LEARNING STYLES

There are several classifications of learning styles. Please remember that you don’t have one single learning style for everything you learn. You have different styles for different activities. For example, you may have one learning style for learning to play soccer and a different one for learning law. Your learning style also varies with time and other circumstances. Knowledge of your own learning styles can be of great benefit to your study at university as well as any aspect of your life that involves teaching and learning.

Active vs. Reflective Learning
	Active learners understand new information by doing something with it. Active learners are keen to try out and experiment with the new information and often enjoy group work because this enables them to do active things. Sitting through lectures with nothing to actually get involved in can be particularly difficult for active learners.
	Reflective learners prefer to think about new information first before acting on it. They often prefer to think through problems first on their own rather than discussing it in groups. Sitting through lectures can be difficult for reflective learners who often like to have some time out to think through new information.

Sensing vs. Intuitive Learning
	Sensing learners like learning facts and solving problems by well established methods. They are generally careful, practical and patient and like new knowledge to have some connection to the real world.
	Intuitive learners prefer discovering new relationships and can be innovative in their approach to problem solving. Intuitive learners tend to work faster and dislike repetition and work which involves a lot of memorisation and routine calculations.

Visual vs. Verbal Learning
	Visual learners understand new information best by seeing it in the form of pictures, demonstrations, diagrams, charts, films and so on.
	Verbal learners understand new information best through written and spoken words.

Sequential vs. Global Learning
	Sequential learners understand new information in linear steps where each step follows logically from the previous one.
	Global learners tend to learn in large jumps by absorbing material in a random order without necessarily seeing any connections until they have grasped the whole concept.

	Kolb’s classification of learning styles
Assimilators	Assimilators learn better when presented with sound logical theories to consider.
Convergers	Convergers learn better when provided with practical applications of concepts and theories.
Accommodators	Accommodators learn better when provided with hands-on experiences.
Divergers	Divergers learn better when allowed to observe and collect a wide range of information.