Kolb's learning styles inventory is founded on his work in developing a standardized cycle of experience and reflection that makes up his experiential learning cycle. Kolb's cycle begins with a concrete experience, which must then undergo reflection and observation once the experience is finished. Abstract conceptualization and thinking then follows the initial period of reflection. Active experimentation and application of those abstract concepts then are applied to a new experience, which begins the experiential learning cycle anew.
Diverging learners see different perspectives and prefer to gather information and use imagination to help solve problems. Assimilating learners prefer a concise and logical approach to problem solving, favoring ideas and concepts over what others have to say. Assimilating learners desire clear explanations rather than practical advice and excel in understanding and organizing information in a logical progression. Converging learners like problem-solving and technical tasks and are skilled in finding practical applications for ideas and theories. Accommodating learners are more "hands-on" and rely on intuition rather than logic and reason. In a group setting, an accommodators will typically prefer to use the analysis and information from others and apply it in an experiential approach; they like new challenges and experiences.
Kolb's experiential learning cycle, and its concurrent learning styles, are described as the products of two pairs of variables that are both used to represent the learning style of an individual. If you imagine a horizontal and vertical line meeting together in a cross-hairs, first move along the horizontal axis, which describes the processing continuum between "doing" and "watching." If you approach a task by watching someone else do it first, move toward the right-most quadrants of the cross-hairs. If you prefer to "do" rather than "watch," move toward the left.
The vertical axis represents extremes between "feeling" and "thinking" and makes up the perception continuum, which is one's emotional response, thinking or feeling about a task. Move toward the front if you prefer feeling and the back if you prefer thinking.
Divergent learners are represented in the upper-left quadrant and should be standing between the line endpoints that indicate the words "feeling" and "watching" as an experience is happening. Assimilating learners are those who stand in the quadrant between "watching" and "thinking." Converging learners are in the third quadrant, standing between "doing" and "thinking." Accommodating learners are those standing in the fourth quadrant, represented by the words "doing" and "feeling."