Learning Styles Defining Strengths and Weaknesses

What is a learning style?

•Gathering of information in different ways

•Processes and organizes the information and making connections to things we already know

• It is basically how a person learns in accordance to where he is confident at

Knowing Strengths & Weaknesses

Know only my weaknessesKnow only my strengths

SUCCESSAdapt Strategy

Resentful

Frustrated

Angry

Bored

Minimize Impact

Insecure

Lost

Unfulfilled

Discouraged

Level General Theory Students’ Perception

Absolute All knowledge is certain.

Authorities have Truth and the responsibility to communicate it. Student’s must memorize and repeat Truth.

Transitional Some knowledge are certain and some knowledge are not.

Authorities have the responsibility to communicate the certainties. The students are responsible for making their own judgments regarding the uncertainties.

Independent Most knowledge are uncertain.

Students take responsibility for their own learning rather than relying on authorities or personal feelings. They collect and use evidence to support judgments, but often superficially, and believe that when knowledge is uncertain all conclusions regarding it are equally good if the right procedure is used to reach them.

Contextual All truths are contextual.

Students take responsibility for making judgments, acknowledging the need to do so in the face of uncertainty. They use all possible sources of evidence in the process – and they remain open to changing their decisions if new evidence is forthcoming.

Levels of Knowing

Index of Learning StylesThe Basics

Learning styles are• Characteristic: cognitive, affective and psychological

behaviors• Indicators of how learners

• perceive,• interact with, and• respond to the environment.

The Index of Learning Styles is a• learning style model • designed to capture the most important learning style

differences

Index of Learning StylesWhat are it’s uses and misuses?

Learning style profiles …• are CONTINUOUS

• They are NOT either/or categories.

• suggest behavioral TENDENCIES.• They are NOT infallible predictors of behavior.

• suggest that you have MORE strengths associated with one learning style THAN the other.

• They are NOT an accurate measure of your skill at tasks associated with your profiles

• You may be weak at both acting and reflecting, but you might be less weak at acting!

• are NOT 100% accurate.• If your learning style preference differs from the instrument,

DO NOT discount your judgment. • can be affected by your educational experiences.

Index of Learning StylesActive or Reflective Learner – Processing

Active Learner Reflective Learner

Strengths

•Work well in groups

•Experimentalists

•Evaluate ideas

•Design and carry out experiments

•Find solutions that work

•Work well alone

•Theoreticians

•Observers

•Define problems

•Propose possible solutions

Potential

Weaknesses

•Do not learn much in passive situations (most lectures)

•Do not learn much in situations where they don’t have time to reflect (most lectures)

Index of Learning StylesSensing or Intuitive Learner – Perception

Sensing Learner Intuitive Learner

Strengths

•Like facts and data

•Solving problems by standard methods

•Patient with detail

•Memorizing facts

•Practical and careful

•Concrete experimentation

•Like principles and theories

•Innovative

•Welcome complications

•Grasping new concepts

•Work faster

•Comfortable with symbols

•Abstract conceptualization

Potential

Weaknesses

•Problem solving purposes

•Dealing with complications

•Work slower

•Repetition

•Bored with detail

•Careless

Index of Learning StylesVisual or Verbal Learner – Input

Visual Learner Verbal Learner

Strengths

•Reading

•Writing

•Understanding charts, graphs

•Good sense of direction

•Interpreting & manipulating images

•Creating visual metaphors and analogies

•Constructing practical objects

•Listening

•Speaking

•Story-telling, explaining, teaching

•Using humor

•Remembering information

•Arguing their point of view

•Analyzing language usage

Potential

Weaknesses

•Listening

•Speaking

•Reading

•Writing

Index of Learning StylesSequential or Global Learner – Understanding

Sequential Learner Global Learner

Strengths

•Can work with material when they understand it partially or superficially

•Convergent thinking and analysis

•Organization

•Focus

•Consistency

•Objectivity

•Divergent thinking and synthesis

•Seeing the big picture

•Cooperating in group efforts

•Paraphrasing

•Multitasking

•Reading body language

•Seeing relationships

•Sense of fairness

Potential

Weaknesses

•Generalities

•Multitasking

•Sometimes misses the main idea

•May skip steps and details

•Having to explain themselves analytically

Minimizing WeaknessesWhere/what do you need to adapt in the current engineering classroom to be more successful?

In small groups (3 to 4), discuss the following and write down your individual answers on the 3x5 index card.

1. What are the weaknesses of your learning style?

2. Where are your weaknesses apparent in the eenglish classroom?

3. Pick one weakness. What compensation strategy are you going to use to minimize that weakness?

SUCCESS Minimize Impact