Many of us have different learning styles, unfortunately, some instructors only teach mono style, that is, their preferred learning style.
This can generate problems for people with ADHD or learning disabilities as well as other people with a preferred learning style that may be different from the teachers teaching style. This can lead to frustration, stress, anger, anxiety and sometimes even dropping out of the course or the school. It’s a delusion that we all learn the same.
In an economy increasingly based on your level of knowledge and ability to continually learn and apply new information, understanding your preferred learning style is critical. If you teach or communicate with people who have a different learning style than you, you need to know this too.
Since variety is the spice of life and no one learning assessment covers it all, here are some different free online learning styles inventories for you to try out.
1. Memletics learning styles inventory
helps you find your dominant and secondary personal learning styles. Thanks to Linda Anderson for pointing this test out to me.
Here are their different learning styles.
Visual
Aural
Verbal
Physical
Logical
Social
Solitary
They also give you specific suggestions for each learning style.
2. The index of learning styles is used to assess preferences on four dimensions
(active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal, and sequential/global) of a learning style model created by Richard M. Felder and Linda K. Silverman. This test was developed by Richard M. Felder and Barbara A. Soloman. It also give suggestion on each style.
3. Simple learning styles self-assessment from LDPride.net.
They cover Visual Learners, Auditory Learners, and Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners. They also give you practical tips on how to use your learning styles to help you learn.
4. Reflector, Theorist, Activist, and Pragmatist.
Here’s another site for learning styles. “Peter Honey and Alan Mumford classify 4 types of learning styles, Reflector, Theorist, Activist and Pragmatist and talk about how each style learns best.”
Usually, we have more than one type of learning style.
On one test I took, my results seemed to be pretty balanced. I was
Auditory 27
Visual 23
Kinesthetic 23
Auditory Digital 27
This might explain why I love learning so much. I feel I can learn fairly easily by almost any method. Or it might just be my dopamine seeking ADHD brain craving constantly new stimulation:)
Sadly they deleted the page but below is the internet archive of it.
“Activists:
Activists like to be involved in new experiences. They are open minded and enthusiastic about new ideas but get bored with implementation. They enjoy doing things and tend to act first and consider the implications afterwards. They like working with others but tend to hog the limelight.
Activists learn best when:
- involved in new experiences, problems, and opportunities
- working with others in business games, team tasks, role-playing
- being thrown in the deep end with a difficult task
- chairing meetings, leading discussions
Activists learn less when:
- listening to lectures or long explanations
- reading, writing or thinking on their own
- absorbing and understanding data
- following precise instruction to the letter
Reflectors
Reflectors like to stand back and look at a situation from different perspectives. They like to collect data and think about it carefully before coming to any conclusions. They enjoy observing others and will listen to their views before offering their own.
Reflectors learn best when:
- observing individuals or groups at work
- they have the opportunity to review what has happened and think about what they have learned
- producing analyses and reports doing tasks without tight deadlines
Reflectors learn less when:
- acting as leader or role-playing in front of others
- doing things with no time to prepare
- being thrown in at the deep end
- being rushed or worried by deadlines
Theorists:
Theorists adapt and integrate observations into complex and logically sound theories. They think problems through in a step by step way. They tend to be perfectionists who like to fit things into a rational scheme. They tend to be detached and analytical rather than subjective or emotive in their thinking.
Theorists learn best when:
- they are put in complex situations where they have to use their skills and knowledge
- they are in structured situations with a clear purpose
- they are offered interesting ideas or concepts even though they are not immediately relevant
- they have the chance to question and probe ideas behind things
Theorists learn less when:
- they have to participate in situations which emphasize emotion and feelings
- the activity is unstructured or briefing is poor
- they have to do things without knowing the principles or concepts involved
- they feel they’re out of tune with the other participants e.g. with people of very different learning styles
Pragmatists
Pragmatists are keen to try things out. They want concepts that can be applied to their job. They tend to be impatient with lengthy discussions and are practical and down to earth.
Pragmatists learn best when:
- there is an obvious link between the topic and job
- they have the chance to try out techniques with feedback e.g. role-playing
- they are shown techniques with obvious advantages e.g. saving time
- they are shown a model they can copy e.g. a film or a respected boss
Pragmatists learn less when:
- there is no obvious or immediate benefit that they can recognize
- there is no practice or guidelines on how to do it
- there is no apparent pay back to the learning e.g. shorter meetings
- the event or learning is ‘all theory’
Most of us have elements of more than one learning style.Think about your strongest style and your weakest style to identify how you learn.”
If you ever have to teach other people or simply want to communicate more effectively, you’ll have an edge by learning how to recognize, understand and communicate appropriately with people who have different learning styles.
If you want to learn more about teaching ADD students, take a look at this page on my website with links to 34 Articles & Ebooks on how to teach students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.