Diverging learning style is associated with value generating skills: building relationships, helping others and sense making (reasoning).
An individual with a diverging learning style exhibits strength in imaginative ability and performs well in situations that call for "brainstorming", and enjoys broad cultural interests; characteristically found in those from humanities and liberal arts backgrounds.
Kolb describes 4 learning styles: converging (practical), diverging (imaginative), assimilating (inductive), and accommodating (active).
The Kolb Learning Style Inventory, which divides individual learning styles into Accommodating, Diverging, Converging, and Assimilating categories, was administered to the second year undergraduate medical students, general surgery resident body, and general surgery faculty at the University of Alberta.
Non-experts with Diverging preferences might increase their flexibility using learning styles as a result of training and maybe a more positive regard to computer-aided diagnostics.
That is, going around the "Kolb circle" in a more flexible and balanced way, using all learning styles, and give up their strong Diverging preferences.
Our results concerning learning styles did not confirm the Plovnick results that psychiatrists should be Diverging.
These four processes combine into four learning styles: Converging (abstract conceptualization mode and active experimentation mode), Accommodating (concrete experience mode and active experimentation mode), Diverging (concrete experience mode and reflective observation mode) and Assimilating (abstract conceptualization mode and reflective observation mode).
Learning styles were measured by both the Felder Silverman Soloman Index of Learning styles and VARK learning styles instruments.
The student learning styles were also investigated.
