Kolb is an American theorist with an interest in experimental learning. He developed the Experimental Learning Model. Kolb stated, "Learning is the process by which knowledge is created through the transformation of experience " (Cress, Collier, Reitenauer 98). Kolb explains that people have their own individual learning styles. He has four categories of learning styles which include the diverger, assimilator, converger, and accommodator. A diverger is very imaginative and has awareness of the situation around them (Cress, Collier, Reitenauer 98). The assimilator uses inductive logic and observes their surrounding to make theories (Cress, Collier, Reitenauer 98). Convergers have the ability to problem-solve and searches for practical uses of ideas and theories (Cress, Collier, Reitenauer 98). Finally an accommodator is strong at flowing through with plans and new experiences (Cress, Collier, Reitenauer 98). Kolb's ideas have been incorporated in my life due to my active learning service project, which involves a collaboration with the Arab American National Museum. I did not expect to be involved in a project with a museum entering my english class. It's something that I have not done before and it had been an exhilarating roller-coaster ride. .
Kolb's model begins, with a concrete experience, he defines a concrete experience as physically going and experiencing something first, hand. During my concrete experiences I, had to be an accommodator since the learning style had an emphasis on concrete experiences. An accommodator gets involved in new things such as going to the Arab American National Museum which was a completely different experience compared to just being in the classroom. Instead of just writing a paper or reading about Arab Americans, I actually got a hand-ons experience and learned more about them by participating in this project. Going to the museum and seeing all the different displays that show-cased Arabs was inspiring.
