Learning Styles

We are often asked, "how do you include adult learning styles into your training development." The theory that many of our learners have is that there are a set of prescribed styles that learners naturally fall into and that by knowing the styles and knowing the styles that most of our learners conform to, we can make our training more effective. For example, many people enjoy hands-on training more than computer-based training and there is a perception that our users are more apt to learn via hands-on training so it is, therefore, more effective. 

In reality, there is more to it than that. 

Hands-on training usually has far fewer students than larger training, so the instructor can devote more time to the instruction and to each student. 

Hands-on training stimulates more long term memory development because it usually engages more memory-making neurons in the brain. Sensorimotor neurons, place cells, boundary cells, are all being used. 

It's not just that some people learn better with hands-on training, its that hands-on training is more effective so people tend to remember it more. Most of our clients have seen learning styles mapped out as shown in the image above, the Felder Silverman Model of learning styles. It's easy to remember and digest and seems to conform to what they know about learning.

In 1979 Gregorc stated that "Learning style consists of distinctive behaviors which serve as indicators of how a person learns from and adapts to his environment." These four domains include the cognitive domain, the affective domain, the psychomotor domain, and the physiological domain. The cognitive domain is the acquisition of knowledge and the ability to recall the knowledge for application. The affective domain addresses how learners receive respond to and internalize stimulus emotionally. The psychomotor domain explains how physical activity provides a way to gain knowledge and skills. Finally, the physiological domain addresses how a learner's environment and the many elements thereof impacts learning. 

Gregorc continues in his discussion of learning styles by breaking the learners' preferences and dislikes when it comes to learning. A Concrete Sequential (CS) learner can be summed up as a realist. They view reality through the concrete world of the physical senses and prefer sequential steps to arrive at solutions to problems. Their thinking processes are very methodical and result in solutions that have been validated by personal proof or subject experts. Slightly resistive to change, the CS learner performs best in a learning environment that is ordered and stable.

The Abstract Sequential (AS) learner thinks in a logical and rational manner much like the CS learner does. However, the AS learner better associates abstract information that corresponds to concrete reality than the CS learner does. The AS learner is a logical thinker who requires a stimulating learning environment that is free of authoritative features that would restrict their freedom to learn.

The Abstract Random (AR) learner views the world primarily through their sense of feelings and emotions. These feelings and emotions drive their approach to change and often determine their level of interest in a topic or learning situation. AR learners live for today and often possess a colorful personality. They also place a great amount of emphasis on relationships

The Concrete Random (CR) learner lives in a world that is influenced by the physical world and their sense of intuition. The physical world often serves as a starting point for their learning. Once started, CR learners will then rely on their intuition to guide their learning. CR persons are intuitive and independent learners. They learn best in a learning environment that has a high amount of stimulus and is free from learning restrictions. 

The more I work in this field and learn about adult learning, the more I realize that the Felder Silverman Model is too simple and does not tell the entire story. The Kolb learning styles theory takes the Felder Silverman model to a deeper level. Kolb describes learning as a four-step process that includes concrete experience (CE), reflective observations (RO), abstract conceptualization (AC), and active experimentation (AE). This shows that learning is a process that takes all four steps for the learner to engage the content and use it effectively. The idea of "hands-on" training in this model is seen as a part of the process of learning rather than a single means to an end.