Using 4 Mat Model for Creating Engaging Digital Learning Experience | Blog - Tesseract Learning

The 4Mat model of instruction design is an offshoot of the Kolb's learning styles. How exactly it can be used to create better digital learning experiences is the focus of this article by Parthasarathy Vinukonda, learning design professional with 16+ years of experience.

Photo: Tesseract Learning

Overview of the Model

I have presented in my previous article on Kolb's model that all learning happens due to real world experiences which then help people form mental models of that experience. Some people actively experiment with the new learning and create further experiences on the subject.

In the Kolb's learning cycle, the learning begins through an experience the learner has. The experience then makes the learner reflect on it, think about it and create new mental model that he/she can apply it in another situation. Through careful application, the experiences are refined and further changes are made to create another concrete experience.

The 4 Mat Model is derived from the Kolb's model in that there are new and easier terms that are overlaid on it. The right brain part of the model calls it "why" and "what" of learning. The left-brain part is about "How" and "If" of the learning, that is how the process works and can be implemented and refined through "what if" scenarios. The diagram is given below. 

4Mat Model Explained
The 4Mat model was propounded by Dr. Bernice McCarthy's that talks about learning styles and behaviorism in a concrete manner. 4Mat attempts to take advantage of the learning styles (as explained in Kolb's model) to achieve better learning outcomes.

The model integrates the 4 parts of the learning cycle and can be illustrated as below:
4Mat model answers 4 key questions that are necessary for the learning cycle to complete. 

They are: 

• WHY?  
• WHAT?  
• HOW?  
• IF?

Let us look at each question to understand what they imply. 
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Source: Tesseract Learning