Kolb's Learning cycle - Essay Example

Kolb’s Learning Cycle Summary of the Kolb’s four steps in a learning cycle The Kolb’s learning theory consists of unique preferences that are also known as learning styles. Four preferences make up the training cycle are the active experimentation (AE), abstract conceptualization (AC), Reflective observation (RO) and concrete experience (CE) (Kolb, 1983). The immediate or concrete experience lays the ground for reflection and observation. Abstract concepts come from the assimilation and distillation of reflections and the observations made by the participants.

When participants develop abstractive concepts, they get to a point of generating new insights and implications that one would be in a position of testing actively, thereby leading to the creation of new experiences. The theory opines that a majority of the learners are likely to circumnavigate through this learning circle in a spiral way because they would touch all base forming the elements of the concept. Learners would go through events that give them experience on particular items, after experiencing they are likely to enter into a reflection mode before thinking and engaging in acts that may also generate additional experiences (Seaman, 2008; Kolb, 1983).

The theory asserts that concrete experiences give rise to reflection and observations, which is translated or undergoes absorption through assimilation process thereby generating abstract concepts. The concepts are likely to have implications on the learners and trigger the urge to reflect on the items presented. Kolb summarise these the four-stage cycle by using four separate definition of the learning style. The diverging was used to refer to the link between the CE and RO, assimilating used for AC and RO, converging to refer to the connection between AC and AE, while accommodating to link between CE AND AE (Seaman, 2008; Kolb, 1983).2. Pick two articles listed and use them to delineate the major points made by other scholars who take issue with aspects of Kolb’s work.

Russ examines the learning theory by discussing the learning cycles as well as the propositions shaping these events. Russ underscores the importance of Kolb’s cycle from a different perspective (Russ, 1998). For instance, the author documents the significance of assessing it within the mainstream management platform around the education sector. The author also observes that development stages are a key element when considering the implementation of the learning cycle. However, the most interesting perspective is the need to consider looking after and before the learning cycle, a fact that Kolb’s did not consider in the theoretical outlook.

The perspective examined by Russ helps in the conceptualisation of the theory ( Russ, 1998). The author asserts that inclusion of management education may have influence on developing emotional and political gains that Kolb may have overlooked. The critique by Desmond and Jowitt (2012) proposed to introduce a new dimension of learning using a dialogical experimental approach. The approach aimed to invite parties to take keen interest and curiosity in the experiences when working certain task while understanding that the likelihood of change is appropriate.

The study by Desmond and Jowitt gives rise to a new model that aims to present an alternative to Kolb’s model (Desmond and Jowitt, 2012). These authors ascribes that Kolb’s model has limitation because it is not all-inclusive. For instance, some of the alternatives aim to strengthen the demerits in the Kolb’s model. Some of these demerits include lack of support for post action, does not capture both the in context and the out of context learning (Desmond and Jowitt, 2012). ReferencesKolb, D. (1983) Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development.

Upper Saddle River, NH. Prentice-Hall, pp 1-38Seaman, J. (2008). "Experience, Reflect, Critique: The End of the Learning Cycles Era. Journal of Experiential Education 31 (1): 3-18. Desmond, B., & Jowitt, A. (2012). Stepping into the unknown: Dialogical experiential learning. Journal of Management Development, 31(3), 221-230. doi:10.1108/02621711211208853Russ, V. (1998). Behind and beyond Kolb’s learning cycle. Journal of Management Education, 22(3), 304-319. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/195710411?

accountid=8067