Identify Your Learning Style

8/13/2019 Identify Your Learning Style

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How do you

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What is a learning style?Stewart and Felicetti (1992) define learning styles as those “educational conditions under which a student is most

likely to learn”. So learning styles describe how a person best processes and takes in information, something

which can be influenced by various factors – such as previous learning experiences and the culture and society in

which they live.

Knowing and understanding your learning style can help you to choose the most effective approach to acquiring

new knowledge and developing new skill sets.

Learning style models – how can learning styles be described?

There are several different ways of defining and describing learning styles – let’s take a look at a few of the main

learning style models, then discuss how being aware of your learning style can help you to tailor your learning and

development to best suit your needs.
































VAK (visual, auditory,kinaesthetic) learningstyles VAK learning styles explanation

The VAK learning styles model is one of the most common and widely-used categorisations. It suggests that

people can be divided into one of three preferred styles of learning, as follows:

Visual

Someone with a visual learning style has a preference for:• seeing or observing things (such as pictures, diagrams, handouts, films etc)

• using phrases such as “show me” and “let’s have a look at it”• performing new tasks after:

- reading instructions

- watching someone else do it• working from written directions and instructions
































Auditory

Someone with an auditory learning style has a preference for:• transferring information through listening (to the spoken word – of self or others – and other sounds)•

using phrases such as “tell me” and “let’s talk it over”• performing new tasks after listening to instructions from an expert• learning from what others tell them• easily remembering the words to songs

Kinaesthetic

Someone with a kinaesthetic learning style has a preference for:• physical experience – touching, feeling, doing and other hands-on experiences• using phrases such as “let me try” and “how do you feel?”• learning from trying things out, learning as they go• experimenting and never reading instructions!

Some people may find that they have a very strong preference for one of these learning styles; whereas others

have a more even mixture of two, or even three, styles.

Please note that the self-assessment questionnaire that follows is not a scientifically validated testing instrument –

it is a free assessment tool designed to give you a broad indication of preferred learning style(s).
































My learning style - self-assessment questionnaire

Simply choose the answer that best represents how you normally behave.

1. When I operate new equipment Igenerally:

a) read the instructions first

b) listen to an explanation from

someone who has used it before

c) go ahead and have a go - I can

figure it out as I use it

2. When I need directions for travelling I

usually:

a) look at a map b) ask for spoken directions

c) follow my nose and maybe use a

compass

3. When I cook a new dish, I like to:

a) follow a written recipe

b) call a friend for an explanation

c) follow my instincts, testing as I

cook

4. If I am teaching someone something

new, I tend to:

a) write instructions down for them

b) give them a verbal explanation

c) demonstrate first and then let

them have a go

5. During my free time I most enjoy: a) going to museums and galleries

b) listening to music and talking to

my friends

c) playing sport or doing DIY

6. When I am choosing a holiday I

usually:

a) read lots of brochures

b) listen to recommendations from

friends c) imagine what it would be like to be

there

7. If I were buying a new car, I would:

a) read reviews in newspapers and

magazines

b) discuss what I need with my

friends

c) test-drive lots of different types

8. When I am learning a new skill, I am

most comfortable:

a) watching what the teacher is

doing

b) talking through with the teacher

exactly what I’m supposed to do

c) giving it a try myself and working itout as I go

9. When I concentrate, I most often:

a) focus on the words or the pictures

in front of me

b) discuss the problem and the

possible solutions in my head

c) move around a lot, fiddle with

pens and pencils and touch things

10. I choose household furnishings

because I like:

a) their colours and how they look

b) the descriptions the sales-people

give me

c) their textures and what it feels like

to touch them
































11. My first memory is of:

a) looking at something

b) being spoken to

c) doing something

12. When I am anxious, I:

a) visualise the worst-case scenarios

b) talk over in my head what worries

me most

c) can’t sit still, fiddle and move

around constantly

13. I feel especially connected to other

people because of:

a) how they look

b) what they say to me

c) how they make me feel

14. If I am explaining something to

someone I tend to:

a) show them what I mean

b) explain to them in different ways

until they understand

c) encourage them to try and talk

them through my idea as they

do it

15. Most of my free time is spent:

a) watching television

b) talking to friends

c) doing physical activity or making

things

16. When I first contact a new person, I

usually:

