Have you ever tried to learn something fairly simple, yet failed to grasp the key ideas? Or tried to teach people and found that some were overwhelmed or confused by something quite basic?
If so, you may have experienced a clash of learning styles: Your
learning preferences and those of your instructor or audience may not have been
aligned. When this occurs, not only is it frustrating for everyone, the
communication process breaks down and learning fails.
Once you know your own natural learning preference, you can work on
expanding the way you learn, so that you can learn in other ways, not just in
your preferred style.
And, by understanding learning styles, you can learn to create an
environment in which everyone can learn from you, not just those who use your
preferred style.
Felder and Silverman's Index of
Learning Styles
One of the most widely used models of learning styles is the Index of
Learning Styles developed by Richard Felder and Linda
Silverman in the late 1980s. According to this model (which Felder revised in
2002) there are four dimensions of learning styles. Think of these dimensions
as a continuum with one learning preference on the far left and the other on
the far right.
Learning Styles Index
Sensory
|
Intuitive
|
Sensory learners prefer concrete,
practical, and procedural information. They look for the facts.
|
Intuitive learners prefer
conceptual, innovative, and theoretical information. They look for the
meaning.
|
Visual
|
Verbal
|
Visual learners prefer graphs,
pictures, and diagrams. They look for visual representations of information.
|
Verbal learners prefer to hear or
read information. They look for explanations with words.
|
Active
|
Reflective
|
Active learners prefer to
manipulate objects, do physical experiments, and learn by trying. They enjoy
working in groups to figure out problems.
|
Reflective learners prefer to think
things through, to evaluate options, and learn by analysis. They enjoy
figuring out a problem on their own.
|
Sequential
|
Global
|
Sequential learners prefer to have
information presented linearly and in an orderly manner. They put together
the details in order to understand the big picture emerges.
|
Global learners prefer a holistic
and systematic approach. They see the big picture first and then fill in the
details.
|
Once you know where your preferences lie on each of these dimensions,
you can begin to stretch beyond those preferences and develop a more balanced
approach to learning. Not only will you improve your learning effectiveness,
you will open yourself up to many different ways of perceiving the world.
Balance is the key. You don't want to get too far on any one side of the
learning dimensions. When you do that you limit your ability to take in new
information and make sense of it quickly, accurately, and effectively.
Tip:
This article describes one useful approach to learning styles. Other practitioners may have different approaches.
This article describes one useful approach to learning styles. Other practitioners may have different approaches.
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