In my research process on the overall learning styles, I've found some articles within which I feel are compelling in the education psychological process of learning styles. The first article is "David Kolb's Learning Styles". Kolb's learning styles are critiqued as the best known and widely applied, and suggest that learning is a cyclic process which involves the individual proceeding through the four stages in learning. Kolb states that "learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience." (Kolb, 1984) The Concrete Experience is doing or having a new experience; Reflective Observation is reviewing and reflecting on the experience; Abstract Conceptualization is concluding and learning from the experience; and Active Experimentation is planning and tryout out what you have learned. Kolb states that different people naturally prefer a single learning style; and various factors influence such style. Examples would include their environment, their education experiences, and their basic cognitive structure. Kolb's learning styles include: Divergers which focus on Reflective observation; Convergers which focus on Active experimentation; Accommodators that utilize Concrete experiences; and Assimilators that utilize Abstract conceptualization. Convergers think before they talk; they research and analyze the situation; they would rather sit back and listen to demonstrations; they often are strong control needs and prefer clean and simple predictions. Divergers prefer to feel and watch; work in groups and listen; and receive feedback. Likewise, the Assimilators watch and think. Their preference is a concise logical approach. Accommodators prefer doing and feeling much like a hands-on learner. They rely on intuition rather than logic. (McLeod, 2010).
Kolb's learning stages and cycles can be used by teachers to critically evaluate students and develop more appropriate learning opportunities.