Use This Four-Step Cycle to Learn New Concepts
Did you know you can customize Google to filter out unwanted results? Follow these steps to improve your search results, including adding Lifehacker as your preferred source for tech news .
If you want to truly master the material you’re studying, rather than just cram it for a test, you should familiarize yourself with Kolb’s learning cycle. Even if you just want to pass a test, you should familiarize yourself with Kolb’s learning cycle. Educational theorist David A. Kolb published his theory of experiential learning in 1984, and it has been popular ever since, at least among teachers. If you haven’t heard of it, no problem; let’s explore what it entails so you can learn better.
What is the Kolb four-step cycle?
Kolb proposed a four-stage cycle that, when completed, leads to effective learning:
-
Concrete learning : This occurs when a learner gains new experience and uses it to rethink or reframe existing learning. For example, you gave a presentation, and it didn’t go as well as you hoped, even though you felt well prepared. You gained new experience, and it forced you to rethink what you thought was thorough preparation.
-
Reflective observation : This occurs when a learner reflects on what happened personally. In our presentation example, this might mean you reflected on how disengaged or confused your audience seemed and then wondered whether it was your speaking speed or the clutter of your PowerPoint slides that contributed to this.
-
Abstract conceptualization : At this stage, the student formulates or modifies ideas after reflection. Perhaps this is where you come up with ideas for improving the next presentation, such as removing unnecessary information from the slides or speaking more slowly and maintaining eye contact.
-
Active experimentation : Finally, this occurs when the learner applies the new approach and notices any changes. In active experimentation, let’s say you applied what you learned in a previous presentation and observed the audience’s reaction to your new approach.
Essentially, this method is a hard, more academic way of describing the phenomenon of doing something, reflecting on how you did it, and doing it again with some modifications based on that reflection, which brings us back to the original point of “doing something.”
While these stages typically occur in order, it’s important to note that you can technically enter the cycle at any point. For example, you might gain an experience, reflect on it, form a perspective on it, and apply your reflections to a broader understanding, then explore more specific details and information about it in a new course a year later. Don’t obsess over mastering everything in order, but be sure to familiarize yourself with the stages so you can recognize and utilize them.
What the Kolb cycle looks like in practice
Let’s say you’re studying accounting. You have personal experience, such as independently preparing taxes or planning payroll, which is practical experience . In classes, you gain additional experience by learning more complex accounting concepts.
After learning these concepts, you can engage in reflective observation, thinking about how your own budgeting experience matches what you were just taught, and whether what you just learned could have improved your previous results.
In abstract conceptualization, you apply these reflections by considering whether they impact your approach to accounting in your life and whether you will do anything differently the next time you budget.
Through active experimentation, you can try applying the new knowledge from the course to your own financial planning or complete practical exercises, drawing on your own experience and new information. Reflecting on the results of your practical application, you begin anew with the specific knowledge gained during the exercises.
What to remember about the Kolb cycle
In my opinion, the most important element here is reflective observation. If you get a B on a test and don’t address your mistakes, you’ll answer the same questions incorrectly mid-semester. Reflecting on what happened and what you can change is how you make necessary changes in the future, and it’s what makes this method of teaching and learning unique. After studying a new topic, try methods that encourage active recall , such as talking through or writing down everything you can remember from a chapter or section, and take the time to analyze where you went wrong.
And this doesn’t have to be a solo activity. If you’re stuck on something, ask a teacher or classmate for help. An outside perspective can help you with reflective observation and abstract thinking, allowing you to reframe your thoughts on the topic.
The Kolb cycle is typically designed for teachers to consider when planning lessons. For example, Structured Learning recommends that teachers use this model in lessons to enhance students’ understanding and problem-solving skills. However, since the method’s goal is to foster the acquisition of more abstract concepts that can then be applied to various topics and situations, it is suitable for everyone. Keeping the four stages in mind when exploring a new topic and reflecting on how each can be implemented will allow you to think more flexibly about the topic as a whole and better retain the material.