Learning Styles, Essay Example

When I ask people why they chose to attend college, better career prospects is often the major reason given by more respondents. The prospects of better career opportunities also influenced my decision to attend college but for me, it was only one of several reasons. Another major reason I chose to attend college was to learn more about the real world through interactions with people from diverse cultural, economic, and social backgrounds. I have been inquisitive for as long as I remember and I not only enjoy meeting new people but also enjoy observing them and developing hypothesis as to why the world is the way it is. In addition, I read on a wide variety of subject matters in order to expand my thinking horizon. I also realize that people have different learning styles and modern education system should accommodate these distinct learning styles to enhance the overall academic experiences of the students. Fortunately, technology has also made it possible now to accommodate different learning styles inexpensively. Knowing one’s learning style is important because it helps individuals adopt more effective learning strategies in both private and professional aspects of life. This is why this paper touches upon the learning style assessments I took. Not surprisingly, the results of learning styles assessments I undertook confirm the fact that I am generally more interested in the big picture rather than every single detail and visual elements help enhance the learning process for me.

The first learning style test I took was hosted by Penn State University on its website (Penn State, 2010). The outcome of the test revealed me as a visual learner and recommended that even though I should study all course materials, I would greatly benefit from the use of charts, maps, filmstrips, notes and flashcards. The assessment test also recommends practicing visualizing words/concepts in my head to better grasp the material. This once again confirms that I enjoy observing the visual world even if I don’t directly interact with the subjects under observation. The second learning style test I took was hosted at North Carolina State University’s website (Felder & Soloman, n.d.). The test measured my learning style on 4 different scales. According to the results, I am more a reflective learner than an active learner which means I need time to reflect upon the material to better grasp it. The test also revealed I am more intuitive than sensing which means I am not strictly interested in hard facts or take systematic approach to solving problems but rather prefer abstract ideas and innovative methods of doing things. The test also confirmed the fact that I am more of a visual learner as opposed to verbal learner which means I prefer visual elements to textual elements. On the last measure involving sequential and global learners, I only slightly gravitated more towards being a global learner. In other words, I get the bigger picture often without connecting the dots and then work my way back to learn about the connections.

I am now convinced of the reliability of the two learning styles test I took because the results have been exactly what I expected. As I mentioned earlier, I enjoy talking to people, engaging in random observations, and reading on a wide range of subject matters. I believe most things are connected to others in some manner and having a knowledge on a wide range of issues helps us better understand the world. I also think I tend to prefer ideas more than minute details and grasp information quite quickly when they are presented in visual format as compared to textual format. Similarly, I prefer studying alone because it gives me opportunity to reflect upon material without unnecessary disturbance from others.

People have different learning styles and it is important to know one’s learning style to maximize learning in both private and professional aspects of life. I have always enjoyed meeting people and reading on a wide range of subject matters to broaden my thinking horizon. In addition, I also enjoy observation processes because they help me develop possible hypothesis as to why the world functions the way it does. The outcomes of my learning styles tests confirm the fact that I prefer ideas to strict details and I learn better through visual elements as compared to textual material.

References

Felder, R. M., & Soloman, B. A. (n.d.). Index of learning styles. Retrieved from http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

Penn State. (2010). Learning style inventory. Retrieved from http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/LSI/LSI.htm