Experiential learning

I have chosen this topic to post on the blog because I think experience influences learning and we learn best by doing. This is what David Kolb`theory is about. David Kolb is an American psychologist and educational theorist. He is best known for his research on experiential learning and learning styles.

Just like we have been discussing about different styles of learning and multiple intelligence Kolb also has come to some conclusions by giving his point of view how different people grasp best the information. Experiential learning is a process by which knowledge results from different combinations of grasping and transforming experiences. We can grasp experience in two different ways: through concrete experience and abstract conceptualization.This process is often portrayed as a cycle.Kolb's theory of experiential learning also serves as the basis for his four learning styles. Each of the four learning styles is characterized by strengths in two of the four major steps of the learning cycle.

1.     People with a converging learning style prefer to learning through active experimentation.They are highly skilled in the practical application of ideas. They tend to do best in situations where there is a single best solution or answer to a problem.

2.     Those with a diverging learning style prefer concrete experience and reflective observation.People with this learning style are good at seeing the "big picture" and organizing smaller bits of information into a meaningful whole.

3.   The assimilating style is associated with reflective observation.Understanding and creating theoretical models is one of their greatest strengths. They tend to be more interested in abstract ideas than in people, but they are not greatly concerned with the practical applications of theories.

4.     The accommodating learning style is linked to concrete experience and active experimentation.Accommodators are doers; they enjoy performing experiments and carrying out plans in the real world.

While learning styles remain a fairly controversial and oft-debated area within psychology and education, Kolb's theory has emerged as one of the most popular and widely used.

We have evolved by looking at things by different perspectives and making connections between things and we do that through play so wouldn`t be amazing  if we bore all this in mind when using kids. Letting them play when they`re little and when they are older too. Charles Darwin` s teacher said he`d never amount to much because he spent too much time playing with insects .  So let children play because it`s never just play. Of course it takes more time and energy to do this but when you are deciding where to focus resources for kids learning you couldn ` t do better than focusing on pre~puberty that`s when we learn by copying the people around us.

I have also included a youtube video which I find very interesting and useful in comprehending the theory of learning through experiencing things in the real world.It`s called "Born to Learn".https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=falHoOEUFz0&t=225sThank you !


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