ALICE KOLB

Alice Kolb is the President of Experience Based Learning Systems (EBLS) a research and development organization devoted to research and application of experiential learning in organizations worldwide. The EBLS program of research on Experiential Learning Theory continues in collaboration with an international network of researchers, practitioners and learning partners. As President of EBLS she facilitates research and practice initiatives of this international network.

She was a co-developer of the Kolb Learning Style Inventory 4.0 and was the leader of the team that developed the Kolb Educator Role Profile, an inventory designed to help educators apply experiential learning principles in their work. She was born and raised in Brazil and went to Japan where she received her BA in Japanese Studies from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, and MA and Doctorate in Human Resources Management from Hitotsubashi University. She received a MS in Human Resource Management from Cleveland State University and her Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University in Organizational Behavior where she was an Adjunct Professor in the Weatherhead School of Management. She is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese and English.

Her research focus on creating learning spaces conducive to deep learning led to her paper “Learning styles and learning spaces: Enhancing experiential learning in higher education” published in Academy of Management Learning and Education and “Learning to play, playing to learn: A case study of a ludic learning space,” published in the Journal of Organizational Change Management. She recently published a book titled Becoming an Experiential Educator: Principles and Practices of Experiential Learning with David Kolb. She and David received the 2008 “Educational Pioneers of the Year Award” from the National Society for Experiential Education.

Keynote: Experiential Learning Theory as a Guide for Educators
Following John Dewey’s call for a theory of experience to guide educational practice; we will outline the foundational principles of Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) by describing our latest research on its core concepts—the learning cycle, learning spaces, learning style, learning flexibility, learning identity and educator roles. We will address how educators can maximize experiential learning for learners of all learning styles by teaching around the learning cycle. Participants will learn about their preferences for the four educator roles involved in this process—Coach, Facilitator, Subject Matter Expert, and Standard Setter/Evaluator by taking the Kolb Educator Role Profile. Our focus will be on how teachers and educational leaders can use ELT concepts to create learning spaces that promote full cycle learning.  Full cycle learning involves teaching around the learning cycle to all learning style types and engaging them in the use of all learning styles to promote deep learning.
 

BACK