Your Learning Style Explaining your learning style in terms of strengths
and weaknesses
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses
Today, we are going to learn how you best learn…
To understand the learning style that fits you best, please take this learning styles test from North Carolina State University:
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html .
Print out your results or write them down.
Let’s look at the big picture of your education
In engineering education, we greatly emphasize
But there are other parts of KNOWING, such as Understanding the different
levels of knowing
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses and
We can define four different levels of knowing
Level General Theory Students’ Perception All knowledge is certain.
Authorities have Truth and the responsibility to communicate it. Student’s must memorize and repeat Truth.
Some knowledge is certain and some knowledge is not.
Authorities have the responsibility to communicate the certainties. The students are responsible for making their own judgments regarding the uncertainties.
Most knowledge is uncertain.
Students take responsibility for their own learning rather than relying on authorities or personal feelings. They collect and use evidence to support judgments, but often superficially, and believe that when knowledge is uncertain all conclusions regarding it are equally good if the right procedure is used to reach them.
All truths are contextual.
Students take responsibility for making judgments, acknowledging the need to do so in the face of uncertainty. They use all possible sources of evidence in the process – and they remain open to changing their decisions if new evidence is forthcoming.
SUCCESS
Knowing both your strengths & weaknesses can lead to success and fulfillment
Resentfulness Frustration
Anger
Boredom Insecureness Sense of loss
Lack of fulfillment
Discouragement
Knowing only strengths can lead to …
Knowing only weaknesses can lead to …
Strengths Weaknesses
Purpose
Let’s look at the basics – the Index of Learning Styles
“Students whose learning styles fall in any of the given
categories have the potential to be excellent scientists.” –
Richard M. Felder
Learning styles are
Characteristic cognitive, affective and psychological BEHAVIORS
Indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the environment
The Index of Learning Styles is a Learning Style Model designed to capture the most important learning style differences among ENGINEERING students!
Index of Learning Styles What are it’s uses and misuses?
If your learning style preference differs from the instrument, DO NOT discount your judgment Your preferences can be affected by your educational experiences
Learning style profiles… are CONTINUOUS They are NOT either/or categories
suggest behavioral TENDENCIES They are NOT infallible predictors of behavior
suggest that you have MORE strengths associated with one learning style THAN the other They are NOT an accurate measure of your skill at tasks associated with your profiles
You may be weak at both acting and reflecting, but you might be less weak at acting!
They are NOT 100% accurate
Index of Learning Styles Active or Reflective Learner – Processing
Work well in groups Tend to be good
experimentalists Evaluate ideas Design and carry out
experiments Find solutions that work
Work well alone Tend to be good
theoretician Observe well Define problems Propose possible
solutions
Do not learn much in passive situations (most lectures)
Do not learn much in situations where they don’t have time to reflect (most lectures)
Index of Learning Styles Sensing or Intuitive Learner – Perception
Like facts and data Solve problems by standard
methods Are patient with detail Memorize facts Are practical and careful Are concrete
experimentalists
Like principles & theories Tend to be innovative Welcome complications Grasp new concepts Work fast Are comfortable with symbols Conceptualize in the abstract
Lack problem solving purpose
Have difficulty in dealing with complications
Tend to be slow workers
Are bored with repetition & detail
Are often careless
Index of Learning Styles Visual or Verbal Learner – Input
Tend to be excellent readers & writers
Understand charts, graphs Have a good directional sense Interpret & manipulate images Create visual metaphors and
analogies Construct practical objects
Tend to be excellent listeners & speakers
Like to story-tell, explain, teach
Are good at using humor Remember information Argue their point of view Analyze language usage
Tend to be poor at listening & speaking
Tend to be poor at reading & writing
Index of Learning Styles Sequential or Global Learner - Understanding
Type Sequential Learners Global Learners
Strengths
Work with material when only partially understood
Display convergent thinking and analysis
Tend to be good organizers Are focused Tend to be consistent Are often objective
Display divergent thinking and synthesis
See the big picture Cooperate in group efforts Paraphrase Multitask Read body language See relationships Have a sense of fairness
Potential Weaknesses
Have problems with generalities Show difficulty in multitasking Often don’t recognize the main
idea
Often skip steps and details Have difficulty in explaining
themselves analytically
Minimizing Weaknesses Where/what do you need to adapt in the current engineering/math classroom to be more successful?
1. What are the weaknesses of your learning style?
2. Where are your weaknesses apparent in the engineering/math classroom? In the workplace? In the job search?
3. Pick one weakness. What compensation strategy are you going to use to minimize that weakness?
In small groups (3 to 4), discuss the following and write down your individual answers in your lab notebook.
SUCCESS
Purpose
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