Thinking Styles: Optimizing Online

Learning

Presented By

Christinia Scott

OBJECTIVES

Benefits of online learning

Sternberg-Wagner Thinking Style Inventory

Who should know students thinking style?

Benefits of knowing student’s thinking styles

ONLINE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS BENEFITS

Allows learning on demand

Promotes lifelong learning

Distance is no longer a problem

New opportunities for learning

THE STERNBERG-WAGNER THINKING STYLE INVENTORY

Function• Legislative• Executive• Judicial

Form• Monarchic• Hierarchic• Oligarchic• Anarchic

Level• Global• Local

THE STERNBERG-WAGNER THINKING STYLE INVENTORY

• Internal• ExternalScope

• Liberal• ConservativeLeaning

FUNCTION

• Individuals do things their own way.Legislative

• Individuals like to follow rules.Executive

• Individuals like to evaluate rules.Judicial

FORM

Monarchic

Individuals prefer to

concentrate heavily on one thing.

Hierarchic

Individuals tend to be motivated

by a hierarchy of

goals or priorities.

Oligarchic

Individuals tend to be motivated by several competing

goals.

Anarchic

Individuals tend to be motivated by a wide

assortment of needs

and goals.

LEVEL

Global

Individuals that prefer to deal with large and

abstract issues.

Local

Individuals that focus on minute

details surrounding

concrete issues.

SCOPE

Internal

• Individuals tend to be introverted and task-oriented.

External

• Individuals are more extroverted and people-oriented.

LEANING

Liberal

Individuals like to go beyond existing rules and seek to maximize change.

Conservative

Individuals like to adhere to existing rules and minimize

change.

WHO SHOULD KNOW STUDENT’S THINKING STYLES?

Program designers and faculty benefit from knowing student’s thinking styles.

Program designers and faculty should plan curriculum according to students thinking styles.

Program designers and faculty should deliver curriculum according to students thinking styles.

BENEFITS OF KNOWING STUDENT’S THINKING STYLES

Knowing students thinking styles

increases student’s academic success.

Students will be fully engaged in the course.

Help students discover how they

learn best.

SUMMARY

Benefits of online learning

Sternberg-Wagner Thinking Style Inventory

Who should know students thinking style?

Benefits of knowing student’s thinking styles

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?

REFERENCE

Foster, C. B. (2011). Thinking Styles Maximizing Online Supported Learning. J.Educational Computing Research, 121-139.