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In 1982 Peter Honey and I published our Manual of Learning Styles, in which we moved beyond the original ground-breaking work of David Kolb. In the third edition in 1992[1] we added considerably to the advice on how to make use of the principles of the learning cycle and the learning styles questionnaire (LSQ). Two chapters were especially concerned with using the LSQ results for the creation of personal development plans and for course design. In our work with trainers and developers we find that there is a constant thirst for specific illustrations of particular circumstances in which these ideas have been put into effect. This article not only presents such a detailed illustration, but takes a particular case to a higher level of use. It shows how, in one organization, the LSQ was used in a way which integrated learning through a personal development plan and learning through an off-the-job programme.
Clearly the opportunity identified here is not available to all trainers and developers. The case does show, however, how an integrated approach provides additional benefits beyond those available through the more frequently encountered deployment of the LSQ separately on either personnel development plans or courses.
THE LEARNING CYCLE AND LEARNING STYLES
Some readers may not be familiar with the Honey and Mumford learning styles questionnaire and the following brief summary is necessary in order that they can understand the comments made later in this article.
THE LEARNING CYCLE
The Honey and Mumford version of the learning cycle is shown as Figure 1. (Figure 1 omitted) In our view the learning cycle embraces the processes involved in all kinds of learning solitary or shared, on the job or off the job. Particular methods of learning, however, are often more strongly associated with one stage than another. Business games or outdoor training are often most clearly geared to the "having an experience" stage, whereas lectures and books seem often to be geared to delivering conclusions concepts, structure, models.
The second proposition derived from the learning cycle is that many activities with learning potential fail to achieve their full potential because they concentrate too much on one stage of the learning cycle. To take an off-the-job example, business games or outdoor experiences sometimes concentrate too much...