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Study skills > Module 2 > Page 3

 

Learning styles

Learn about yourself

Effective learning is achieved through knowing:

• yourself
• your capacity to learn
• the process you have successfully used and will need
• interest, and knowledge of the subject you wish to learn

An experimental approach

Write down any 3 things you have learnt over the last 18 months. It could be conversational Spanish, playing the guitar, a poem etc.

Now for each of the three things write down

1. why you learnt
2. how you learn (i.e. in a class / from a book / observation etc)

Now see if you can make some generalisations about how you learn. Try to finish these sentences:

I seem to learn best when…

I generally choose to learn by…

Under ‘I seem to learn best when…’ you may have answered:

• when I'm motivated
• when I'm succeeding or rewarded
• when I'm in a supportive environment
• when I'm enjoying myself
• when I can take things one step at a time, etc.

Under ‘I choose to learn by…’ you might have answered:

• by observation and imitation
• by trial and error
• by repeating it until I get it right
• finding a good teacher
• getting the right books and resources

As soon as you notice or experience something a potential learning situation exists. But no learning will take place unless you reflect on what went on and are led to some judgement or generalisation, perhaps about how relevant it is for you. If it’s relevant to you it will lead you to conduct an experiment, apply your new knowledge or test out a new skill, which will lead you to a new experience.

This is very similar to the classic learning paradigm of:

1. Observe
2. Form hypothesis
3. Develop experimental hypothesis
4. Test
5. Draw conclusion

To learn more about different types of learning styles visit the VARK website by clicking on this link

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