This inventory was designed as an aid for helping you identify your own learning
style. The four learning modes - Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract
Conceptualisation and Active Experimentation - represent the four stages of the learning
process. The inventory is designed to assess the relative importance of each of these
stages to you so that you can get some indication of which learning modes you tend to
emphasise. No individual mode is better or worse than any other. Even the totally balanced
profile is not necessarily the best. The key to effective learning is being competent in
each mode when it is appropriate. A high score on one mode may mean a tendency to
over-emphasise that aspect of the learning process at the expense of the others. A low
score on a mode may indicate a tendency to avoid that aspect of the learning process.
Please complete the inventory and discuss it with your field instructor. You may wish to
compare your score with your instructor’s score.
The following diagram shows these four different types of knowledge in terms of Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle (Kolb 1984:42):
Source: Kolb,
D.A. (1974). Organisational Psychology: A book of
readings.(2nd ed.) Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall Inc.
Divergent Learning Style: Divergers
“They are open,
sensitive and involved in their experience and resort to ponder, wonder, imagine, look at
the same things from different perspectives and try to come up with a holistic view ....
Social work students with this learning style are sensitive, open to feelings of their
clients and to their own feelings reactions. They may find it easier to understand,
empathise and to be in tune with client’s feelings. Possibly they find it easier too
to understand the meaning of client’s behaviour, the impact of environmental, social,
cultural and family influence. ..... They may also find it easier to establish rapport,
gain acceptance and trust from their clients”. (Tsang 1990:71)
Assimilative Learning Style: Assimilators
“They are more inclined
to use inductive reasoning to build these up from their reflection. Probably they like to
ask ‘why’ rather than ‘how’. They emphasise logical reasoning,
consistency and organisation in their thinking and manipulation of ideas and concepts.
Social work students with this learning style would enjoy classroom learning, reading,
seminars, discussion or tutorial sessions more than laboratory training or fieldwork
practice. They may be able to compare and contrast the various intervention approaches
.... very well on paper or in seminar presentation. They can be very imaginative,
innovative in suggesting new ideas or models in social work practice by bringing in their
knowledge from other disciplines .... Probably, they will meet difficulties in coping with
the demands of the clients, agency and supervisor in their fieldwork placement. The office
routines and bureaucratic procedures may seem boring, mundane, and direct work with
clients unattractive.” (Tsang 1990:78)
Convergent Learning Style: Convergers
“tend to follow the
hypothetical - deductive method on reasoning and handling of their tasks. They resort to
principles, theories and want to find the right answer to handle the problems based on
this explanation. They are eager to see that things get done and the problems get solved.
Social work students with this learning style probably enjoy their classroom learning,
their own reading and are eager to use what they have learned from these sources to solve
the problems of clients in their fieldwork practice. If they find difficulties, they would
probably read more about the problems at hand and ask their fieldwork supervisor to
provide them with a more sophisticated theoretical framework with the hope of finding a
better solution. Probably, these students are more enthusiastic to read, attend talks and
staff development programmes on recent developments in social work or social science
theories.” (Tsang 1990:76)
Accommodative Learning Style: Accommodators
“are open and involved in their experience and eager to get things done and make progress and change. They resort to their senses and feelings rather than theories and concepts in handling their immediate situation. Social work students with this learning style appear energetic, sensitive and understanding, always busy with their work. They may be favoured by agency colleagues in a fieldwork placement who emphasise quality and task accomplishment ...... They may even be bored with the long hours of lectures and the paper that they have to write, in making analysis and using concepts, theories etc. On the other hand, laboratory sessions and fieldwork practice would be much welcomed and their involvement, sensitivity and enthusiasm would be quite impressive to the subject teacher and fieldwork supervisor.” (Tsang 1990:79)