Chapter Introduction
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4
Learning Preferences
Learning Preferences: The Basics
Identify Your Learning Preferences
Use Learning Preferences in Your Courses
Use Learning Preferences in Your Career
My Personal Success Plan
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If your stomach starts growling, would you rather feast on pizza or on tacos? After a long day in class, would you rather watch TV or go for a run? Your responses to these questions show your preferences — even if you answered “neither.” Although your preferences in these kinds of choices may be clear, your preferences in how you approach learning new course material may be less obvious. Do you prefer to learn by reading a book or by listening to a lecture? By talking over ideas with your classmates or by studying on your own? By looking at the big picture or by examining the details first?
Thinking about your learning preferences gives you several important advantages. First, it makes you more self-aware and self-directed. As a result, you make better decisions about how to study, and you can seek out courses that align with how you like to learn. For instance, if you’re a hands-on learner, you might thrive in courses in chemistry, nursing, dance, and education. If you love theories and concepts, you might prefer philosophy, psychology, and business courses. Second, thinking about your learning preferences helps you identify and overcome your “blind spots.” For example, if you realize you focus so much on the big picture that you tend to miss important details, you can catch yourself before you make that mistake again. Finally, thinking about your learning preferences helps you understand your instructors’ teaching preferences — they do have them — so you can figure out how to thrive in your courses, even when your preferences and your instructors’ don’t match.
Learning on the job is just as important as learning in the classroom, so understanding your preferences will also prove useful in your career. Your preferences affect how you approach work tasks or projects. And understanding how your coworkers and supervisors learn allows you to fine-tune your interactions with them — especially when you’re working in teams.
There are many ways to classify learning preferences. In this chapter we look at two: the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and VARK (Visual, Aural, Read-Write, and Kinesthetic) model. For each model you’ll identify your preferences and discover actions you can take if your learning strategies don’t work well in specific settings. Finally, you’ll consider how understanding your preferences and others’ can help you in your career.
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Reflect
On Your Learning Preferences
Take a moment to reflect on your Learning Preferences score on ACES. To review your results, click here.
This score measures your beliefs about how well you understand your learning preferences. Do you think it’s an accurate snapshot of your understanding? Why or why not?
IF YOU SCORED IN THE HIGH RANGE and you feel that this score is accurate, you may have a solid understanding of how you learn. Put that information to good use in your classes and when you study. As you read this chapter, be on the lookout for new techniques you can use to learn information. Seize the opportunity to hone your existing learning strategies and develop new strategies.
IF YOU SCORED IN THE MODERATE OR LOW RANGE, now is the perfect time to discover more about your learning preferences. Let’s say you took up juggling as a way to relieve stress. Though you probably couldn’t keep all the balls in the air the first time, chances are that the more you practiced, the better you got. Most people don’t fully understand their learning preferences right away, but with time and practice they become more self-aware. Use this chapter to learn more about yourself and which strategies can work for you.
MY ACES SCORE
HIGH
MODERATE
LOW
To find your Learning Preferences score, go to the LaunchPad for Connections.