Experiential Learning Cycle
Experiential learning theory defines learning as the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle describes the learning process as including four adaptive learning modes: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Concrete experiences are the basis for the learners’ reflections. Reflections are then assimilated into abstract concepts to be utilized in future contexts. Abstract concepts are then experimented with and tested actively and serve to inform the learner when he or she is exposed to new experiences. This process is cyclical in nature where learners are exposed to each of the learning modes – experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting – in a recursive process that is dependent on the unique experiences and elements to be learned.
