What kind of learner am I?
L o t t e Yo n g
Learning Coordinator
l.yong@bbk.ac.uk (feedback and questions)
studyskills@bbk.ac.uk (making appointments)
w w w. b b k . a c . u k / s t u d ys k i l l s ( f u l l p r o g r a m m e )
Reflecting on your own learning history
Think of a positive and a negative learning situation:
Why was it good or bad? Was it because:

you liked the teaching methods and materials?

of the personality of the teacher/instructor?

it was at the right pace for you?

of the people you were studying with?

you were praised?

your opinion and ideas were appreciated?

you were very interested in the task?

of other factors?
Understanding how our brain works
From : ‘Neuropsychological Treatment of Dyslexia D.J. Bakker
Left brain hemisphere
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Language
Facts
Analysis
Time orientation
Sequencing
Structure
Mathematics
Listening
Right brain hemisphere
• Pictures
• Feelings
• Humour
• Artistic
• Musical
• 3-D visual/spatial
• Patterns
• ‘Whole picture’
This is true for the majority of people.
Left and right brain activities
The process of Learning
A famous theory in the field of learning how to learn is
Kolb’s learning cycle (adapted from Kolb and Fry 19750
According to Kolb, all learning follows this cycle clockwise.
However, the preferred entry point depends on one’s learning style,
experiencing
reflecting
testing
theorizing
Honey & Mumford’s learning styles
 Honey & Mumford developed Kolb’s theory of learning and
designed a questionnaire that divides people into 4 different
types of learners:
 Activist:
intuitive, flexible, spontaneous, have a go
 Reflector: watch, reflect, take time to consider
 Theorist: know the facts thoroughly before applying the
knowledge
 Pragmatist: practical and realistic, like to try out things to
see if they work
Felder and Solomon questionnaire
 Here is another very useful learning style test.
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html
 It proposes a typology based on 4 polar opposites:
active - reflective
sensing - intuitive
visual - verbal
sequential - global
 Complete and submit the test, it will plot your results (x marks). At the
bottom of the Learning Results Style page, click Learning Styles
Description for an excellent explanation of your learning styles and
suggested strategies.
How adults learn
 Workshops are generally based on experiential learning, the most
commonly employed theoretical framework used in training today.
 Learning is the continuous process of human adaptation to our
physical and social environment.
 Knowledge evolves through the continuing relationship between
individuals and world around them.
 Learning occurs through the accumulation and reflection on
experience - an interaction between our internal and external
worlds.
Learning theories
If you are interested in this topic, the field is vast, from the
traditional dominant theories of ‘behaviourism’ and
cognitivism’ to the social learning theories of ‘situated
learning’ and ‘human communications theory’ to the
less dominant ‘constructivism’.
Learning theories can be put into 4 different categories:
learner-based, context-based, process-based and
knowledge-based.