A Study of Kolb Learning Style on Experiential LearningShu-Chuan Lin 1 Yih-Yeong Lin 2

1) Department of Industrial Education and Technology 2) Department of Human Resources DevelopmentNational Changhua University of Education

Changhua County, Taiwan (R.O.C.) ;Hsiuping Institute of Technology

Taichung County, Taiwan (R.O.C.)The Center for Teacher Education

Chaoyang University of TechnologyTaichung County, Taiwan(R.O.C.)

lin98060691@yahoo.com.tw

lyy4@mail.hit.edu.tw

Jing-Ying Lin 3 Chao-Jen Cheng 4

3) Department of Radiological Technology;Center of General Education

4) Department of Industrial Education and TechnologyNational Changhua University of Education

Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology Changhua County, Taiwan (R.O.C.)Taichung County, Taiwan (R.O.C.)

jylin@ctust.edu.twmicro0402@gmail.com

Abstract - The purpose of this study was to explore thereaction of different learning styles students on experientiallearning course. The research subjects were sophomore taking"curriculum arrangement and training programs" onDepartment of Human Resources Development at HsiupingInstitute of Technology in central Taiwan. First, we used Kolb'sLearning Style Inventory to divide students into 4 kinds oflearning style: Diverger, Assimilator, Converger, Accommodator.Then, according to a modefied questionnaires as a tool toappreciate their perspectives on experiential learning.

The results including teaching strategies, curriculumarrangement and personal feeling. All results showed that actionoriented Accommodator was superior to Assimilator withthinking orientation ; Converger with non-emotional characterwas superior to Diverger with innovative character. Finally,According to these findings, we drew the inference that studentswith action orientation & with non-emotional character weremore easy than those with thinking orientation & with thinkingorientation to adapt and love experiential learning.

Index Terms - Kolb learning styles, experiential learning,teaching strategies, curriculum arrangement.

I. INTRODUCTION

In recent years, the evolution of information technologieshad made lots of changes on learning style, such as on-linelearning, mobile learning (m-learning), even ubiquitouslearning (u-learning). Therefore, e-learning (e-learning) will bethe major way of study in the further. However, there will bean important issue that how to communicate and coordinatewith others, how to problem solving by teamwork in educationif the frequency of people’s interaction gradually reducedunder the influence of the information convenience.Wherefore, experiential learning will be the next importantmedium of learning in the further.

According to Kolb learning styles, there are Diverger,Assimilator, Converger, Accommodator[1] [2]. This researchaims at probing into the students’ reaction after experientiallearning courses for different Kolb learning styles, then findout the difference about different Kolb learning styles students.

The results were made to provide some references for teachersand learners.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

A. Experiential LearningJohn Dewey’s Pragmatism paid attention to educational

philosophy included: 1. Education is life; 2. Focus on theprocess concept; 3. Attention to active learning; 4. the sameimportance for both in theory and in learning. we gotknowledge, skills and values through practical working inaccordance with experiential learning scientific methods,which is "learning by doing", is also the reflection process [1][3] [4]. Gass stressed that the knowledge transfer ofexperiential learning more valuable than others [5]. David A.Kolb, Harvard Professor of Organizational Behavior, putforward the mode of "experiential learning cycle" respectively:1. concrete experience followed by; 2. observation andexperience followed by; 3. forming abstract concepts followedby; 4. testing in new situations [2], shown in Figure 1. It wasalso widely used in related courses. Subsequently, Kurt Hahn,British educator, established the British non-profitorganizations - Outward Bound School under the assistance ofLawrence Holt in1941. In addition, Outward Bound Schoolshad set up around the world [6].

Fig. 1 Kolb experiential learning cycle

Source Kolb (1984) p.42

B. Kolb Learning StylesKolb experiential learning theory included four learning

stages: Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, AbstractConceptualization and Active Experimentation. Generally,there are divided into two dimensions: one is the"understanding" dimension, the vertical axis, represented withdifferences in the way to gain experience between ConcreteExperience, CE, and Abstract Conceptualization, AC; theother is " transformation "dimension, the horizontal axis,represented with differences in the way to change experiencebetween Reflective Observation, RO and ActiveExperimentation, AE. The each relative area has itscorresponding learning style: Diverger, Assimilator,Accommodator and Converger [1] [2]. There is Kolb learningstyle classification and structure diagram, shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 showed Converger’s learning style preferencesis “Abstract Conceptualization + Active Experimentation”Diverger’s learning style preferences is “Concrete Experience+ Reflective Observation” Assimilator’s learning stylepreferences is “Abstract Conceptualization + ReflectiveObservation” Accommodator’s learning style preferences is“Concrete Experience + Active Experimentation”. There isKolb learning characteristic description, shown in TABLE I[7].

CE

Accommodator Diverger

AE RO

Converger Assimilator

ACWhere:

CE Concrete Experience AC Abstract Conceptualization

RO Reflective Observation AE Active Experimentation

Fig. 2 Kolb learning style classification and organization diagram

Source Kolb & Wolfe(1981) p.188

TABLE IKOLB LEARNING CHARACTERISTIC DESCRIPTION

LEARNING STYLE LEARNING CHARACTERISTIC DESCRIPTION

Converger · strong in practical application of ideas· can focus on hypo-deductive reasoning on

specific problems· 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 modelsexcels in inductive reasoning

· concerned with abstract concepts rather than

peopleAccommodator · greatest strength is doing things

· more of a risk taker· performs well when required to react to

immediate circumstances· solves problems intuitively

Source Kolb and Fry on learning styles (1975)

III. METHODOLOGY

The subject of this study was sophomore studentsrecruited from "curriculum design and training programs" atdepartment of Human Resource Development on HsiupingInstitute of Technology in central Taiwan, purposive samplingto select about 42 students and returned 34 questionnaires.There is about 81% for effective response rate.

