CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FOUR LEARNING STYLES (Sources: Learning Styles. FEDA, Honey & Mumford, The Manual of Learning Styles. ) ACTIVISTS REFLECTORS PRAGMATISTS THEORISTS STRENGTHS Doing things Putting ideas into action Enjoy change and variety Flexibility Acting quickly Collection of data from variety of sources Looking at situations from various perspectives and grasping the big picture Practical application of ideas Integrating theory and practice Decision making in organisations Getting things done Creating theoretical models Thoroughness Industriousness Verbal skills Developing and working with systems PREFERENCES New experiences Taking risks Getting involved in activities with people Getting things done More interested in people (how they behave and how they feel) than in structures To get involved directly and then reflect on the experience More concerned with processes than outcomes More interested in structural aspects of situations than in people. "Hands On" experience Dealing with ideas Solving problems To know the experts' views To work alone CONCERNED ABOUT Personal relevance Doing what interests them Personal meaning The feelings of others Maintaining wide ranging interests Harmony Testing things out to get correct solution Practical application of what they learn Details Quality of information Accuracy of facts Personal effectiveness Intellectual ability
ACTIVISTS REFLECTORS PRAGMATISTS THEORISTS PREFERRED WAY OF LEARNING AND WORKING Self discovery, trial and error learning Learning by doing Flexible approaches to learning Not worried about getting it wrong Can work well with others Likes attention, chairing meeting, leading discussions etc. More concerned with doing than thinking and feeling Likes to get stuck in without wasting time Learning by listening and sharing ideas with others Group work and discussions Looking for meaning Researching and reviewing Thinking before doing Bringing unity to diversity Standing back from events and observing what happens Strong need to work on practical, relevant problems To use skills and tinker with things Test theories and apply common sense Looking at information in a logical way, and then act on it immediately Workshop and laboratory teaching methods To solve problems To reason deductively when focusing on specific problems Making instinctive judgements based on practicality Clear goals and adequate rewards Enjoy being taught in a didactic way Prefer to work individually rather than in groups Like to have access to a lot of information/resources Collecting data Enjoy reading To specialise Planning organising work Thinking things through Reworking notes/essays to achieve best results Make links between ideas Examining information carefully Critically evaluating information Thinking sequentially Deductive reasoning
ACTIVISTS REFLECTORS PRAGMATISTS THEORISTS DISADVANTAGES Doing too many things at once Lack of planning Poor time management, leaving things to last minute Lack of attention to detail Not things out Jumping in too quickly and not thinking things through Being too pushy at times Giving insufficient consideration to alternative ways of doing things Inability to stand back and allow others to take action Easily distracted Waste too much time before getting started Frustrated by action plans Can be too easy going Sometimes indecisive Can forget important details Tend to work in bursts of energy Inability to act spontaneously Lack of patience with people's suggestions Wanting to do everything their way Lack of imagination Poor presentation Details can get in the way Inability to consider alternatives Intolerance to woolly ideas Only doing what is perceived as directly relevant to a given task Need to be in control and to do it alone Not interested in concepts or theories Need a lot of information before starting work Reluctant to try anything new Like to do things in a set way Get bogged down in theory Don't trust feelings but rely on logic Overcautious; don't take risks Heavily reliant on expert opinion without considering other views Uncomfortable in group work May have difficulty understanding emotions and feelings