Test Your Learning Style

Put a check by the one statement in each group that BEST describes you. You generally remember more from a class lecture when: ! 1. You dont take notes but try to listen carefully. ! 2. You sit close to the lecturer and try to pay attention to him or her. ! 3. You take notes even though you may not bother to re-read them. You can solve problems best by: ! 1. Talking issues over with friends. ! 2. Organizing your self with lists, charts, schedules, and the like. ! 3. Pacing the floor or another kind of physical activity. You can remember telephone numbers best when you: ! 1. Repeat them out loud. ! 2. Visualize the number in your mind. ! 3. Write the number down. Its easiest for you to learn new material when you: ! 1. Have someone explain it to you. ! 2. Watch someone demonstrate how to do something. ! 3. Try to do it by yourself. When you watch a movie or television show, you most clearly remember the: ! 1. Music and dialogue. ! 2. Costumes and scenery. ! 3. The way you felt when watching it. When you try to remember something, you: ! 1. Try to visualize it in your mind. ! 2. Try to recreate the conversations and sounds that occurred. ! 3. Try to remember your feelings at the time. It would be easiest for you to learn a foreign language by: ! 1. Listening to instructional tapes. ! 2. Reading workbooks. ! 3. Taking a language class in which you read and write the language. If youre not sure how to spell a word, you: ! 1. Sound it out. ! 2. Try to visualize the spelling in your mind. ! 3. Write it on paper until you get the spelling that looks right. The kind of reading you like best is: ! 1. Dialogue between characters. ! 2. Creative and descriptive paragraphs. ! 3. Action stories OR you dont enjoy reading for recreation. Its easiest to remember the people you meet by: ! 1. Their names, youve been known to forget faces. ! 2. Their faces, youve been known to forget names. ! 3. Their particular or unusual mannerisms, quirks, or features. You are easily distracted by: ! 1. Noises. ! 2. People or sudden movement. ! 3. The environment itself. Which of the following activities appeals most to you: ! 1. Talking with a friend. ! 2. Watching a movie. ! 3. Relaxing on a comfortable couch. How many 1s did you check? 2s? 3s?

Put a check by any of the statements below that you feel describe you. 1. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 2. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 3. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! You dont become easily lost, even in unfamiliar surroundings. You avoid reading directions. Youd rather jump right into the task. Its hard for you to sit at a desk and study for any length of time. You learn best when someone shows you how to do something and you can try it on your own. You think and study better when you can move around. You solve problems through trial-and-error, rather than an organized, step-by-step approach. When you cant remember a certain word, youll say Oh, you know or What do you call it? It would be hard for you to give clear written or verbal instructions to another person. You need to take breaks often when you study or prepare for an exam. Youd rather see someone do something first, before you attempt to try it. The pictures in your thoughts are full of action and motion, just like a movie. 2s? 3s? Youd rather show someone how to do something than tell them how to do it. You need to write things down, or create a mental picture, in order to remember them. You sometimes have to ask people to repeat themselves because you werent listening carefully. You often cant think of a familiar word when youre talking, even though you know exactly what you want to say. You find it easier to figure out how to do something than have someone explain it to you. You might forget something you hear, like a telephone message, unless you write it down. You see vivid, detailed pictures in your thoughts. You sometimes use the wrong word when you are talking. You can do many things that are hard to explain to someone else, like building or repairing things. To remember proper alphabetical sequence, you need to go through the alphabet inside your head. You have difficulty copying written information and often leave things out. You have better luck spelling a word by sounding it out than by writing it. Your handwriting is hard to read or sloppy. You can best recall something by repeating it to yourself or saying it out loud. You make small errors, like writing on the wrong line, or using the wrong sign in math. Minor observations, like a friends new outfit, dont usually catch your attention. You clearly hear the voices and conversations youve had or will have in your thoughts. Sometimes you leave words out when youre writing or reverse letters and numbers. Youd rather have someone read something to you than read it yourself. Youre more likely to remember something you were told than something you read. Youd rather give an oral report than a written report.

How many 1s did you check?

Now add those totals with the totals from the first section: 1s 2s 3s

If most of your checkmarks were for the 1s, you are an auditory learner, who learns best through hearing and speaking. If most of your checkmarks were for the 2s, you are a visual learner, who learns best by seeing. If most of your checkmarks were for the 3s, you are a tactile or kinesthetic learner, who learns best by doing or touching.

Auditory learners: need to hear it to learn it cant follow written directions easily dont pick up on the nonverbal cues of others, such as facial expressions or body language are easily distracted by sounds need to repeat things out loud or to themselves to remember like classroom discussions and hearing others thoughts and opinions often remember names, but forget faces Auditory learners should: tape lectures and study sessions and request textbooks on tape, if available participate in class discussion sit close to the lecturer to avoid the distraction of others put away books, pens, and unnecessary distractions from your work area make rhyming or catchy phrases and mnemonics to help remember material speak aloud to yourself while reading instructions or reasoning through homework learn to strengthen and rely on your auditory memory skills Visual learners: need to see it to learn it cant follow verbal instructions easily learn best by watching demonstrations of a task prefer to write things down have a vivid imagination and think in clear pictures prepare with notes, charts, graphs, and other visual cues Visual learners should: take notes on everything that you can and elaborate or draw pictures in the margins rewrite and condense your notes for further review and processing color code your notes and files for different classes use graphics such as videos, maps, illustrations, and powerpoint slides to aid your learning create daily, prioritized lists of things to study and complete use flashcards and index cards to review key terms and concepts always keep a memo pad and pocket calendar with you to record assignments, due dates, & other important daily notes learn to strengthen and rely on your visual memory skills, creating pictures in your mind instead of repeating things again and again Tactile/Kinesthetic learners: need to do to learn must have direct, hands-on involvement with a task to learn best have difficulty sitting still and attending to tasks in the classroom like to stand close to and feel engaged with those they are listening to or talking to enjoy physical activity as part of the learning process often draw and doodle in class Tactile/Kinesthetic learners should: study effectively in short blocks of time, rather than an extended period

take frequent study breaks master physical skills such as sports, dance, mechanics, and so on take advantage of various experiential learning opportunities in the field or in lab & studio courses find action-filled reading materials and use a highlighter to set apart important sections study in a small group or with a partner consider non-traditional projects, such as building models or giving demonstrations to the class, in place of traditional written and oral reports and term papers change locations when you take a study break to help stretch your legs and work out some energy