What is My Learning Style?
One of the distinguishing characteristics of human beings is our remarkable capacity to learn. It may seem a bold statement to make, but we would venture to say that everyone learns. While each individual possesses the ability to learn, it is recognised that we learn in different ways and develop different learning behaviours and patterns. It seems that from an early age learners begin to develop individual methods and strategies by which they learn best. These characteristic learning behaviours and patterns are often referred to as learning styles.
Learning styles are the ways in which an individual perceives processes and internalises information in new and different learning situations. Two concise definitions are:
Learning styles are traits that refer to how individuals approach learning tasks and process information (Kemp, Morrison & Ross 1998).
A learning style is the adoption of a habitual and distinct mode of acquiring knowledge (McLoughlin 1999).
Identifying my preferred learning style
There are a number of concepts, or models, that have been proposed which can be used to differentiate how people learn. Often a model will include a learning style assessment questionnaire to help individuals recognise learning style preferences. You are pointed to some of these questionnaires so you can expand your understanding of yourself as a learner. Self-assessment is not a process where students become labelled as a ‘good’ student or a ‘bad’ learner. The purpose of looking at learning style preferences is to help you realise that:
- there are different ways to learn;
- all ways of learning are acceptable;
- a better understanding of ourselves as learners puts us more in control of our learning;
- a greater self-understanding leads to greater enthusiasm and effectiveness in study routines.
A summary of two of the better known models is provided here to give you a bit of a picture about learning style preferences. Later on, links to helpful websites are given where you can complete questionnaires that will provide you with a learner profile and learning style preferences.
Kolb's Learning Style Inventory falls within the category of an information processing theory. Kolb (1984) identifies four styles in learners:
| the divergers | individuals who like to use experience, imagination and observation to learn |
| the assimilators | individuals who like to use observation and conceptualisation; inductive reasoning |
| the convergers | individuals who like practical or technical issues that have a single best answer; good problem-solvers and decision makers |
| the accommodators | individuals who like to learn by experience and experimentation/exploration; tend to act intuitively and are willing to take risks |
Dunn & Dunn (1993) see learning styles in terms of instructional preferences, and suggest that a learning style is a set of personal characteristics, both biological and developmental, that can make the same teaching lesson 'effective for some students and ineffective for others' (p.5).
These authors put forward that there are four major perceptual strengths:
| visual | 30-40% of learners having a preference for this approach to learning |
| auditory | 20-30% of learners prefer this approach |
| tactual | 20-25% of learners prefer this approach |
| kinaesthetic | 20-25% of learners prefer this approach |
Learners process new information in one of two ways: either globally or analytically. For adult learners, it is suggested that: 55% are global learners; 28% are analytical (Dunn 1987).
A global-like person is a learner who likes to get the big picture without a need for all the details. 'Global learners need to know what they need to learn and why they need to learn it. After they understand, they can concentrate on the details' (Morse, Oberer, Dobbins & Mitchell 1998).
An analytical learner, on the other hand, wants to know the details of something before they can take advantage of new information. 'Learners who are more analytical learn best when information is introduced to them step by step, fact by fact. Analytical learners will listen to the facts as long as they feel they are heading towards a goal' (Morse, Oberer, Dobbins & Mitchell 1998).
This brief overview of learning style preferences highlights the fact that individuals each have a different set of preferences for how, when, where and how often to learn. Learning style preferences indicate a generalised approach to learning, and are also influenced by habits, attitudes, personality and experiences of the adult learner.
There are many approaches to learning, and it should be accepted that as efficient learners, we do not always use the same learning style all the time for all learning situations. By going through the learning style questionnaires given below, students should end up with a clearer picture of themselves as learners and this awareness may make a significant difference in how one learns.