Learning Styles

Every once in a while, I get really jazzed about learning. I loved what Rock and Schwartz say about the brain trying to hard wire everything it can; how paying attention changes the brain; and how insight represents a change in circuitry. (See, previous post)

Currently, I am teaching a class on academic success to a group students who are transitioning into a college program. One of the reasons I wanted to teach this class was to help people learn about learning. I believe this metacognition makes us better leaders; leaders of our own lives and leaders of the groups we serve. It is gift to be able to revisit the topic again.

Tomorrow, in class, I am introducing Kolb's Learning Styles, among other things. Kolb's Learning Styles Inventory is unique in that it provides a great deal of continuity by putting processing and perceiving on continua that cross. The modes of learning, that are natural, form in the quadrants made by the processing and perceiving preferences. Personal development can proceed from preference to flexibility in all modes of learning leading to increasing adaptability and resilience.

Personally, I find this more conceptually useful then the Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic (VAK) model. Ultimately, Kolb's model is scopeable to group and organizational functioning.