Learning Styles 101

David Kolb is an American psychologist who focused on identifying how people learn and develop. From this research he produced a work in 1984, outlining his discoveries about the learning process. Although other models have been suggested over time, Kolb's model is still widely accepted and referenced. Kolb proposed a learning cycle, which identified stages of the learning process. He also determined that there are various learning styles that impact how a person processes information and relates to others. Understanding how this process works and how to help employees recognize their learning style can help improve employee performance and interactions.

Learning Cycle

According to Kolb, every person experiences the learning cycle as they learn new things. Although always starting on the first step isn't necessary, the more steps the person experiences, the better they will learn the material or the skill. This is significant for an employer as they consider how to train and help their employees develop. The first step in the cycle involves doing something or having a new experience. After this new experience, the employee should then have time to think about and reflect on that experience. This is key, for it integrates the physical experience with the cognitive process. After thinking about the experience, the next step is concluding or learning something from the new experience. Finally, the individual begins to plan or implement what they have learned.

Learning Styles

Kolb also presented four distinct learning styles which came from this learning cycle. Kolb determined that the learning cycle can be divided into half by a cross, with one intersecting line describing thinking and feeling, and the other doing and watching. A person's learning style is impacted by which quadrant they fall in. An individual will fall somewhere on the spectrum between thinking and feeling and doing or watching. With that differentiation, Kolb was able to describe four different learning styles, based on the intersection of those two concepts (processing or perception).

 ·        Diverging. This learning style integrates feeling and watching. These individuals tend to watch more than do and they tend to feel things. They are sensitive and intuitive. They are good at generating ideas and seeing things from many different perspectives. They are not narrow-minded. They like to work in groups and interact with other people. They thrive in those settings where interaction is essential.

·        Assimilating. This learning style integrates watching and thinking. These individuals are more analytical. They find ideas and solid constructive concepts to be more important than talking through things with others. They are thinkers and focus more on the thought process than the practical application. Learners in this group prefer to learn by listening and reading. They need to have time to think things through.

·        Converging. This learning style integrates doing and thinking. These individuals will be the problem solvers. They like to struggle with challenging situations and then come up with solutions that they can apply. They are more interested in technical issues however and less motivated to grapple with people and interpersonal situations. They like to experiment and try new things with the knowledge they have.

·        Accommodating. This learning style integrates doing and feeling. This is the most prevalent learning style. These learners take the information they have gotten from others and will act on it. This style is more "hands-on" and involves experimentation. These learners won't rely on logic but will rely more heavily on their feelings.

These learning styles are important for an employee, an educator or a company to consider. Employees themselves can think about what kind of learner they are and how they best operate within a workplace environment. They can challenge themselves to step out of their quadrant and try to be a little more well-rounded. When employers form teams to achieve a particular goal, integrating information about learning styles is helpful. Having a group formed of only one type of learner may be frustrating for it may not result in any action taken or it may lack creativity and ingenuity. Considering the learning styles of employees can improve results and bring about positive growth and change.