Some experts say that learning begins with attention. This means that the kinds of things that grab our attention can tell us a lot about how our minds work and how we learn best. Let’s test the experts. Study the picture below. As your mind is busy examining the picture, keep an eye on where its attention is being drawn.

There are really four ways to pay attention.
We can pay attention to details, or questions, or our own imaginations, or our feelings.

What did you pay most attention to as you examined the picture?

• Did you notice details like the missing lightbulb, the three lighted arches, or the way shadows fall?
• Were you asking questions: Where is this taking place? Why are the people so far away? Why aren’t they centered?
• Did you use your imagination to invent a conversation between these two people or to make a movie in your head that involves this scene?
• Did the picture spark feelings, such as loneliness or a deep sense of mystery that you can’t quite explain?

The kinds of things our minds pay attention to affect the way we learn. Everybody learns, but everybody learns differently. We refer to these differences in how people learn as Learning Styles. You can see your style in the way you dress, the way you talk, and most importantly the way you think. Some people learn by memorizing lists and practicing them over and over. Others are more comfortable learning in a debate or a discussion. Some people like to create unique projects, while for others, the best way to learn is to work with a friend.

The aim of this online instrument is to teach you about the four Learning Styles and to help you develop a Learning Style Profile showing which styles you favor and which are less developed.

Armed with a better understanding of how you think and approach life, you may find it easier to make decisions and pursue goals. Best of all, the self-knowledge you gain by understanding the assets and liabilities of your Learning Style Profile will allow you to grow as a learner by cultivating your underdeveloped capacities.

How we learn is a fascinating and individual process. As psychologist Carl Jung discovered, any learning process requires both perception — how we find out about persons, places, and things — and judgment —how we process or make judgments about what we perceive.

Perception occurs in one of two ways (called functions), either by “sensing” or “intuiting.” Judgment also occurs in one of two ways, either by “thinking” or “feeling.”

Behaviors associated with each function are outlined below.

Paired Functions Make Styles

The preference for sensing or intuiting is independent of the preference for thinking or feeling. As a result, four distinct combinations occur. These combinations are called Learning Styles.

Each of these combinations produces a different type of Learning Style characterized by whatever interests, values, needs, habits of mind, surface traits, and learning behaviors naturally result from these combinations.

Overview

Realistic, practical, and matter-of-fact. Learners who prefer the Mastery Style are efficient and results-oriented, preferring action to words and involvement to theory. They have a high energy level for doing things which are pragmatic, logical, and useful.

Approach To Learning

Learners who favor the Mastery Style like to complete their work in an organized and efficient manner. They tend to be neat, well-organized, and precise in their work. They have an appetite for work, need to be kept busy, and require immediate feedback. They would rather do almost anything than remain in their seat listening to someone speak. They need to be active, to be doing, to see tangible results from their efforts, and to be in control of the task.

These learners prefer step-by-step directions when assigned a task and can become impatient if the instructions become long and involved. More than any other learner, they want to know exactly what is expected of them. They need to know what they have to do, how they are to do it, and when it is to be done. These learners will often lose interest in an activity if it moves too slowly, or if they can see no practical use for it.

Learners who have a strong Mastery Style need clearly-structured environments focusing on factual mastery of skills and an opportunity to apply them to something practical or to demonstrate proficiency in the skill. They prefer assignments which have right or wrong responses rather than open-ended or interpretive ones. They are highly motivated by competition, learning games, grades, gold stars, etc.

Overview

Theoretical, intellectual, and knowledge-oriented. Learners who favor the Understanding Style to be challenged intellectually and to think things through for themselves. They are curious about ideas, have a tolerance for theory, a taste for complex problems, and a concern for long-range consequences.

Approaches To Learning

Learners who are strong in the Understanding Style approach learning in a logical, organized, systematic fashion, bringing organization and structure to people and things. They take time to plan, organize ideas, and determine necessary resources before beginning work on an assignment.

These learners prefer to work independently or with other thinking types and require little feedback until their work is completed. They do not like to be pressed for time. When working on something of interest, time is meaningless. They display a great deal of patience and persistence in completing difficult assignments if the assignment has captured their interest.

Learners whot prefer the Understanding Style attack problems by breaking them down into their component parts. They like to reason things out and to look for logical relationships. Their thought processes follow a cause-and-effect line of reasoning. They are constantly asking, “Why?” and their questions tend to be provocative. Their concern is for relevance and meaning. These learners are avid readers. Their learning is vicarious, and therefore, abstract symbols, formulae, the written word, and technical illustrations are preferred sources for collecting data.

These learners usually display a facility for language and express their ideas in detail. Everything they touch turns into words, spoken or written. They enjoy arguing a point based on logical analysis. In discussion, they often play the role of “devil’s advocate” or purposefully argue an opposite point of view.

They are also concerned about being correct. They strive towards perfection, are self-critical, and are upset by mistakes–their own or other people’s.

Overview

Curious, insightful, and imaginative. Learners who have a dominant Self-Expressive Style are the ones who dare to dream, are committed to their values, are open to alternatives, and are constantly searching for new and unusual ways to express themselves.

Approach to Learning

Learners who favor the Self-Expressive Style approach learning eager to explore ideas, generate new solutions to problems, and discuss moral dilemmas. Their interests are varied and unpredictable, but they prefer activities which allow them to use their imaginations and do things in unique ways. They are turned off by routine or rote assignments and prefer questions which are open ended, such as “What would happen if…?”

These learners are highly motivated by their own interests. Things of interest will be done inventively well. Things which they do not like may be done poorly or forgotten altogether. When engaged in a project which intrigues them, time is meaningless. These learners operate by an “internal clock” and, therefore, often feel constrained or frustrated by external rules or schedules.

Learners who are driven by the Self-Expressive Style are independent and nonconformist. They do not fear being different and are usually aware of their own and others’ impulses. They are open to the irrational and not confined by convention. They are sensitive to beauty and symmetry and will comment on the aesthetic characteristics of things.

These learners prefer not to follow step-by-step procedures but rather to move where their intuition takes them. They prefer to find their own solutions rather than being told what to do or how to do it. They are able to take intuitive leaps, and they trust their own insights. Learners strong in this style often take circuitous routes to solving problems and may not be able to explain how they arrived at the answer.

 Highly adaptable to new solutions, They are flexible in thought and action. They prefer dynamic environments with many resources and materials. More than any other type, these learners are less likely to be disturbed by changes in routine. They are comfortable working with a minimum of directions. Their work is sometimes scattered and may look chaotic to thinking types. These learners are often engaged in a number of activities at the same time and move from one to the other according to where their interests take them. Often, they start more projects than they can finish.

Overview

Sociable, friendly, and interpersonally-oriented. Learners who favor the Interpersonal Style are sensitive to people’s feelings—their own and others’. They prefer to learn about things that directly affect people’s lives rather than impersonal facts or theories.

Approach to Learning

Learners who prefer the Interpersonal Style take a personal approach to learning. They work best when emotionally involved in what they are being asked to learn. They learners tend to be spontaneous and often act on impulse, i.e. in terms of what “feels right.” They are interested in people and like to listen to and talk about people and their feelings. They like to be helpful to others and need to be recognized for their efforts. 

More than any other type, these learners enjoy personal attention. They need to feel relaxed, comfortable, and to enjoy themselves while they learn. They like to think out loud, to work with other students, to share their ideas, and to get the reactions of their friends. They much prefer cooperation to competition, and they look for assurance or praise that lets them know they are doing well. They are greatly influenced by the likes and dislikes of others. On occasion, they may complete a task as a means of pleasing someone rather than because they are interested in the task itself.