Creative Learners

The term "creative learners" immediately appealed to me when I saw it if only because I have been thinking lately about Kolb's Learning Cycle that moves learners through 1) concrete experience, 2) reflective observation, 3) abstract conceptualism, then 4) active experimentation. 

Last week I wrote about how I like that with this cycle the learner alternates around between activity and theory and allows for experimentation and learning through experience as well as building on prior knowledge. 

What I like about inspiring creative learners is that it has obvious foundations in building on that part of the learner cycle around abstract conceptualism. Infact McMullan and Cahoon (1979) find that there is a creative tension between two poles of the cycle when they write "the pull of these polar opposites produces what Kolb refers to as "creative tension." 

The creative person is able to coordinate these different modes of knowing. Moreover, the creative process may be described as a meaningful synthesis of problem-finding and problem-solving" (p. 454). This relationship is shown in the image below that is from McMullan and Cahoon (1979). 

This tension between abstract conceptualization and concrete experience that yields creative tension is where I believe the learner can flex their mental muscles and build on their prior knowledge and move further along in the learning process than they might otherwise have the chance to. 

References

McMullan, W. E., & Cahoon, A. (1979). Integrating abstract conceptualizing with experiential learning. Academy of Management Review, 4(3), 453. https://doi.org/10.2307/257203