a) arrange a face to face meeting

b) talk to them on the telephone

c) try to get together whilst doing something else, such as an

activity or a meal

17. If I am angry, I tend to:

a) keep replaying in my mind what it

is that has upset me

b) raise my voice and tell people how

I feel

c) stamp about, slam doors and

physically demonstrate my anger

18. I find it easiest to remember:

a) faces

b) names

c) things I have done

19. I remember things best by:

a) writing notes or keeping printed

details

b) saying them aloud or repeating

words and key points in my head c) doing and practising the activity or

imagining it being done

20. I tend to say:

a) I see what you mean

b) I hear what you are saying

c) I know how you feel

Now add up how many As, Bs and Cs

you selected.

If you mostly answered A, you have a

VISUAL learning style.

If you mostly answered B, you have an

AUDITORY learning style.

If you mostly answered C, you have a

KINAESTHETIC learning style.

You may find that your learning style is a

mixture of two or three styles, in which

case refer to all of the applicable styles

described above.
































Kolb learning styles

Diverging style (feeling and watching)

This learning style describes people who:• prefer to watch rather than do• gather information and use their

imagination to solve problems• view things from many different

perspectives• prefer to work in groups• listen with an open mind and like to

receive feedback • are interested in people• are imaginative and emotional

Kolb referred to this style as “diverging”

because such people perform better in

situations that require ideas generation,

such as brainstorming.

Another popular way of looking at learning styles is the model put forward by David Kolb in his book Experiential

Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development, published in 1984.

This model divides learners into four different categories, outlined below.

Assimilating (watching and thinking)

People in this category:• prefer a concise and logical approach• require a clear explanation• like to organise information into a clear

logical format• value logically sound theories – they

are more interested in ideas and

abstract concepts than people• need time to think things through• prefer reading, lectures and exploring

models
































As with any behavioural model, this is a guide rather than a strict set of rules. However,

as with the VAK model, most people clearly exhibit strong preferences for a given

learning style.

Converging (doing and thinking)

The converging learning style refers to

people who:•

prefer solving problems using theirlearning• are best at finding practical uses for

ideas• are less attracted to social and

interpersonal problems, and prefer

practical tasks• like to experiment with new ideas• are technically orientated• prefer to work with practical

applications

Accommodating (doing and feeling)

This learning style applies to people who:• adopt a hands-on approach, which

relies on intuition rather than logic• take a practical and experiential

approach• are attracted to new challenges and

experiences• act on “gut” instinct rather than logical

analysis• take initiative• prefer to work in teams to complete

tasks• set targets and try different ways to

get results
































Honey and Mumford'smodelPeter Honey and Alan Mumford slightly adapted Kolb’s model to develop their own learning styles model.

They refer to four stages named according to managerial experiences of decision making/problem

solving. These are:

1. Having an experience2. Reviewing the experience3. Concluding from the experience4. Planning the next steps

Learning styles were then directly aligned to the stages in the cycle and named:• Activist• Reflector• Theorist• Pragmatist

Honey and Mumford put together a Learning Styles Questionnaire which invites managers to assess their

work-related behaviours, rather than directly asking them about their learning preferences.

The other difference, when compared with Kolb’s learning styles model, is that Honey and Mumford

argue that a person’s learning style is more of a personal preference and something that changes

depending on context, rather than something fixed.
































What are the benefitsof knowing yourlearning style?Knowing which learning style best describes you can help you to make more effective and well-informed decisions

about your learning and development.

Once you’ve identified your preferred learning style, you can understand the types of learning that work best for

you. However it is important to remember that everyone responds to and needs the stimulus of all types of learning

styles - it's a matter of using the style that suits you best in the given situation.

Let’s look at some examples of how your learning style can be reflected in your learning and development:

• People who prefer the “assimilating” learning style may not be comfortable being thrown in at the deep end

without notes and instructions.

• “Reflectors” like individual research and study and like to have time to think about things for a while,

meaning that online training courses, which allow learners to move at their own pace, can be a

good solution.
































• People who prefer to use an “accommodating” learning style are likely to become frustrated if they are

forced to read lots of instructions and rules, and are unable to get hands-on experience as soon as possible.

• Visual learners remember what they see and benefit from diagrams, photos and graphs for example,

meaning that having colourful, visual course material is important in improving their learning experience.






























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Identify Your Learning Style