Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory

Kolb’s experiential learning theory has been widely influential in adult learning.
The theory and associated instruments continue to be criticized, but rarely is the graphical model itself examined. This is significant because models can aid scientific understanding and progress, as well as theory development and research. Applying accepted modelling and categorization criteria to Kolb’s basic model reveals fundamental graphic syntax errors, a failure to meet modellers’ graphic sufficiency and simplification tests, categorization and definitional problems relating to learning activities and typologies, misconstrued bi-polarities and flawed logic. We propose guidelines for recasting the model with a view to overcoming these weaknesses, guiding future research and theory development, …show more content…
Keywords: experiential learning theory; Kolb’s learning model; models
Introduction
In a seminal review of the experiential learning field, Coffield, Moseley, Hall and
Ecclestone (2004) identified 71 learning styles models, 13 of which were regarded as major contributions. Among them is the highly influential model that David