KOLB applications {Part 2) for law enforcement

Author: Odhinn Kohout

The adult learner will learn to use a firearm in a static setting such as within a cubicle on a firing line (concrete experience). The purpose would be to introduce the student to a new skill through demonstration from the Instructors as well as individual coaching via a live-fire exercise. It is not dynamic and contains no movement from the cubicle. This concrete experience to learn a skill-set which will underpin the Officers ability to perform the basic operation of shooting (stance, grip) while working in conjunction with target accuracy. We will then use the "reflective observation" in the setting a debrief in which the students are given a chance to ask any questions that they may have to the Instructor. In the case of a new recruit I have found that this reflective state produces well thought out queries. They begin to dig deeper into the material and breakdown its components. They may also begin to jump ahead into the "what-if" category of questions using the "abstract conceptualization" presented by Kolb. These are usually situational examples such as; "What if I can't find cover, or if there is more than one attacker..." The student is trying to see how these skills can be used in a moment of crisis and from all angles.
In "active experimentation" the learner is taken from the cubicle and starts to engage targets while on the move and this will progress to include loud audio or noise introduced to take away his concentration when trying to acquire a target. There is no ceiling to this style of training and "active experimentation" can be used with rapid entry tactics using non-lethal munitions which test the skill set of the Soldier/Police Officer against Instructors acting in the role of the attacker.
This is a great preparation technique to prepare the Officer for what they may encounter in a life/death event.

My second strategy using the Kolb model is a technique I use teaching advanced combatives to my classes. I will demonstrate a combative technique to the class several times with another Instructor. Before I get the students to pair up and practice it I will ask the class if they have had an experience in which this may have either happened or would have been useful. This combines the concrete and reflective cycles in a more integrated way. The students are learning by not only seeing the task performed but also hearing it discussed and understanding the context in which it was used. This will produce a by- product of showing the relevancy of the knowledge and providing motivation to the student. Upon practicing the learned technique many times I will then ask the group of adult learners their thoughts on its application in the field. This will usually cause great discussion as I find that abstract conceptualization is used b the group to determine the setting, and the best approach to use the tactic. Active experimentation is left to the end of the course. Students will get a chance through stress inoculation training to test their newly acquired knowledge in real time. With the addition of protective suits to ensure safety, the results of this active experimentation can mimic actual field work and provide very real concrete experience. My experience has shown me that these four cycles are used continually throughout the day and dependent upon each other to reinforce learning even with a group of experienced students.

Analyzing the results of how the implementation of these new theories have impacted my students learning, will take a comparative study with previous years’ results. The evidence produced to date is that they (new learning models) are a good fit with Police training. The feedback from my classes has been positive and I will produce more evidence supporting the effectiveness of the Maslow, Bandura, and Kolb models of learning.