’ learning styles and their chosen majors.

Experiential learning can be good for helping people explore their own strengths when learning new things. The theory addresses how learners can play to their own strengths as well as developing areas in which they are weakest.

Criticism of Experiential Learning Theory

While Kolb’s theory is one of the most widely used learning models in the field of education, it has been widely criticized for several reasons.

• The experiential learning theory does not adequately address the role that non-reflective experience plays in the learning process.
• While the theory is good at analyzing how learning occurs for individuals, it does little to look at learning that occurs in larger social groups. How does the individual’s interaction with a larger group impact the experiential learning process?
• Learning styles may not be stable over time. Research suggests that learning preferences can be dynamic and may change over time due to individual experiences.
• Other critics suggest that the theory is too narrowly focused and restrictive.

Takeaways

Kolb’s theory of experiential learning suggests that learning involves a dynamic, four-stage cycle. Rather than having step-by-step stages, learning can begin at any point in the cycle. He also suggested that people have different learning styles based on how they prefer to process and experience information.

While the theory has been criticized for being too restrictive, it remains a popular way to think about how we approach learning new things. Discovering your personal learning preferences can make the process feel much more engaging and enjoyable for you.