Revised in 2005, the Learning Styles Inventory (LSI) is a widely known instrument used for researching characteristics of different learning styles. The general categories of learning styles are Converger, Diverger, Assimilator, and Accomodator.
The LSI takes approximately 30 minutes for self-administration and self-scoring. The format for the test is a 12-item questionnaire in which the participants must respond, using a 1 to 4 scale, to four sentence endings relating to the four-stage cycle of learning – Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization, and Active Experimentation. The test is geared towards teens and adults. Also, the test has been translated into numerous languages.
Author
Validity and Reliability
According to independent research by Conoley and Cramer (1989), the internal consistency and test-retest reliability both showed high scores. The reliability testing for the revised edition included 982 graduate and undergraduate students. The four sections – Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization, and Active Experimentation – had a Cronbach Alpha rating (internal reliabitliy) of .82, .73, .83, and .78, respectively.
Obtaining the LSI
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References
Kolb, D. (1985). Learning style inventory. Boston, MA: McBer and Company.
Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2006). A review of multidisciplinary application of experiential learning theory in higher education. In R. Sims & S. Sims (Eds.), Learning styles and learning: A key to meeting the accountability demands in education. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Publishers.
Rodwell, J. J. (2005). The assessment of formal management development: A method, a baseline and the need to incorporate learning styles. Journal of Management Development, 24(3): 239-52.
Smith, M. K. (2005). David A. Kolb on experiential learning. The encyclopedia of informal education. www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn.htm.
