What is a LEARNING
STYLE?
A learning style
is how you receive information most efficiently
(and naturally).
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AUDITORY |
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VISUAL |
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TACTILE |
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Auditory learners receive information
best by listening; they tend to learn
best through lectures & audio-based
instruction.
|
|
Visual learners tend to learn better
when a variety of visual aids, such
as whiteboards, projectors
and films are used during instruction.
They often use imagery to learn complex
subjects.
|
|
Tactile learners
prefer
to learn by doing. They usually learn
best when they are allowed to use their
hands and sense of touch to learn new
information and apply new skills.
|
What is a THINKING STYLE?
A thinking style
is how you process information most efficiently
(and naturally).
LINEAR
THINKER
(Left-Brain Dominant)
|
Linear thinkers prefer a very structured
approach when processing information. If
instructions use a sequenced format (Step A,
Step B, Step C, etc.) strong linear thinkers
will feel more comfortable starting
"Step B" only after "Step A" has been fully completed. Overall, linear
thinkers like predictability and structure.
Mathematics & Accounting are linear-oriented subjects. |
| |
|
GLOBAL
THINKER
(Right-Brain Dominant) |
Global thinkers
(or "strategic thinkers")
are more comfortable with new information if they can put it into context with
the big picture. They also tend to be impatient with linear subjects and
step-by-step
instructions - they prefer access to
all the information (early on) so they
can relate it to their overall goals.
Philosophy & English Literature are global-oriented subjects. |
THINK ABOUT IT
Scenario
|
LINEAR THINKERS |
GLOBAL
THINKERS |
|
Planning a "Road Trip"
|
They will plan out every detail.
(i.e.
they will determine the location of restaurants, roads to travel,
items to bring)
|
They will get
in the car and drive.
(i.e. they will determine
the destination and deal with any issues along the way) |
|
Assembling Furniture,
Toys, or Electronics
|
They will neatly lay out
all the parts and read the
instructions carefully before starting the assembly.
|
They will look at
a picture of the assembled product,
and then try to put it together like a jigsaw puzzle
(i.e. "this piece looks like it fits here, this piece probably goes over
here..."). |
Of course, it would be nearly impossible for
a person to possess only one learning style - or be strictly a linear or global thinker
- and still be able to function adequately in
our complex world. Even if you have a dominant style, at some point you will
need to incorporate
a variety of learning and thinking styles to complete certain tasks.
For example, when determining how much to tip
a waiter or waitress, you must use linear skills
(to calculate the percentage for the tip),
and global skills (to judge the quality
of service and amount of money needed for additional
purchases that day).
STILL THINKING…
What game do you like? What part of the game
was the easiest for you to learn? As you think
about it, you'll begin to recognize that you
incorporate your own personal thinking style
into the application of your favorite game.
A golfer with a linear preference, for
example, will likely have a set routine before
each swing (and focus intently on the mechanics
of the game). A golfer with a global
preference may tend to be more of a "feel"
player (and pay less attention to the numerous
details of the golf swing). Of course,
it doesn't have to be a game; it can also be
a hobby. Think of your personal thinking style
as your personal aptitude, something that comes
relatively natural to you.
But what about those boring and tedious tasks
that you tend to avoid? The first step is to
examine how you usually complete these tasks.
You might be using a technique that someone
else taught you - a technique that worked for
your instructor, but may not match your particular
way of thinking. If so, consider what you ultimately
want to achieve (when completing a particular
task), then re-invent the process using your
own learning and thinking style. At first, it
may seem a bit awkward because we're all accustomed
to following instructions from others, but if
you make small changes in the process as you
go, the transition to your own style will feel
more natural. Equally important, as you apply
your own way of thinking to each task, the process
becomes less of a chore, and even a personal
challenge on how to do it better each time.
MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF
Despite the known benefits of using your personal
learning and thinking style, adults often neglect
using their strongest style when learning new information. In fact, many adults still follow
the standardized way of learning they were taught
in elementary school. But don't blame the school
system entirely, it was designed to educate
as many children as possible, as quickly as
possible, and as inexpensively as possible -
a very difficult assignment, to say the least.
But our goals as adults have changed dramatically;
generic learning is no longer feasible in today's
fast-paced world. How quickly you learn and
process information will determine how valuable
you are to your employer, and how successful
you will be in managing your time and personal
resources well into the future.
COMMUNICATING WITH STYLE
Knowing how to learn and process
new information efficiently is actually only the first step. Unless you're
stranded on a desert island and only talk to a volleyball named "Wilson", you
need to know how to effectively communicate all that new information.
Therefore, you should consider
the learning and thinking styles of the people you communicate with most often.
Do you have a friend who "needs" to hear all the details before making a
decision - or maybe a friend who quickly loses interest in the conversation when
you start providing details?
Essentially, you need to hit the hot buttons of the people you communicate with
(e.g. provide details to a linear thinker and provide concepts to a global
thinker). In the end, when you provide others the information they need -
in a format that's natural to them - they will be more receptive to your message
and more likely to remember what you say or write.
WHERE WE COME IN
At
Target Learning
we can show you how to take advantage of your personal
learning and thinking style, and how to communicate with others whom have
different styles. We can also show you how to personally "cross-over" to a
style that's not natural to you. After all,
there will be times at work, home, or school when you need to leave your thinking comfort zone
to learn and communicate information - knowing how to seamlessly adapt to a new
way of doing something will reduce your stress, and improve your overall
efficiency and effectiveness.
Because we recognize that everyone has their own unique style, our seminars and
learning programs will not
put you to sleep with rigid models or formulas that must be followed without
deviation. Life is full of deviations; therefore, we'll show you a variety of flexible
strategies so you can select which strategies work best for your personal learning and
thinking style. After all, if you're not comfortable with a
particular strategy, you won't continue to use it.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (800) 692-1727
or at
info@targetlearning.net. Or, to learn more about each of our
programs, visit the web page that fits your particular learning situation.
Business Seminars
Public Seminars
Online Seminars
(Webinars)
Learning Programs for High
School & College Students
