LearningStyles

See also: LifelongLearning .

OurpageLearningApproachesexplainssomeofthegeneralapproaches
toteachingandlearning.
Thispagebuildsonthattodiscusstwotheoriesoflearningstyles:one
basedonKolbsExperientialLearningCycleandtheotherbasedon
NeuroLinguisticProgramming(NLP).
Theideaofalearningstyleisthatweallhaveawayinwhichweprefertolearn.For
example,somepeopleliketositdownandreadaboutasubjectwhileothersprefertoget
onandhaveagoatit.However,itsnotusuallyquiteasclearcutasthissince
preferencescanchangeovertimeandasyouarerequiredtododifferentthingsatwork
andinlifemoregenerally.
However,anunderstandingofyourpreferredlearningstylemayhelpyoutofindnew
waysofstudyingthatbetterworkforyou.

KolbsExperientialLearningCycle
Kolbslearningcycleproposesthatwealllearnfromourexperienceinacyclicalway.
Peopleobservesomethinghappeningandreflectontheirobservations.Thisexperience
andreflectionisthenincorporatedintothetheoreticalknowledgethatthepersonalready
possesses,orissupportedbyreadingandtraining,buildingupaframeworkintowhichto
fittheirexperience.
Tocompletethecycle,peoplethenneedtobeabletopracticethenewskillstheyhave
learned.

FourDifferentLearningStyles
Kolbproposedthisasacycle.Buttheresnoquestionthatwhileweallgothroughthecyclewhenwe
learnsomething,wealsoallprefertostartindifferentplacesandtospendmoretimeonsomeaspects
thanothers.
TwomencalledPeterHoneyandAlanMumfordnoticedthisandbuiltonKolbsworktoproposethetheory
oflearningstyles.

HoneyandMumfordidentifiedfourseparatelearningstyles:
Activist
Pragmatist
Reflector
Theorist

Activistslearnbydoing.
Theydontwanttohearwhattheyshouldbedoing,theywanttodiveinheadfirstandhaveago.
Activistsarelikelytosay:
Letsjustgiveitagoandseewhathappens
CanItryitout?

Pragmatistscareaboutwhatworksintherealworld.

Theyarentinterestedinabstractconcepts,theyjustwanttoknowifitworks.

Pragmatistsarelikelytosay:
Howwillitworkinpractice?
Ijustdontseehowthisisrelevant

Reflectorsliketothinkaboutwhattheyrelearning.
Theywanttounderstandthingsthoroughlybeforetheytrythemout.

Reflectorsarelikelytosay:
Letmejustthinkaboutthisforamoment
Dontletsrushintoanything

Theoristsliketounderstandhowthenewlearningfitsintotheirframeworkand
intoprevioustheories.
Theyrelikelytobeuncomfortablewiththingsthatdontfitwithwhattheyalreadyknow.

Theoristsarelikelytosay:
Buthowdoesthisfitinwith[x]?
Idjustliketounderstandtheprinciplesbehindthisabitmore

Inordertolearneffectively,itsimportanttobeabletouseallfourstyles,butmost
peoplehaveapreferenceforoneortwo.
ParticularlycommonmixturesseemtoincludeActivist/PragmatistandReflector/Theorist.
Asitspossibletolearnanddevelopotherstyles,learningstylepreferenceschangeovertimeunlikeother
psychologicalassessments,suchasMyersBriggsTypeIndicators,whichtendtostayremarkably
consistentovertime.
Peopleoftennoticethattheirlearningstylehaschangedinresponsetodifferentjobdemandsorchanges
intheirlife.

VAKModelofLearning
Oneofthemostcommonmodelsoflearningstyles,taughttoteachers
andthereforefamiliartomanychildren,isbasedonNeuroLinguistic
Programming(NLP).
ItdescribeslearnersasVisual,AuditoryandKinaestheticanddescribes
howyouprefertotakeininformation.
Visuallearnersprefertotakeininformationbyseeingandoftenprocessitinpictorial
form.Thismeansthattheywilloftenthinkorrememberthingsinpicturesandliketo
read,seegraphs,andusesymbols.

Auditorylearnersprefertolistenandtakeinformationinbywhattheyhear.Theyfavour
lecturesanddiscussionsoverreading.
Kinaestheticlearnerslearnbyexperienceandparticularlybytactileexplorationofthe
world.Theyprefertolearnbyexperimentation.Asmostparentswilltestify,itsnot
unreasonabletodescribeveryyoungchildrenasnaturalkinaesthetics,alwayswantingto
feelsomethingorputitintheirmouths!

UseofLanguage:
IdentifyingtheWaySomeoneThinks
Youcangetcluestowhethersomeoneisvisual,auditoryorkinaesthetic
fromthekindoflanguagethattheyuse.
VisualthinkerswillusephraseslikeIseewhatyoumean,andLetme
getthepicturestraightinmymind.
AuditorythinkerswillbemorelikelytosayIhearwhatyouresaying.
Kinaesthetics,ontheotherhand,willfeelyourpainandgiveyouahug.

