CHAPTER 4

LEARNING STYLES
WHY DO YOU NEED TO KNOW
YOUR LEARNING STYLE?
Everyone has her own learning preferences
There is no best method to learn
What works for others may not work for you
You need to know your preferred way of learning and the type of learner you are in order to
find the best strategies that work for you
In order to do this, you need to be introduced to the most important theories
THEORIES OF LEARNING STYLES
The VARK learning style inventory
Kolb inventory of learning styles
The Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI)
Multiple intelligence
The VARK learning style inventory

VARK = Visual Aural Read/Write Kinesthetic

Learning through senses
Visual= by seeing, this learner learns the best by seeing charts,
pictures, symbols…etc
Aural=by hearing information
Read/Write
Kinesthetic= learning through practice, experience wither simulated
or real
THE VARK TEST
To identify what type of learner you are based on the VARK
inventory, do test on pages 56-59
STUDY STRATEGIES BY LEARNING
STYLES BASED ON VARK
Kolb Inventory of Learning Styles
It is more complex that the VARK inventory
Developed by David Kolb (1980s), and is based on
abilities you need to develop in order to learn.
Based on four-stage cycle of learning.
Kolb four-
stage
cycle of
learning
According to Kolb, effective learners need 4 kinds of abilities:

1- Concrete experience abilities: being open and receptive

to others and experiences.
2- Reflective observation abilities: reflecting on experiences
from different perspectives.
3-Abstract conceptualization abilities: like analyzing ideas
intellectually and systematically
4-Active experimentation abilities: enables them to make
decisions, solve problems, and test what they learned
These four characteristics create four types of learners:
1- divergers: reflects on situations from many viewpoints, good in brainstorming, imaginative, like
people, may be emotional
2-assimilators: think about the abstract concepts like theories without linking them to real world.
Mostly study math, physics, or chemistry
3-convergers: likes theories and ideas, but like to think on applying them in reality. Differ from
divergers in that they prefer tasks and problems rather than social and interpersonal issues. Tend to
major in health-related and engineering majors
4-accommodators: prefer hands-on learning. Skilled at making things happen, rely on intuitions. Like
people, but may be pushy or impatient sometimes. Use trial and error rather than logic to solve
problems . Usually major in business, specially marketing and sales.
You need to master aspects of each type
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
(MBTI)
One of the mostly used personality inventories
Developed by Isabel Briggs Myers & Katharine Cook Briggs
Is based on the personality theory by Carl Gustav Jung
It shows how personality type affect learning.
Remember, all types are normal. It is only that we are different.
Each personality type is represented by 4 letters that indicate
your preferences.
MYERS-BRIGGS BASIC
PERSONALITY TYPES
1.Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I)
2.Sensing (S) vs. Intuition(N)
3.Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)
4.Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)
1-Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I)

THE INNER OR OUTER WORLD

This preference looks at whether you focus on the outer world like people or events, or to inner
thought and feelings
1-Extraverts (E) outgoing, talkative, like people and activity, good communicators.
But! Can be too talkative and act before thinking.
2- Introvert (I) think carefully before acting, think a lot , like privacy, good listeners
But! Too shy, may not aware of people or actions around them, Think too much that they may
not start the action
2- Sensing (S) vs. Intuition(N)

FACTS OR IDEAS
How you perceive and take information, through the five senses or indirectly by intuitions.
1-Sensing (S) focus on facts, practical, realistic, accurate, steady, precise, patient, effective with
routines and details, traditional, dislikes complexity, you can count on them to do things right
and take care of details
But! They may get to busy with details and miss the point why they are working
2-Intuitive(N) they focus on what to use the facts for and not on the facts themselves, creative,
innovative, nontraditional, like to learn new skills
But! Can be impractical dreamers
3-Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)

LOGIC OR VALUES
How you prefer to make decisions,; through logic and rational analysis or your subjective
reaction and your likes or dislikes
1-Thinking (T): logical, rational analytical, critical, objective, does not consider feelings, firm and
assertive, value fairness
But! May appear cold, insensitive, and hurtful in their criticism
2- Feeling (F):warm, empathic, sympatric, interested in happiness of others and themselves,
value harmony, kind, facilitate cooperation
But! May be illogical, emotionally demanding, reluctant to do unpleasant tasks, distracted by
arguments
4- Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)

HOW YOU APPROACH THE OUTSIDE WORLD: BY MAKING DECISIONS AND JUDGMENTS OR BY
OBSERVING
1- Judging (J): planned, organized, make decisions quickly and easily because they know their
plans, tidy, punctual, do things orderly and on time/
But! May jump into conclusions, may be too judgmental of people, may have trouble changing
their plans
2- Perceiving (P): try to adapt to the world and not control it, flexible, deal great with changes,
have wait-and-see approach
But! Can be messy, disorganized, procrastinators
HOW TO USE YOUR (MBTI)
PERSONALITY PREFERENCES TO
LEARN
Multiple Intelligences
Developed by Gardner (1983), Harvard University
Controversial
He proposed 8 types of intelligences and claimed students
should be evaluated on all, and not focus only on linguistic
and logical-mathematical intelligences
Types of intellegences according to Gardner (1983):
1. Verbal/linguistic
2. Logical/mathematical
3. Visual/ spatial
4. Bodily/kinesthetic
5. Musical/rhythmic
6. interpersonal
7. Intrapersonal
8. Naturalistic
When Learning Style Conflicts with
Teaching Style
TEACHERS TEACH IN THEIR PREFERRED LEARNING STYLE.
IT IS YOUR DUTY TO ACCOMMODATE AND HELP YOURSELF.
Take control of your learning process
Don’t depend on the instructor or the classroom environment to
give you everything you need.
Employ your own preferences, talents, and abilities to create
different ways to study and retain information.
Discover what type of learner you are, make use of the strategies
mentioned in the book, and create your own.
Learning Disabilities
THEY AFFECT PEOPLE’S ABILITY TO INTERPRET WHAT THEY SEE AND HEAR, OR
TO LINK INFORMATION ACROSS DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BRAIN.
USUALLY IN READING, WRITING, AND MATHEMATICS
ATTENTION DISORDERS (ADD)/(ADHD)
Attention deficit disorder (ADD) or Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) case inability to organize tasks or complete work. Work may look messy
or careless. May make the person daydream excessively.
If you have trouble with organization, you may have this condition. You may
need screening.
How to Deal with Attention Disorders
(ADD)/(ADHD)
According to the National Institute of Mental Health
COGNITIVE LEARNING DISABILITIES
Dyslexia in reading; inability to distinguish sounds in spoken words and difficulty in assigning
sounds to letters
Developmental writing disorder in writing; inability to compose complete grammatical
sentences
Developmental arithmetic disorder in math; difficulty in recognizing numbers and symbols,
memorizing multiplication timetables understanding abstract concepts like place value and
fraction.
All learning disabilities are not related to
intelligence! You can be very smart but
have a learning disability.
Some famous people with learning disabilities :
Agatha Christie
Charles Darwin
Albert Einstein
George Washington
Leonardo da Vinci
What to do?
ask yourself these questions:
If you believe you have a learning disability.
Consult your academic advisor and resort
to the office for student disability services