Learning Styles, Study Skills, Weaknesses and Strategies

           Active learners and reflective learners tend to mix and mingle their study habits. It would be unwise to label ones self as one or the other. Felder & Soloman (2009) suggest that active learners should study in groups and use complex drawings, charts and graphs to assist with their absorption of knowledge.  He also says that it is good to be balanced between the two attributes. A purely active learner will tend to jump to conclusions, where a passive learner may not ever come to a conclusion at all due to a slow reflection upon a topic on their own.  The best way to decipher between an active versus passive learner is to have them describe themselves with one of these two phrases: “Let’s try it out and see how it works, or, Let’s think about it first” (Felder & Soloman, 2009), with the first describing an active learner and the later describing a passive learner.

            A sensing learner is the opposite of a intuitive learner. While a sensing learner would prefer to learn cold, hard facts, a intuitive learner would rather come to the conclusion themselves through a process of examining circumstances. Working as a nurse, for example, it would be beneficial to be a intuitive learner as “you will be guided by the need to explore options based on principles and patterns and an understanding of commonalities and differences” (Nugent, Patricia M. & Vitale, Barbara A., 2008, pg 11). Sensing learners seem to best retain information through the use of tangible study materials and direct examples. Felder & Soloman (September 2009) suggest that intuitive learners are much more likely to become bored in class, where as sensing learners, students are often asking teachers to provide more specific examples.

            Visual and verbal learners are, as the previous mentioned categories, polar opposites as well. A student who is a visual learner learns from seeing and doing. A student who is a verbal learner learns best from repetition and re-looking over notes and even re-teaching material to another person. “In most college classes very little visual information is presented: students mainly listen to lectures and read material written on chalkboards and in textbooks and handouts. Unfortunately most people are visual learners” (Felder & Soloman, 2009). This presents a problem to learners of all ages and makes it crucial for students to be well rounded in their study skills. If they are not, much that is learned in class can be lost because of poor interpretation or just forgetfulness.

            In comparison to the before mentioned qualities, sequential learners are the opposite of global learners. A sequential learner, according to Felder & Soloman (2009) learns things in a linear pattern, or step by step. A global learner can look at the big picture and derive information from it. It is almost a random pattern in which they acquire information, and they are able to organize it accordingly. Both of these qualities are necessary in the learning process. Information is always presented in different ways and it is very beneficial to the student to be able to perceive it from different directions. Ultimately it is a good quality to be able to learn in sequence, and use critical thinking to piece something together backwards.

            There are many different types of people in the word, and with them come many different types of learners. Two students could perceive and obtain information from two completely different methods and still perform the same on an exam. As long as a student has good study skills and patience, any method of learning can be the “best” way to absorb information.

References

Felder, Richard & Soloman, Barbara A. (September 2009) Learning Styles and Strategies.

Retrieved October 19, 2009 from

http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm

Nugent, Patricia M. & Vitale, Barbara A. (2008) Test Success: Test Taking Techniques for

Beginning Nursing Students (5th Edition). F.A. Davis Company.