Discovering Your Learning Style

In the Beginning…  From the moment you were born, you’ve been learning.  Before you were 5, you learned faster than at any other time in your life.  You learned:  A whole language  Athletic abilities  How to read and react to others  Social skills you can use today

And Now…  You developed your own preferences for learning  The more you know about your style of learning, the better you can adapt for success

What are Learning Styles?  Learning is a natural and constant process of gathering and processing info  How you prefer to gather info and then what you do with it  Observers  Prefer to think about what is being taught  Participants  Prefer to experience learning firsthand

Why Bother?  As a student, if you know your preferred learning styles and recognize your instructor’s teaching style, you can adjust your learning skills to meet that instructor’s demands.  If you do not adjust to your instructor’s teaching, your learning success will be affected negatively

More Learning Styles  Sequential learner – tend to think in one-two-three order  Random learner – tend to learn better in a less structured manner  Balanced learner – you are able to adapt to either style and can do it better and more easily than individuals who fall into the other two categories

Learning to be Flexible  Being aware of your preferences and learning to adapt to others makes you think and recall more efficiently  Using both styles benefits memory and thinking  You will always retain your natural preferences, but you can stretch your mind and enhance your ability to understand the styles of others

Identifying Teaching Styles  You job is to learn and succeed in every learning situation  Some instructors will be easy to understand, while others will be difficult  Best strategy is to:  Observe your instructor  Learn about their teaching style and habits  Find ways to adapt to each style

The Sequential Instructor  Likes facts and details  Shows more interest in data than people  Lecture based instruction  Grades answers as right or wrong; no partial credit  Can you think of a sequential instructor?

The Random Instructor  Enjoys people  Prefers role-playing, open discussion, small group work  Gives imaginative assignments  Stresses concepts and conclusions  Can you name a random instructor?

The Balanced Instructor  Equal mix of the sequential and random preferences  Generally well liked b/c they attract both styles  Can you name a balanced instructor?

How to assess your instructor’s style  Listen for cues in how they present their material  Determine what kinds of questions they ask  Observe their behavior  Look at how they are dressed

Clues in how they present material  Sequential  Lecture  Outlined notes  Rarely deviate  Monotone speaking  Always stick to the topic  Random  Tell stories  Use metaphors  Analogies  Humor  Allow for wandering during a lecture

Clues in asking questions  Sequential  Require you to recall and recite facts, data, and specific theories  Don’t ask for your opinion  Random  Ask you to interpret  Give and opinion  Suggest an application  Form a connection to some other subject area  Provide for multiple answers

Clues in their behavior  Sequential  Formal  Stand behind lectern or table  Write notes in outline form  Use black pen only  Random  Wander around room  Sit on table  Gesture with hands  Change their vocal tone

Clues in how they dress  Sequential   Random 

Your Senses and Learning  Visual learners  Prefer to use their eyes to learn  Auditory learners  Prefer to use their ears to learn  Tactile (kinesthetic) learners  Prefer to use their bodies to learn

Multiple Intelligences  Logical/mathemat ical  Visual/spatial  Body/kinesthetic  Musical/rhythmic  Inter-personal  Intrapersonal  Verbal/linguistic  Naturalist