PracticalImplicationsofLearningStyles
Thereisnoquestionthateachofushasparticularpreferencesforhowwelearn.Thereis
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equallylittledoubtthatweallhaveslightlydifferentthingsthatwearegoodat,which
mayormaynotberelatedtoourlearningstyle.
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Theoriginaltheorysuggeststhatweshouldtailorlearningexperiencestofitourpreferredlearningstyle.

Unfortunately,thereareahugenumberoftheoriesoflearningstylesoutthere,andvery
littleevidencethatteachinginaparticularstyleisbeneficialforaparticulartypeof
learner.
AmajorreviewstudylookedattheVAKmodeloflearningstyles,andsuggestedthatinordertoprove that
itwasusefulinteaching,youwouldneedtohavestudiesthatgroupedstudentsbylearningstyle,andthen
taughtpartofeachgroupindifferentways.Therewouldneedtobeteachingmethodsthatworkedbestfor
eachtypeoflearneranddidnotworkfortheothers.Thereviewauthorsconcludedthattherehadbeen
almostnostudiesthatdidthis.

Thejury,therefore,isstilloutonwhetherteachingshouldbetailoredtolearningstyles.
However,justbecausethereisnoevidencefromaformalstudydoesnotmeanthatconsideringyour
learningstyleisnotworthwhile.
Aknowledgeoflearningstylesmayhelpyoutoidentifydifferentwaysoflearningthatmightbe
enjoyableorbetterforyou.Forexample:
Activist waysoflearningincludebrainstorming,practicalexperimentation,roleplays,group
discussionandproblemsolving.
Pragmatist studystylesincludecasestudiesandtimetothinkaboutthepracticalapplicationsofwhat
youarelearning.

Reflectorstylelearning includesspendingtimereadingaroundasubject,andwatchingotherstry
thingsout.
Theorist learninginvolvesmodelsandtheories,withplentyofbackgroundinformation.
Understandingthattherearedifferentwaysoflearning,andthatlearningideallyhappensina
cycle,helpsyoutovaryyourlearningexperience,andthatislikelytoimproveyourabilityto
learnandtoretaininformation.
Ifyoufindthatthereareparticulartypesofteachingorlearningthatreallydonotsuityou,donotbe
afraidtotailoryourexperienceabit.Ifyouareconsideringacourse,whetherforlongtermstudyor
shortertermlearning,youmaywanttophonethepersonorganisingitanddiscussthetypeoflearning.It
maybethatyoucouldavoidcertainaspectsofit,orthetutormaybeabletosuggestamoreappropriate
courseforyou.
Ifyouareunabletochooseyourexperiences,youcanalwaystrytoadaptthem
Forexample,evenifyoustrugglewithsittinginalecture,listeningtosomeonetalk,donotbetemptedto
abandontheexperience!Instead,trymakingitintosomethingdifferent.Takenotes,ordrawapicture
suchasamindmaptohelpyourememberitmorevisually,ororganiseadiscussionsessionafterwards
overcoffeewithotherstoconsiderthelearninginadifferentway.
Ifyourcourseisexaminationbased,youalsoneedtothinkabouthowyouaregoingtorevisethe
subjectmatter.Forexample,youmaylikelectures,butwillyouwanttorevisebyreadingoveryour
notes?Maybeyoushouldaskyourlecturersifyoucanrecordthelecture,orperhapsrecordyournotes
ontoadigitalvoicerecorder?Thenyoucanplaybackyournotesafterwardsandlistenagaintorevise
them.

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FurtherReadingfromSkillsYouNeed
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TheSkillsYouNeedGuideforStudents
Developtheskillsyouneedtomake
themostofyourtimeasastudent.
OureBooksareidealforstudentsatall
stagesofeducation,school,college
anduniversity.Theyarefullofeasytofollowpracticalinformationthatwillhelpyou
tolearnmoreeffectivelyandgetbettergrades.

LearnandAdapt
Thescienceoflearningstylesisstillabithazy,andthereisadistinctlack
ofevidenceaboutwhetherteachingandlearningshouldbetailoredrigidly
tosuitlearningstyles.
Thereis,however,nodoubtthatvaryinglearningexperienceshelpseveryonetostay
interested,teachersandpupilsalike.
Evenifthereareelementsofyourchosencoursewhichdonotparticularlysuityou,bear
withit.Differentexperienceswillbroadenyourabilitytolearnindifferentways,whichis
alwaysgoingtobehelpful.

Continueto:
WhatisLearning? | CoachingSkills
MentoringSkills | TeachingSkills
Seealso:

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NeuroLinguisticProgramming(NLP)

RevisionSkillsandLearningStyles
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LifelongLearning | CriticalThinking | ReflectivePractice | StudySkills

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