This study adopted a modified Kolb Learning StyleInventory [8] [9] and a modified students’ responsesquestionnaires [9] including teaching strategies, curriculumarrangement, and personal feeling on experiential learning toexplore the students’ response after experiential learningcourse. There was a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from1= strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree.

IV. RESULT

Above all, we divide students into 4 kinds of learningstyle: Diverger, Assimilator, Converger, Accommodator byKolb's Learning Style Inventory, as shown in TABLE II. Next,the results obtained from analyzed and tested the data ofmodified students’ responses questionnaires by frequency,percentage, mean. The results including teaching strategies,curriculum arrangement, and personal feeling on experientiallearning were achieved as follows:

TABLE IIDISTRIBUTION OF KOLB LEARNING STYLES

KolbLearning Styles

Percentage

Diverger 14 41%Assimilator 8 24%Converger 2 6%Accommodator 10 29%Total 34 100%

Source This study

A. Teaching StrategiesThe findings showed that priorities of average scores on

the reaction for Teaching Strategies were converger,assimilator, diverger and accommodator are shown in Figure3, shown in Figure 4.

Fig. 3 Teaching strategies question items charts

Fig. 4 Teaching strategies charts

B. Curriculum ArrangementThe findings showed that priorities of average scores

on the reaction for Curriculum Arrangement were converger,diverger, accommodator, and assimilator are shown in Figure5, shown in Figure 6.

Fig. 5 Curriculum arrangement question items charts

Fig. 6 Curriculum arrangement charts

C. Personal FeelingThe findings showed that priorities of average scores

on the reaction for Personal Feeling were accommodator,converger, diverger and assimilator are shown in Figure 7,shown in Figure 8.

Fig. 7 Personal feeling question items charts

Fig. 8 Personal feeling charts

V. CONCLUSION

Fourth Kolb learning styles as follows: Diverger whohave imagination and understanding things ability, innovativecharacter, mainly composed with two learning types byConcrete Experience and Reflective Observation Assimilatorwho have inductive ability and establishing theoreticalframework ability, with thinking orientation, mainly composedwith two learning types by Reflective Observation andAbstract Conceptualization Converger who with problemsolving, knowledge- used ability, a non-emotional character,mainly composed with two learning types by AbstractConceptualization and Active ExperimentationAccommodator who easy to adapt the environment, intuitivethan logical, with action orientation, mainly composed withtwo learning types by Active Experimentation and ConcreteExperience [2].

The teaching method of experiential learning is usinggames, assistive devices, and creating learning situations, sothat students can personally operate themselves, more clearlyunderstand the actual construction and operation, and thentransfer into memory. The study found that priorities ofaverage scores on the reaction for Teaching Strategies were

converger, assimilator, diverger and accommodator. The resultshowed accommodator with action oriented responses wassuperior to assimilator with think orientation; converger withnon-emotional character responses was superior to divergerwith innovative character.

Experiential learning curriculum arrangement includingHelium Stick, Procupin Progression, now Flake, Spider's Weband other projects. The study found that priorities of averagescores on the reaction for Curriculum Arrangement wereconverger, diverger, accommodator, and assimilator. Theresult showed accommodator with action oriented responseswas superior to assimilator with think orientation; convergerwith non-emotional character responses was same as divergerwith innovative character.

The study found that priorities of average scores on thereaction for Personal Feeling were accommodator, converger,diverger, and assimilator. The result showed accommodatorwith action oriented responses was superior to assimilator withthink orientation; converger with non-emotional characterresponses was superior to diverger with innovative character.

In conclusion, this study divided students into Diverger,Assimilator, Converger, Accommodator by Kolb's LearningStyle Inventory to appreciate their perspectives on experientiallearning. The study found that priorities of average scores onthe reaction for Teaching Strategies, Curriculum Arrangement,Personal Feeling were the same as accommodator with actionoriented responses was superior to assimilator with thinkorientation; converger with non-emotional character responseswas superior to diverger with innovative character. Byanalyzed results, we suggest that students with action orientedand non-emotional character are more easy than those withinnovative thinking character and think orientation to adaptand love experiential learning course.

REFERENCES

[1] Kolb, D, A., & Wolfe, D. M. Professional education and careerdevelopment: Across sectional study of adaptive competencies inexperimental learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction ServiceNo.ED209493), 1981.

[2] Kolb, D. A. Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learningand development. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1984.

[3] Hwang, M. Y. Investigate Adult Experience Learning Theory. NationalTaiwan Normal University Department of Adult & Continuing EducationSocial Education Journal, 29, pp. 35-56, 2000.

[4] Huang, F. S. Adult experience learning. Adult education, 59, pp.2-11,2001.

[5] Gass, M. A. Adventure therapy: Therapeutic applications of adventureprogramming. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing, 1993.

[6] John C. Miles & Simon Priest, Adventure Programming, VenturePublishing, 1999.

[7] Kolb. D. A. and Fry, R. Toward an applied theory of experientiallearning, in C. Cooper (ed.) Theories of Group Process, London: JohnWiley, 1975.

[8] Wu, T. F. A Relational Study of Learning Style at Industrial Education onUniversity of Education in Taiwan. Educational Research & Information,5(5), pp. 114-132, 1996

[9] Shih, Y. T. A study on students’ achievements and learning strategies ofcollaborative learning applied in gasoline injection engine courses atvocational senior high schools. National Changhua University ofEducation Department of Industrial Education and Technology Master'sdissertation, 2004.