Learning Styles

Overview  What are they?  Identification of preferred style  How to benefit from knowing your learning style  Understanding how other people's learning styles impact on team working

Introduction  Integral to Teacher Training (All teachers learn this) Concept of individual learners having different learning styles Why do you think this is important for teachers?  We are all different, so, the way we learn will be different too Some prefer to:  Read it in a book  Learn on their own  Do something practical  Learn in groups

Examples of Systems  Active/reflective (Have a guess?) Physical activity and then reflection  Learn with your hands, by doing  Make or build things and experiment  Reflect on what you have done

Examples of Systems  Sensing/Intuitive (Have a guess?) Related to the five senses (Which are?)  Hearing, sight, smell, touch and taste  Enjoy learning through: Sights, audio stimuli and/or Physical sensations such as touch Enjoy working with ideas Look for new fresh insights into what they are learning

Examples of Systems  Visual/verbal (Have a guess?) Likes to learn through:  diagrams, demonstrations, images, charts and graphs and/or  through the written or spoken word  Eyes and ears used to gather information  Information then processed into learning

Examples of Systems  Sequential/global (Have a guess?) Likes to progress in stages  Sequential learners Usually take small steps in the learning process Learn a subject a little at a time  Global learners See the bigger picture Seeking to understand how what they are learning fits into the context of their own previous experiences

Simplified Overview We are all predominantly one of the following types of learner:

Identification of preferred style  Identify your own learning style on the following website:  RESULTS Answer the series of questions The system will calculate your own learning style profile Provides a single learning style (e.g. kinaesthetic) Will also tell you how much of each of the learning styles you have  For example,  A logical, kinaesthetic, social learner  “You like practical activities where you can apply mathematical reasoning and you like to do this with a group of people.”  BE AWARE! - Learning styles can change over the years  Do this now… do not log off/leave the site – keep your results!

Activity You will need to save details about your preferred learning style into a word document for later use. In the website, click on your preferred learning style definition Highlight, copy and paste into a word document Copy the chart produced and past into the same document

How to benefit from knowing your learning style  Make sure that you are: On an appropriate course Using suitable learning materials  Identify key strengths and weaknesses E.g. Visual learner will prefer diagrams, graphs and charts etc. Visual learner should play to their strengths  E.g. When taking notes use a mind map!  Get it right, you will ultimately learn!  In the Classroom: A variety of different activities to help you learn a subject  Watch a presentation  Listen to the teacher talking  Do some research on the internet  Build/create/design  Old style teaching methods: Students copy work from a text book/whiteboard into a student workbook. (What do you think about this style?)

Learning styles impact on team working  Behaviour may be influenced by learning style (In a team context, what could happen?)  Could impact positively or negatively  Range of behavioural characteristics How would each one of these 3 behave?  Manager  Listener  Organiser

Learning styles impact on team working  Manager – someone that takes charge to manage the group  Listener – sits back and takes on board other people’s idea  Organiser – arranges tasks and  What would happen if the team was full of managers?  Now Listeners?  Finally, organisers?

Learning styles impact on team working  Lack of awareness of differences and learning styles – What could happen? Negative  Resentment (others are trying to take charge  Frustration (being organised by someone else)  Pushed out (someone has assumed the role of team leader)  Any others?  Awareness of differences and learning styles – What could happen? Positive  Good complementary skill mix  Motivate the team into action  Work gets done quickly  General feel: If you are picking a team, ensure there is a skill mix. Conflict usually occurs in a team with too many similarities.

Learning Styles Sites    