How to Identify your Best Learning Styles

From http://www.marin.cc.ca.us/~don/study/13styles.html

People learn differently. Some prefer using pictures. Others like working in groups. How do you learn best? Here are the three major factors making up your learning style.

1. The three senses - auditory, visual and kinesthetics
2. The two reasoning types - deductive and inductive
3. The two environments - intrapersonal and interpersonal

Check these factors as they apply to different subjects to discover your learning preferences.

The Three Senses -------
Auditory - listening
( ) - I prefer to follow verbal instructions rather than written ones.
( ) - I find it comfortable to add spoken numbers mentally.

Visual - seeing, reading and visualizing
( ) - I score high on tests that depend on reading comprehension.
( ) - I can read formulas and understand them.
( ) - I prefer maps to verbal directions when I am trying to find a place.

Kinesthetics - moving, touching, writing and doing.
( ) - When I write things down, it clarifies my thoughts.
( ) - I have to manipulate formulas in order to understand them.
( ) - I like to draw pictures.
( ) - I am good at using my hands. I enjoy lab classes.

The Two Reasoning Types ---
Deductive reasoning
( ) - I like to look at the big picture first, then get the details.
( ) - When learning a new game, I like to know all the rules before playing.
( ) - In an argument, I state my premises first, then draw conclusions.

Inductive reasoning
( ) - I like to see some examples when first learning a new subject, before developing an overview.
( ) - I prefer to learn the rules of a new game "as we go along".

The Two Learning Environments
Intrapersonal - working alone.
( ) - When solving word problems, I have to figure it out for myself.
( ) - Doing school work with a group often wastes a lot of time.

Interpersonal - working with others.
( ) - Before making a decision, I usually discuss it with my family or friends.
( ) - I like to do my homework with others.

What Are You Best At? Ideally, we are good with each learning style. However, what we do best can depend on our mood, the subject matter, our friends and the teacher. Our goal is to monitor our learning effectiveness and to adjust our learning styles for maximum advantage.

Copyright 1991 Donald Martin, How to be a Successful Student