What's Your Learning Profile?

I was back behind the classroom desk this past week as part of an industry certification course.

I “survived” the 04 days, fortunately by the fact that the topic allowed the training to be very hands-on and participative and an enlightened trainer that decided to leverage on that. Versus just the atypical lecture and information dump so typical of many certification-type courses.

If you hadn’t already guessed by my profession and approach & methodology to facilitation and training, I am a very hands-on, participatory type of person. I seem to learn and assimilate best in those sorts of experiential training environments and I have observed that many working adults seem to be that way.

Many would be familiar with the Dunn & Dunn's VAK model, with it’s origins from Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), which asserts that for most circumstances and most people, their mental processing is dominated by three main sensory based modes:

visual (V- learning by seeing)
auditory (A - learning by hearing)
kinesthetic (K- learning by doing)

But I personally prefer Honey & Mumford’s (1982) typology of experiential learning styles.

Activitists (Do)
involve themselves fully in new experiences
enjoy the here and now
open minded, enthusiastic, flexible
act first, consider consequences later
seek to centre activity around themselves
==> Enjoy learning through games, competitive teamwork tasks and role plays.

Reflectors (Review)
prefer to step back and observe
cautious, take a back seat, can be perceived to be indecisive
likes to collect and analyze data about experience and events, slow to reach conclusions
use information from past, present and immediate observations to maintain a big picture perspective.
==> Prefer learning activities based on observation/investigation which gives leeway to ponder upon.

Theorists (Conclude)
Think through problems in a logical step-by-step manner, value rationality and objectivity
can assimilate disparate facts into coherent theories
disciplined, aiming to fit things into rational order
keen on basic assumptions, principles, theories, models and systems thinking
==> Prefers activities that explore the inter-relationship between ideas and principles.

Pragmatists (Plan)
Keen to put ideas, theories and techniques into practice
Search new ideas and experiment
Act quickly and confidently on ideas, gets straight to the point
Are impatient with endless discussion
==> Prefers learning activities that resembles direct work experience.

Knowing your learning style can accelerate your learning as you undertake activities that best fit your preferred style.