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Outcomes

By the end of this section you will be able to

Determine your own learning preferences.

Discuss the value of the concept of personality in
understanding yourself and others.
Understand the importance of effective communication in
personal and organisational success.
Start to assess your own resources and future needs and
wants in gaining mastery.
Begin to keep a Learning Journal.

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Key words

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 Learning
Personality
Communication
perception

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Becoming A Reflective Practitioner

We dont see things as they are, we see them as we are.

Anas Nin
.Others are only mirrors of you. You love or hate something
about another person according to what love or hate about
yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive
for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and
have an objective perception of your own self, your
thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are
opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support
others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you
are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not
adequately attending to your own needs.
cherie carter

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Mental Aerobics

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Learning Styles
Concrete Experience
Reflective Observation
Abstract Conceptualisation
Active Experimentation

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These preferences are linked to the four phases of
Kolbs Learning Cycle:

Have an
Experience

Plan to test
out
conclusions Think
about it

Draw
conclusions
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from it 8
This cycle is reminiscent of the
classic Deming loop:

Do

Plan

Check

Analyse

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 Honey and Mumford describe the following four
styles:

Activist
Reflector
Theorist
Pragmatist

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 ACTIVISTS

Involve themselves fully and without bias in new experiences
Enjoy the here and now
Happy to be dominated by immediate experiences
Open-minded, unsceptical, enthusiastic for the new
Say Ill try anything once
Act first, consider consequences after
Fill their days with activity and action
Problem-solve by brainstorming
Once excitement of new activity diminishes they are seeking the next
Thrive on new experiences
Bored by implementation and long-term consolidation
Generous and involved with others whilst centring all activities around
themselves

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 REFLECTORS

Prefer to stand back to ponder experiences to observe them from different perspectives
Collect data and think about it thoroughly before drawing conclusions
Postpone reaching definitive conclusions (theres always more information to collect!)
Cautious and thoughtful
Take a back seat in meetings and discussions
Say Let me think about this
Like to observe others in action
Good listeners, they get the drift of the discussion before making their own point
Low profile, slightly distant air
Action will be part of the big picture including past and present, others observations as
well as their own

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 THEORISTS

Adapt observations into logically sound theories
Think problems through in a systematic way
Assimilate disparate facts into coherent theories
Perfectionists wanting things to fit into a rational scheme
Analyse and synthesise, maximise certainty
Keen on basic assumptions, principles, theories, models and systems thinking
Prize rationality and logic
Say If its logical, its good
Ask Does it make sense, How does this fit with that?, What are the basic
assumptions?
Detached, analytical, dedicated to rational objectivity
Uncomfortable with subjectivity and ambiguity, lateral thinking, flippancy

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 PRAGMATISTS

Keen to try new ideas, theories, techniques to see if they
work in practice
Search out new ways and experiment with application
Come back from a management course brimming with new
ideas to try out
Act quickly and confidently on ideas that attract them
Impatient with open-ended discussion
Practical and down-to-earth problem solvers
See problems and opportunities as challenges
Say There is always a better way, If it works its good
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Keeping a Learning Journal

Objectives of the Learning Journal

To help you reflect upon your learning experiences.
To help you identify your strengths and weaknesses as
well as your personal preferences, valus, biases and
emotional reactions to various learning activities.
To help you evaluate your learning and development
throughout the MSC program.
To facilitate the integration of theory and practice.
To assist with papers and assignments.
To help you become a reflective practitioner

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How do I do it? A Process for
Keeping a Learning Journal
Use a notebook specifically for this purpose. Please ensure that there
are margins available for comments from the faculty.
Each entry should include the date, a brief description of the situation
or learning event, a reflective comment about your learning,
assumptions, insights, feelings, questions, and, when possible, follow-
up action, resources, or other to do information.
A Learning Journal is personal and will reflect the personality of the
learner. Be creative. Be honest. Be thorough. Challenge yourself.
Do keep in mind that from time to time faculty may wish to read your
journal as part of their role in helping to further your studies and
development.
Organize and write your observations, questions and comments
without concern for just the right word and whether your spelling and
grammar are correct.

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Getting Started

Begin your Learning Journal with some reflective questions. You will no doubt find value
in returning to these questions as you progress through the program.
What metaphors, images or expressions would I use to describe conflict?
What three things do I believe about conflict?
What is my pattern of behaviour when involved in a conflict situation?
What do I like about my pattern; what works, what seems effective?
What do I dislike; what behaviors get in the way of being effective?
What worries me most when I am involved in conflict?
What would I most like to change about how I deal with conflict?
What do I want to get out of the MSC program; what do I want to learn; what knowledge
and skills do I want to acquire?
What strengths do I bring to this program; which of these strengths will help me in
accomplishing my learning goals?
What beliefs, behaviors and attitudes will I need to put aside in order to achieve my
learning objectives?
What concerns do I have about the MSC program, and how will I address them?

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Continuing with your Learning
Journal

You might want to reflect upon and include responses to the following as part
of your Learning Journal:
A critique of course readings or other texts dealing with conflict resolution.
Your reaction to particular ideas, questions, or comments raised in class.
Your reaction to activities and exercises.
Newspaper accounts of a current conflict and your analysis on how it was
handled.
The recounting and analysis of a conflict in your personal or professional life
what worked for you, what didnt.
Any brain waves (new ideas, comments, ahas) that may have occurred to you.
Insights about your values, bias, personal preferences, and conflict style.
Connections between topics/issues/readings that occurred to you during a
course, or between courses.

