Reliability and Construct Validity of Ipsative and Normative Forms of the Learning Style Inventory

Abstract

Assessment of learning style provides a framework within which individual differences for specific ways of learning can be described. The Learning Style Inventory developed by Kolb assesses learners' preferences for specific phases of an experiential learning cycle. This study was undertaken to determine the reliability and construct validity of Kolb's original ipsative instrument and of an alternate normative form adapted from the original inventory. Results of this study indicated that the alternate version was as reliable as the original version, was equivalent in measuring characteristics defined in the original learning style scales, and demonstrated construct validity that was at least comparable to that for the ipsative instrument. For research purposes, the alternate normative version can be substituted for the original ipsative instrument to meet the requirements of independence in statistical analyses.