Kolb's Learning Styles Kolb (1974) suggested four distinct learning styles based on a four-stage learning cycle which are Diverging, Assimilating, Converging, and Accommodating. He believed that people learn differently and have preferred learning style. Many factors such as social environment, educational experiences, or the basic cognitive structure of the individual can influence a person's preferred style. This knowledge is essential for instructors because it helps them get a sense of how best to interact with different learners and address their preferred learning styles. According to Kolb (1974), each learning style is a combination of two learning styles. For example, diverging and assimilating learning styles are a combination of feeling /watching and watching/ thinking respectively. Also, converging and accommodating learning styles are a mixture of doing/thinking and doing/ feeling respectively. Based on Kolb’s diverging learning style, divergent learners process information through watching and feeling. They are warm, outgoing, concrete thinkers, expressive, spontaneous, and group-oriented. They are also affected by feelings and emotions, and they like people and listen to others with an open mind. They learn through interaction rather than content driven. Hands-on projects that can be completed in group work, pairs, or team can be good learning activities for this kind of learners. Another type of learning style is assimilating. This kind of individuals are precise, logical, and data-gathering. They are able to understand a wide range of information and categorize it into logical, precise, and clear form. They are also interested in ideas and abstract concepts. Assimilating learners prefer readings, lectures, exploring analytical models, and thinking about information. These kind of learners are very successful in science careers. Moreover, Kolb believed that converging learners can solve practical problems and suggest tangible solutions by using their knowledge. They are not interested in interpersonal interaction rather than they prefer technical tasks and experimenting with new ideas and methods.The last style of learning is accommodating (doing and feeling). This kind of learners rely on intuition and learn by doing, trial and error. Also, they like to work in teams, engage new challenges, and make plans.
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