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When grading your learning
journal, faculty will be looking for:
Whether you are reflecting on the readings or class
activities, or whether you are simply recounting what had
occurred.
Whether you are able to identify any lessons learned, ah
hah moments, or other insights, challenges, questions.
Whether you are able to see how the course material might
relate to your present or future work.
Higher marks will be given to those who were able to
identify the lessons they learned, and lower marks to those
whose journals are primarily a summary of the weeks
activities.
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Learning Style Survey
This survey is designed to help you gain an understanding of learning
styles so that you can incorporate the various learning styles in your
daily learning activities. It is NOT meant to show you your best way of
learning as the research does not promote that. Rather, it is a tool for
learning-to-learn (metac20ognition) in order to increase self-awareness
about your strengths and weaknesses as a learner so that hopefully you
will try the various means of learning, rather than sticking with your
preferred methods. Note that like any survey of this nature, it is not 100
percent accurate, but it should help you gain some understanding of
your preferred learning styles based on two continuums:
Processing Continuum: Our approach to a task - learn by doing or
watching.
Perception Continuum: Our emotional response - learn by thinking or
feeling.

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Instructions
Read each statement carefully. To the left of each
statement, write the code that best describes how each
statement applies to you. Answer honestly as there are
no correct or incorrect answers. It is best if you do not
think about each question too long, as this could lead
you to the wrong conclusion.

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SECTION 1
Write either "Doing" or "Watching" next to the statements below, depending upon the
part of the statement you most closely relate to. _____ Doing - I often produce off-the-
cuff ideas that at first might seem silly or half-baked. Watching - I am thorough and
methodical.
_____ Doing - I am normally the one who initiates conversations. Watching - I enjoy
watching people.
_____ Doing - I am flexible and open minded. Watching - I am careful and cautious.
_____ Doing - I like to try new and different things without too much preparation.
Watching - I investigate a new topic or process in depth before trying it.
_____ Doing - I am happy to have a go at new things. Watching - I draw up lists up
possible courses of actions when starting a new project.
_____ Doing - I like to get involved and to participate. Watching - I like to read and
observe.
_____ Doing - I am loud and outgoing. Watching - I am quiet and somewhat shy.
_____ Doing - I make quick and bold decisions. Watching - I make cautious and logical
decisions.
_____ Doing - I speak fast, while thinking. Watching - I speak slowly, after thinking.
Total number of Doings - _____. Total number of Watchings - _____. The one that has
the larger number is your task preference.

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SECTION 2
Write either "Thinking" or "Feeling" next to the statement below, depending upon the
part of the statement you most closely relate to. _____ Thinking - I ask probing
questions when learning a new subject. Feeling - I am good at picking up hints and
techniques from other people.
_____ Thinking - I am rational and logical. Feeling - I am practical and down to earth.
_____ Thinking - I plan events down to the last detail. Feeling - I like realistic, but
flexible plans.
_____ Thinking - I like to know the right answers before trying something new. Feeling
- I try things out by practicing to see if they work.
_____ Thinking - I analyze reports to find the basic assumptions and inconsistencies.
Feeling - I rely upon others to give me the basic gist of reports.
_____ Thinking - I prefer working alone. Feeling - I enjoy working with others.
_____ Thinking - Others would describe me as serious, reserved, and formal. Feeling -
Others would describe me as verbal, expressive, and informal.
_____ Thinking - I use facts to make decisions. Feeling - I use feelings to make
decisions.
_____ Thinking - I am difficult to get to know. Feeling - I am easy to get to know.
Total number of Thinkings - _____. Total number of Feelings - _____. The one that has
the larger number is your thought or emotional preference.

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SCORING PROCEDURES
Each preference (high score) from the two above
sections are used to determine your learning style:.

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Reflector:

Prefers to learn from activities that allows watching,

thinking, and to review what has happened, such as
brainstorming and cooperative groups.
Lectures may be helpful but only if they provide expert
explanations and analysis.
Likes innovative and imaginative approaches to doing
things.
Prefers to view situations from many perspectives.
Interested in people and tends to be feeling-oriented.

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Philosopher:
If you prefer Watching and Thinking then you are a
Philosopher: Prefers to pull a number of different
observations and thoughts into an integrated whole in
a step-by-step manner (go from details to big-picture).
Prefers to reason logically and design models, theories,
and projects.
Likes lectures, analogies, systems, and case studies.
Talking with experts is normally not helpful.

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Analyst:
If you prefer Doing and Thinking then you are a
Analyst: Prefers the practical application of ideas,
solving problems, feedback, and decision-making
(obvious links between the task-on-hand and a
problem).
Prefers technical problems over interpersonal issues.
Prefers to apply new learnings to actual practice to see
if they work.
Likes laboratories, field work, observations, and
coaching.
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Organizer:
If you prefer Doing and Feeling then you are a
Organizer: Good at adapting to changing
circumstances and solves problems in an intuitive,
trial-and-error manner, such as discovery learning.
Tends to be at ease with people.
Prefers the challenges of new experiences, involvement
with others, assimilations, and role-playing.
Likes anything new, problem solving, and small group
discussions.

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