The Counselling Unit UWI, Mona

Study Skills

Learning Styles –

Discovering how you learn

Discovering our learning styles allows us to:

Seek out experiences that draw on the strengths of our styles

Adapt our speaking, writing, thinking, and listening to the styles of other people

Develop our skills at other learning styles

When we learn, two things initially happen

Perceiving - how we ‘take in’ reality

Processing - how we internalize the experience

Perceiving & Processing

Perceiving Concrete approach –

sensing and feeling

Abstract approach – analyze, intellectualize

Processing Actively

experimenting – “jump in” and do things

Reflectively observing – watch and ponder what is going on

Style I

Perceive through concrete experience and process through reflective observation

View concrete situations form many points of view

Approach events as observer Reflect on the situation rather than take

action

Style I cont’d

Enjoy generating a range of ideas Work for harmony and build support Have a concern for people Engender trust Favorite question when learning new

information – Why?

Style II

Perceive through abstract conceptualization

Process through reflective observation

Understand a wide range of information & good at putting it into a concise, logical form

Style II cont’d

More interested in abstract ideas than people

Thorough, goal-oriented Excel in traditional learning situation –

chalk & talk Favorite question – What?

Style III

Perceive through abstract conceptualization

Process through active experimentation

Skilled at finding practical uses for ideas

Good problem solvers and decision makers

Style III cont’d

Prefer working with things than with people

Plans and schedules are their thing

Favorite Question – How does this work?

Style IV

Perceive information through concrete experience

Process new learning through active experimentation

Learn from “hands-on” experiences

Style IV cont’d

Enjoy new and challenging experiences Listen more to their ‘gut’ feelings than any

logical analysis Risk takers Not fazed by new people or situations Favorite question – What if?

How to use our learning styles

Recognize our own styles and capitalize on the strengths we already have

Extend our success by exploring other learning styles

How to use our learning styles cont’d

Consciously choose to use the characteristics of each style by asking ourselves four questions:

How to use our learning styles cont’d

Why is it important to my education that I learn this?

What are the important concepts and facts I need to learn in mastering this information?

How to use our learning styles cont’d

How can I try this out or practice this new idea to see if it makes sense for my life today?

What if this idea can be extended more broadly to other situations in my life?

Reference: Ellis, D. (1994) Becoming a master student (7th ed)Rapid City, SD. Haughton Mifflin