The difference between Kolb, Honey & Mumford and VARK are the names for each learning style. Honey & Mumford were thinking that Kolb’s theory is too complicated and had low validity with managers so they renamed his styles. Even if Kolb and Honey & Mumford use both the Experiential Learning cycle and the keywords are the same, in Kolb’s vision for example Concrete Experience is about the feelings and in Honey & Mumford vision is about having an experience and for the Abstract Conceptualisation in Kolb’s vision is about thinking and in Honey & Momford vision is about drawing their own conclusion. All Kolb, Honey & Mumford and VARK have a different vision about how the learners are identified.

All of these Learning Styles Theories creators believe that every person can identify that style which is fits for themself. Therefore, they can achieve more success when they are studying.  

Both Kolb and VARK learning style theories believe that our learning styles are determined by genetics, our enviroment and life experiences. Although Flaming agreed with Kolb with these findings, however their theories are very different.   

Unlike the other theories, Flaming says that learners can identify their styles from visual, auditory, reading&writing and kinaesthetic. On the other hand, Kolb used a more detailed learning cycle which demonstrates the process of procedures. This could help for learners to find that learning style which is fits for them and might help to achieve for success resault. 

Although Kolb and Honey&Mumford argued because they were not able to agree on some things, both of them used a similar Experiential Learning cycle to portrayed their learning style. 
   

Both VARK and Honey&Mumford learning style theories have created their own questionnaire to help learners identify learning styles. Despite that they had dissimilar visions about how to identify learning styles. 

In summary all of these theories believe there are 4 learning styles and we all have one which most of all help us learn. 

 

Both, Kolb’s and Honey & Mumford’s theories link learning styles to the experiential learning cycle.

Comparing these two learning styles, we can say that Kolb is using words to describe us as learners, that some of us might not understand. He uses words like Accommodator, Diverger, Converger or Assimilator, where Honey & Mumford rename these to make it simpler.

Kolb’s theory say that our learning styles emerge due to our genetics, life experiences and our current environment.

Honey & Mumford’s learning styles module is based on Kolb’s work; however, they designed a behavioural questionnaire to help people to identify their own learning style.

“VARK model”, also used as one of the learning styles, was designed by Neil Fleming in 1987.

People identify themselves as Visuals (diagrams, pictures). Auditory helps them with learning (music, lectures, discussions). Reading and writing they also find useful (making lists, reading, textbooks, taking notes). Kinaesthetic – hands on, activities.

Same as Honey & Mumford, created their own questionnaire to help learners to identify their learning style.

All these Psychologists said that there are four learning styles, and we all prefer one to help us learn.

They all have in common the factor that there are four learning styles in each theory and we learners have a preference for one of them to help us learn. These theories also have similarities like linking learning styles to the experimental learning cycle which is a characteristic between Kolb’s theory and Honey & Mumford’s theory; Or the fact that VARK and Honey & Mumford’s theories have created their own questionnaire to help learners identify their own learning style; On the other hand, each theory has its own unique characteristic that make the difference between them like Honey & Mumford’s theory  reveal that learners are identified by whether they are an activist, reflector or a theorist in contrast to the fact that genetics, life experiences and our environment determine our learning style as Kolb’s theory says or for example VARK theory refers more to the fact that learners are more likely to identify their own learning style by its preference for visual, auditory, reading and writing or kinaesthetic. 

 

References: Week 3 - Lecture - Learning Styles & Theories pdf file by QA.

 

David Kolb

 

The learning cycle identified by David Kolb consists of four stages: concrete learning, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The first stage is about a new experience or reinterprets an existing experience in the first stage, which is called concrete learning or concrete experience.

This could be when the student is presented with a new task or a new method of completing a project that they haven't seen previously. 

 

Honey&Mumford

 

Honey&Mumford learning styles are a bit different from Kolb’s because they focus more into the following styles: 

 

Reflector taking stock of the experience.

Theorist- Analyse and Synthesise. 

Pragmatist-preparing for the next stage.

Activist -Experiencing something new.

 

Vark

 

The VARK model of learning styles suggests that there are four main types of learners: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic.

 

Kolb, H&M and Vark believe that learning styles are based into experimentation and experiencing things trough the way to learn however, in my opinion Both Kolb and H&M have the moat similar learning styles with the slowly noticeable difference that Kolb focuses more into experimenting. Vark and H&B have a great learning technique focused on some good points developing good skills however Vark focuses into a more fun and practical style which it makes it easy to remember things. Researching all of these styles I find myself as a Honey&Mumford person because we have similar learning styles, which is useful in the process of studying.

Over time many different learning style theories have been uncovered and tested, yielding helpful results to assist members of the public better identify their most effective learning style(s). Today in our lecture, we learned about 3 of the most prominent ones; developed by: David Kolb, Peter Honey & Alan Mumford and Neil Fleming. 

Kolb stated that learning comes from experience and is a combination of grasping and transforming: concrete (doing), reflective (reviewing ), abstract (learning from it) and active (trying out what you have learned) experiences. To his theory he added detailed diagrams of how the process should be carried out and that it should be applied in sequence but 2 years later a more simplified theory and a behavioural questionnaire was designed by Peter Honey and Alan Mumford who argued that Kolbs learning style was too complicated and renamed his styles to: Activist, Theorist, Pragmatist and Reflector with a diagram breaking the categories down and explaining them. A few more years after that, Neil Fleming introduced the VARK theory that very simply separated the different learning styles into an Acronym (V.A.R.K- Visual, Audio, Reading, Kinaesthetic). All theorists mentioned above agree that there are 4 learning styles with everyone having their preference, but only Kolb, Honey&Mumford link learning styles to experiential learning cycle. Like wise VARK, Honey& Mumford have simplified the findings and created questionnaires to help learners identify their style. However without Kolbs original theory, their may have never been any development on this theory and learners may have not been able to identify efficiently which sort of learner they are. Today similarities and differences can be placed into a venn diagram to show just how each theory played a role to the predecessors successor.

A)     Honey & Mumford (1986)

B)     VARK (1987)

C)     Kolb (1984)

 -Similarity
All three believes there are 4 learning styles and we all can choose one of them, the one that is suitable for as.
A and B created their own questionnaire to help students identify learning style.
Booth A and C link learning styles to the experiential learning cycle.
-Similarities 
Kolb’s learning theory says that learners are identified by whether they are an accommodator, diverger, converger, or assimilator however Honey & Mumford’s (1986) learning theory says that learners are identified by whether they are an activist reflector, theorist, or pragmatist.

VARK’S (1987) learning theory says that learners are identified by whether they have preference for Visual, Auditory, Reading and Writing or Kinaesthetic, on the other hand 

Honey & Mumford’s theory says that learners are identified by whether they are an activist, reflector, theorist, or pragmatist. 

a.) Kolb’s theory 

b.) Honey & Mumford’s theory 

c.) VARK theory 

  

Similarities 

-In both A and B theory we can find that they link the styles to the experiential learning cycle.  

-Like B ,C  have created their own questionaire to help learners to discover their own learning style .

-A style breaks learning styles in 4 main categories and believes that any learnear has a preference for one to learn as do the B and C learning theory  .

Differences 

-In B theory, unlike the other two theories , learners are structured in four categories to identify whether  they are activist ,reflector,theorist or pragmatist . 

-A theory identifies  learners by whether they are accommodators ,convergers ,divergers or assimilators on the other hand theory C identifies learners by learning preference as visual, auditory ,reading and writing or kinaesthetic.