Topic
Activity
College Success
Identify Learning Style*
National Career Development Guidelines – Educational Achievement and Lifelong
Learning
Goal: Attain educational achievement and performance levels needed to reach your
personal and career goals. (ED1)
Indicator: Identify your learning style. (ED1.K4)
Objective(s)
1. Students will identify their primary learning style.
Assessment(s)
1. Students describe their learning style.
Preparation
 Before You Begin—Familiarize yourself with the Index of Learning Styles
Questionnaire (or another learning styles inventory of your choice). Review the
learning styles identified by the questionnaire. Print and review the supporting
documents: Learning Styles, Learning Styles and Strategies, Index of Learning Styles
(ILS), and Richard Felder’s Responses to Frequently Asked Questions about the ILS.
 Prior Learning—N/A
 Resources/Materials— Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire, Felder and Solomon
(http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html); access to computers or have
the students take the learning styles assessment on their own and bring the results to
the workshop.
 Time Required—15 minutes for assessment, 45 - 60 minutes for discussion
Activity Procedures
Introduction – Practitioner Background Information
• Although we may use a blend of strategies, each person has a preferred way to take in
and process information (i.e., learning style).
• There is no “right” or “wrong” learning style.
• Although one learning style is not inherently better than another, a specific
teaching/learning environment would make it easier for those with a learning style
compatible with the teaching style to assimilate and process the information presented.
• There are several ways to describe and categorize the dimensions of learning style.
Most simply put, the styles can be described as Visual, Auditory, and Physical
(Kinesthetic). Cognition studies have led some theorists to further differentiate
dimensions of learning style. Some examples are listed below:
- Index of Learning Styles (ILS), Felder and Solomon: Active – Reflective Scale,
Sensing - Intuitive Scale, Visual - Verbal Scale, and Sequential - Global Scale.
- DVC Learning Style Survey for College, Jester and Miller: Visual/Verbal,
Visual/Nonverbal, Tactile/Kinesthetic, Auditory/Verbal.
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2007. America’s Career Resource Network. Reprintable with permission. Email: ntsc@dtihq.com
- Memletics Learning Styles Inventory, Advenogy.com: Visual, Aural, Verbal,
Physical, Logical, Social, and Solitary.
Part 1 General Discussion
• Discuss the concept of learning style and have students share how they think they learn
best.
• Discuss how understanding one’s learning style might improve academic success.
Part 2 Complete and Discuss Assessment
• Introduce the Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire and its purpose.
• Have students complete the assessment online and print out the report.
• Review the various learning styles and the assessment report.
• Group students by learning style and give them time to discuss their best and worst
learning experiences. How did the teacher present the subject matter in the best and worst
situations?
• Remind students that there is no “right” or “wrong” learning style and that one is not
inherently better than another.
Suggested Discussion Topics and Questions
• How would students adapt in situations where the teaching style is not in tune with their
learning style? What would they suggest to the teacher?
• How does learning style relate to occupational choice?
• How does learning style impact academic and job performance?
• Point out that students can be proactive in seeking to make changes to learning
environments to better meet their learning style needs.
Extension
• Students identify a class in which they are having difficulty and analyze any issues that
may relate to learning style. Student then develop an action plan to better accommodate
their learning style in that class.
For More Information
• This activity can be done with other learning style assessments (both formal and
informal assessments).
- DVC Learning Style Survey for College, Jester and Miller
(http://adulted.about.com)
- Memletics Learning Styles Inventory, Advenogy.com (http://www.learningstyles-online.com/inventory)
Disclaimer: The assessments listed below are for your information. Their inclusion in this
activity does not imply any endorsement by America’s Career Resource Network.
Careful review of the instrument with your population and purpose in mind is sound
professional practice.
*2007. America’s Career Resource Network. Reprintable with permission. Email:ntsc@dtihq.com
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2007. America’s Career Resource Network. Reprintable with permission. Email: ntsc@dtihq.com