David A. Kolb published his experiential learning theory (ELT) in 1984, inspired by the work of the gestalt psychologist Kurt Lewin, as well as John Dewey and Jean Piaget.
Kolb's experiential learning theory has a holistic perspective which includes experience, perception, cognition and behaviour.
It is a method where a person's skills and job requirements can be assessed in the same language that its commensurability can be measured.
[3] Kolb's learning style is explained on the basis of two dimensions: they are how a person understands and processes the information.
[5] The educational implications of the experiential learning theory are that ELT: Some critics have argued that Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle is too simplistic in nature and fails to capture the importance of observation; it also only works in abstract isolation.
This has led Ryder and Downs (2022) to argue for an approach that embraces change and emphasises the orientation of the observer as critical to decision-making both in education and work.