The Kolb Learning Style Inventory—Version 3.1 2005 - Whitewater ...

5. VALIDITY
This section begins with an overview of validity research on the LSI 1 and LSI 2 from 1971 to the introduction of the
KLSI 3 in 1999. It is followed by internal validity evidence for the KLSI 3.1 normative group including correlation
and factor analysis studies of the LSI scales. The fi nal part is focused on external validity evidence for the KLSI 3.1
and other LSI versions. It begins with demographic relationships of learning style with age, gender, and education
level. This is followed by evidence for the relationship between learning style and educational specialization. Concurrent
validity studies of relationships between learning style and other experiential learning assessment inventories are
then presented followed by studies relating learning style to performance on aptitude tests and academic performance.
Next, research on ELT and learning style in teams is presented. The fi nal part presents evidence for the practical utility
of ELT and the LSI in the design and conduct of education in different disciplines in higher education.
AN OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH ON ELT AND THE LSI: 1971-1999
Since ELT is a holistic theory of learning that identifi es learning style differences among different academic specialties,
it is not surprising to see that ELT/LSI research is highly interdisciplinary, addressing learning and educational issues
in several fi elds. Since the fi rst publications in 1971 (Kolb 1971; Kolb, Rubin, and McIntyre 1971) there have been
many studies on ELT using the LSI 1 and LSI 2. The Bibliography of Research on Experiential Learning Theory and
The Learning Style Inventory (Kolb and Kolb 1999) included 1004 entries.
Table 6 shows the distribution of these studies by fi eld and publication period. The fi eld classifi cation categories are:
Education (including K-12, higher education, and adult learning), Management, Computer/Information Science,
Psychology, Medicine, Nursing, Accounting, and Law. Studies were also classifi ed as early (1971-1984) or recent
(1985-1999). The division makes sense in that the most comprehensive statement of ELT, Experiential Learning, was
published in 1984, and the original LSI was fi rst revised in 1985.
Table 6. Early and Recent ELT/LSI Research by Academic Field and Publication
ELT/LSI Research Early Period
(1971-1984)
Recent Period
(1985-1999)
Education 165
By Academic Field
265 430
Management 74 133 207
Computer Science 44 60 104
Psychology 23 78 101
Medicine 28 44 72
Nursing 12 51 63
Accounting 7 15 22
Law 1 4 5
Total 354 650
By Publication Type
1004
Journal Articles 157 385 542
Doctoral Dissertations 76 133 209
Books and Chapters 43 58 101
Other 78 74 152
Total 354 650 1004
Data Source: Kolb and Kolb 1999
Total
(1971-1999)
17