What does Kolb's learning cycle involve?

Kolb's learning cycle describes learning as a continuous process with four phases: experience, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation. The American psychologist David Kolb demonstrated that everyone learns in their own way. By working through all four phases, you get the maximum learning results out of a learning process. In this workshop you discover how to apply this model in practice.

How long does the Kolb's Learning Cycle workshop last?

The Kolb's Learning Cycle workshop takes one day. During this course day, the trainer covers Kolb's theory using compelling practical examples and you actively work with the four learning phases: experience, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation. Afterwards, you will have more insight into your own learning process and that of others, resulting in better learning outcomes.

Who is the Kolb's Learning Cycle workshop suitable for?

The workshop is particularly suitable for trainers, educators, teachers and HR professionals who want to enrich their teaching skills. Are you involved in designing or facilitating learning processes? Then you will gain concrete tools for applying Kolb's four learning phases (experience, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation) and increasing the learning results of your participants.

Do you receive a certificate after the Kolb's Learning Cycle workshop?

Yes, after completing the Kolb's Learning Cycle workshop you receive a certificate of attendance from Learnit. This certificate shows that you have attended the workshop and deepened your knowledge of Kolb's learning model and the four learning phases: experience, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation. Useful for your personal development plan or portfolio.

What are Kolb's four learning styles?

Kolb distinguishes four learning phases that also form four learning styles: experience (concrete experiencing), reflection (observing and reflecting), conceptualisation (analysing and theorising) and experimentation (actively trying things out). Everyone has their own preference, but only by working through the entire cycle do you achieve maximum learning results. In this workshop you discover which style suits you and how to strengthen the other phases.

Can you take the Kolb's Learning Cycle workshop in-company?

Yes, the Kolb's Learning Cycle workshop is also available in-company. You then receive a tailored course for your own team or organisation, at a location of your choosing. The content is geared to your practical situation, so that Kolb's theory ties in directly with the learning issues within your organisation. Request a quote via the course page.

What is the difference between the workshop on Kolb and a train-the-trainer programme?

A train-the-trainer programme covers the full craft of training: presenting, programme design, group dynamics, teaching methods and evaluation. Such programmes usually take several days or weeks. The Kolb's Learning Cycle workshop focuses on one specific model within the learning process: Kolb's four phases (experience, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation) and the associated learning styles. You go into depth on this single model and practise applying it in real-life situations. Choose this workshop if you already train or teach and want to enrich your teaching repertoire with a solid theoretical foundation. Choose a broader train-the-trainer course if you have little experience in designing and delivering training.

How does Kolb's learning cycle relate to other learning theories such as those of Bloom or Honey and Mumford?

Kolb focuses on the process of learning through four phases: experience, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation. Honey and Mumford build directly on this. They translated Kolb's four phases into four learning styles (activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist) and developed a questionnaire to determine your preferred style. Bloom works at a different level: his taxonomy describes cognitive levels of learning, from remembering to creating, and is mainly useful when formulating learning objectives. In the workshop, Kolb takes centre stage as a process model. You learn how to go through the entire cycle in order to achieve maximum learning yield. If you want to build a training programme around measurable learning objectives, Bloom is a logical addition. If you want to map out individual learning styles, Honey and Mumford is the obvious choice.

When should you choose the workshop on Kolb instead of reading a book or online article about his learning cycle?

Reading up on Kolb's theory takes you an hour. The workshop adds three things you will not get from a text. First, in half a day you practise with striking practical examples provided by the trainer, so that you actually go through the four phases (experience, reflection, conceptualisation, experimentation) instead of merely reading about them. Second, you receive feedback on your own preferred style and blind spots, something self-study does not offer. Third, you translate the theory directly into your own training or educational practice. Choose self-study if you only want a general idea of what Kolb says. Choose the workshop if you want to use the cycle on a structural basis in designing or facilitating other people's learning processes.

How do you apply Kolb's learning cycle in concrete terms when designing courses yourself?

When designing a course, you make sure that all four of Kolb's phases are covered: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation and active experimentation. In practice this means that you not only offer theory (conceptualisation), but also use working methods such as role-plays or case studies (experience), build in moments of reflection with, for example, group discussions or learning logs (reflection) and let participants practise new behaviours (experimentation). During the workshop you practise with the trainer's practical examples how to incorporate this cycle into your own programmes. A common mistake is to begin and end with theory, which keeps the learning yield low. It does not matter which phase you start with, as long as participants go through the full cycle. That way you cater to different learning styles within a single group.

What is the trainer's role during the workshop, and how much room is there for my own practical situations?

