Student Profile with Introduction
4.1How People Learn
4.2The VARK Learning Styles Inventory
4.3The Myers−Briggs Type Indicator
4.4Multiple Intelligences
4.5When Learning Styles and Teaching Styles Conflict
4.6Learning with a Learning Disability
PROFILE
Daniel Graham, 24
Computer Science Major, Harold Washington College, City Colleges of Chicago
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Daniel Graham from Harold Washington College, a two-year college in the City Colleges of Chicago system, didn’t have much knowledge of how he learned before he started college. During high school, he struggled with some courses so much that he decided not to attend college right after graduation. A few years later, having heard from some of his high school friends about Harold Washington College and how it helped them with opportunities to be successful in receiving degrees, Daniel decided to give it a try. In his first term at the college, he enrolled in a college success course and discovered that people learn differently, and these ways of learning are referred to as learning styles. He also took a learning styles inventory and discovered that he learns best by doing. Daniel was not surprised because, like many other college students, he spends ten to fifteen hours a week working. “I work for a family-owned landscaping business.” he says. “I like being able to use my hands and express myself, and I like being able to figure things out just by playing with them for a bit.” He adds that he uses this hands-on approach in college by doing things like taking practice exams until he feels ready for the real exam.
“Knowing how I learn has improved my performance.”
Daniel realized that by reading and writing down material from class and successfully using several strategies that he learned in the college success course, he can learn more effectively. For example, he rewrites terms and concepts in his own words so that he better understands what they mean, and he uses note cards to help him memorize. Daniel says, “Knowing how I learn has improved my performance. When I take notes, I read them silently on note cards and continue to return to them, so I can memorize the meaning.”
In the future, Daniel plans to finish his associate’s degree and then explore job opportunities. In ten years, he hopes to be working in computer science, and he plans to continue to rely on his learning styles. He advises fellow students: “Apply your learning style to your everyday life. Eventually, you will learn in a different, smarter, and more efficient way.”
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To do well in college, understanding how you learn is important. Maybe you have trouble paying attention to a long lecture, or maybe listening is the way you learn best. You might like classroom discussion, or you might consider hearing what other students have to say in class a big waste of time. In almost all courses, you’ll learn by reading printed or electronic textbooks or online and digital content.
College instructors have their own ways of teaching and communicating. You might notice these differences in the ways that courses are organized and taught. Many instructors lecture; others use lots of visual aids. In science courses, instructors will help you conduct experiments or lead field trips where you can observe or touch what you are studying. In dance, theater, or physical education courses, learning takes place in both your body and your mind. You’ve read about the importance of building relationships with your instructors, and in order to do this you’ll have to navigate differences in how your instructors communicate. You might find that some instructors are friendly and warm, while others seem to want little interaction with students.
This chapter begins with an exploration of learning theory—that is, how and in what environments the brain works to produce learning. We will then introduce you to three ways to think about your personal approach to learning: the VARK Learning Styles Inventory, the Myers−Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. The VARK will help you explore your learning preferences, the MBTI will introduce you to how basic personality characteristics affect learning, and the theory of Multiple Intelligences will help you realize how different abilities link to learning. These learning frameworks will help you think of ways to meet the expectations of each course and instructor. This chapter will also explore learning disabilities, which are common among college students.