When you try to learn something new, you will no doubt have realized that you prefer to learn in one or two particular ways. You may prefer to learn by listening to someone talk to you about the information, or you may prefer to read about a concept in order to learn it, or you may need to see a demonstration of the concept. Learning style theory proposes that different people learn in different ways and by understanding this concept, you can improve the learning intervention. ‘Learning styles’ is a term used to describe the attitudes and behaviours that determine an individual’s preferred way of learning. Because people learn in a variety of ways, your awareness of the four learning styles will assist you in understanding the learning needs of your participants. This information will enable you to create programmes that are effective learning sessions for all your participants, rather than just some of them.
Building on Kolb’s work on the learning cycle, identified four learning styles referred to as:
Activist
Reflector
Theorist
Pragmatist
Their work complements that of Kolb, as can be seen in Figure 1, where each of the learning styles can be matched with the stages in the learning cycle. Each of these is now explained below.
1. Activists
Activists take a ‘trial and error’ approach. They involve themselves fully and without bias in new learning experiences. They are open-minded, not sceptical. They tend to act first and consider the consequences afterwards. They enjoy the learning experience itself. They thrive on the challenge of new experiences. When dealing with activists remember that they learn best when:
involved in new experiences, problems and opportunities;
working with others in business games, team tasks, role playing;
being thrown in the deep end with a difficult task;
chairing meetings, leading discussions.
Activists learn less when:
listening to lectures or long explanations;
reading, writing or thinking on their own;
absorbing and understanding data;
following precise instruction to the le er.
2. Reflectors
Reflectors take a ‘wait and see’ approach. They like to contemplate about experiences and observe them from many different perspectives. They spend a great deal of time and effort reflecting. They like to collect data and think about them carefully before coming to any conclusions. They enjoy observing others and will listen to their views before offering their own. When dealing with reflectors remember that they learn best when:
observing individuals or groups at work;
they have the opportunity to review what has happened and think about what they have learnt;
producing analyses and reports, doing tasks without tight deadlines.
Reflectors learn less when:
acting as leader or role playing in front of others;
doing things with no time to prepare;
being thrown in at the deep end;
being rushed or worried by deadlines.
3. Theorists
Theorists take an ‘I want to understand this first’ approach. They adapt and integrate observations into complex but logically sound theories. They think problems through in a vertical, step-by-step, logical way. They are good at making connections and abstracting ideas from experience. They tend to be perfectionists who like to fit things into a rational scheme. They tend to be detached and analytical rather than subjective or emotive in their thinking. When dealing with theorists remember that they learn best when:
they are put in complex situations where they have to use their skills and knowledge;
they are in structured situations with clear purpose;
they are offered interesting ideas or concepts even though they are not immediately relevant;
they have the chance to question and probe ideas behind things.
Theorists learn less when:
they have to participate in situations that emphasize emotion and feelings;
the activity is unstructured or briefing is poor;
they have to do things without knowing the principles or concepts involved;
they feel they’re out of tune with the other participants, eg with people of very different learning styles.
4. Pragmatists
Pragmatists take an ‘I want to try this out’ approach. They are keen to try out ideas, theories and techniques to see if they work in practice. They positively search out new ideas and take the first opportunity to experiment with applications. They tend to be impatient with ruminating and open-ended discussions and enjoy the planning stage. They tend to be impatient with lengthy discussions and are practical and down to earth. When dealing with pragmatists remember that they learn best when:
there is an obvious link between the topic and job;
they have the chance to try out techniques with feedback, eg role-playing;
they are shown techniques with obvious advantages, eg saving time;
they are shown a model they can copy, eg a film or a respected boss.
Pragmatists learn less when:
there is no obvious or immediate benefit that they can recognize;
there is no practice or guidelines on how to do it;
there is no apparent pay back to the learning, eg shorter meetings;
the event or learning is ‘all theory’.
Honey and Mumford devised a questionnaire to assess an individual’s learning style, referred to as the ‘learning styles questionnaire’. Where possible and practical, allowing participants the opportunity to complete this questionnaire prior to beginning training will generate information that will enhance your ability to deliver effective training.
The third key principle relates to the age of the participants. This factor is important, as the employees you are training are adult learners; adults learn differently than children, implying a number of key factors which need to be considered when designing and delivering training programmes.