In this workshop the trainer acts in turn as instructor, example-giver and sparring partner. Kolb's theory is illustrated with striking practical examples, after which you get to work on situations from your own job. Because this is a workshop and not a classroom lecture, time has been deliberately set aside for input from participants. You can therefore bring along a specific training or development situation and analyse it together with the trainer using the four phases: experience, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation. The trainer makes sure you work through the entire cycle, so that you do not get stuck in theory alone or doing alone. This makes the workshop more useful than a lecture or webinar, which usually lack interaction and participants' own case material.

Does Kolb's learning cycle also work in a digital learning environment or mainly in classroom-based courses?

Kolb's learning cycle is independent of the delivery format and works in classroom settings as well as in digital learning environments, e-learning and blended programmes. The four phases (experience, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation) are principles, not teaching methods. In an e-learning course, for example, you translate 'experience' into a simulation or case study, 'reflection' into a reflection assignment or peer review, 'conceptualisation' into theory modules or video, and 'experimentation' into a practical assignment in the workplace. The pitfall with purely digital learning is that the cycle gets stuck in conceptualisation: plenty of theory, little application and reflection. During the workshop you discuss with the trainer how to safeguard all four phases, whatever format you use. This makes the theory usable for classroom trainers and designers of online learning programmes alike.

Kolb's Learning Cycle course (1 day)

Would you like to know how people really learn? In the workshop Kolb's Learning Cycle you gain insight into the four learning phases and discover how to apply them in your own training or education practice. The result: better learning results for yourself and your participants.

Description

In this workshop you delve into Kolb's learning cycle, a leading theory on how people learn. You gain insight into the four phases Kolb distinguishes: experience, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation. Using striking practical examples, the trainer shows how the cycle works and how you apply it in your own learning process and that of others.

You will discover that everyone learns in their own way and that working through the entire cycle delivers maximum learning results. Theoretical knowledge, practical application and reflection come together in one coherent process. Afterwards, you will look at learning and coaching with different eyes, and you will know how to use the learning cycle to train and educate more effectively.

Topics

The following topics are covered during this workshop:

The theory behind Kolb's learning cycle
The four phases of learning: experience, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation
Different learning styles and how to recognise them
Going through the full learning cycle for a higher learning yield
Applying the learning cycle in your own training and development practice
Compelling examples from everyday practice
Insight into your own learning process and that of others

Result

After this workshop you will recognise Kolb's four phases (experience, reflection, conceptualisation and experimentation) and know how to use them in your courses or programmes. You will be able to tailor your teaching approach to different learning styles and go through the entire cycle deliberately. In this way you achieve a higher learning yield from your participants and from yourself.

Target audience

This workshop is intended for trainers, educators and teachers who want to enrich their teaching skills. If your work regularly involves passing on knowledge to colleagues or teams, you will also gain valuable insights into how learning works.

Teaching method

During this workshop you continually alternate between theory and practice. The trainer explains the learning cycle using recognisable practical examples and discusses your own learning style with you. You practise the four phases and reflect on situations from your work. In this way you experience the model exactly as Kolb intended: learning by doing, reflecting, understanding and applying. The group is small, so there is plenty of room for interaction and personal questions.

Prior knowledge

You do not need any specific prior knowledge for this workshop. It is useful, however, if your work involves training, educating or coaching others. That way you can immediately link Kolb's learning cycle to situations you recognise.

Comments

None in particular.

Language

The training is given in Dutch as standard. The trainer has a good command of English. English-language course material can be used. With a minimum enrolment of 3 participants, the training can also be given entirely in English.

Education level:

This training is suitable for all levels.

Exemptions:

Exemptions do not apply to this course.

Preparation time:

No preparation time applies to this course.

Certificate:

At the end of the course, a certificate is issued as proof of participation.

The best training for you

At Learnit you will always find a course that takes you further. From (technical) IT skills to communication or personal leadership. You can also choose the training format that suits you best: a classroom course, a tailor-made course at your own office, an online course or an e-learning. We have the right course and the right format for everyone. Because learning in the way that suits you best delivers the best results.

Moving forward together

Taking a training course at Learnit means learning together. Together with your experienced trainer, together with your course group or together with your colleagues. And whether you take the training at home, at your office or at one of our training locations, we are always available to help you. To share our knowledge with you in a way that is genuinely useful to you. Getting further together through personal attention and understanding each other well; that is what we believe in.

Apply it directly in your work

Learning theory from a book that you can then hardly use in your work? Not at Learnit! Whichever training you take with us, you can put it to use at your workplace straight away. Because of the unique learning objectives you set together with the trainer at the start of the training. Because of the alternation between theory and (interactive) practical assignments. And by bringing the challenges you face in your daily work along to the training.