The Assessment of Kolb's Learning Theory in Architectural Education from Islamic View

One of the most important issues in architectural education, is the learning process and attention to individual differences in this field. In architectural education, the architects utalize other disciplines, including education and training sciences to optimally critique their own work during assessments and evaluations. This is considered as one of the important requirements for improving design quality and the lack of it will lead to a gap between research and professional environments. However, education in a social system based on Islamic tenets, must be different from others. Islam recognizes the importance and necessity of utilizing the benefits of the science and knowledge of other lands; but in order to correctly apply these achievements in any area such as architecture, it is necessary to harmonize their components with native values and religious concepts. Combining different scientific, philosophical and religious methods can help to better explain phenomena such as learning that has different aspects. One of the noticible theories in the field of education is Kolb's learning theory, which is referred to in the field learning sciences and more accepted among researchers. This theory examines the different ways that people receive and process information. This research has been conducted with aim to review and evaluate Kolb's learning theory based on Islamic principles and values in architectural education, and to also answer the question of whether Kolb's learning theory is close to Islamic theoretical foundations in learning and teaching architecture or not? For this purpose, a comparative study has been done between this theory and the relevant Islamic structure, which has the capability of being used in all human processes (Such as learning, teaching and creating works of art, architecture and urbanism). Given the interdisciplinary nature of architecture, a combination of research methods are used in this article including logical reasoning and analytical-commentary methods based on two sources: reason and quote. The findings indicate that Kolb's learning model is based on experience and individual differences in learning, which from an Islamic view has been confirmed and emphasis on. But due to its interdisciplinary nature, in order to utilize this in a correct and Islamic education of architecture, additional topics have been suggested. This model corresponds with parts of the Islamic model, but has weaknesses in anthropological topics. Also, this model cant evaluate concepts such as Intuition and Inspiration, which are related to higher levels of learning in human beings. Achieving these levels leads to the establishment of wisdom and recognition of its necessity in the higher education system of the country.