Visual-Spatial and Auditory-Sequential Learners -
Pupils who think in pictures, they have a very holistic view of everything and are often very intelligent although they may not come across as so. They can easily loose track of time. They tend not to do very well in school, are often introverted or disruptive but are very creative.
Pupils who learn and think sequentially, they think in words. They are well organised from their desk to their relationships. They are good listeners and talkers and remember what they hear well. They have a good sense of time. They do well in school because of the sequential approach of most curricula.
As with all the learning styles, visual/spatial and auditory/sequential are equal and opposite but not mutually exclusive. It is also possible for either area to be strong.
Kolb’s Learning Styles Model -
As explained by Healey and Jenkins:
The core of Kolb's four-stage model is a simple description of the learning cycle which shows how experience is translated through reflection into concepts, which in turn are used as guides for active experimentation and the choice of new experiences. Kolb refers to these four stages as: concrete experience (CE), reflective observation (RO), abstract conceptualization (AC) and active experimentation (AE). They follow each other in a cycle. The cycle may be entered at any point, but the stages should be followed in sequence. The learning cycle thus provides feedback, which is the basis for new action and evaluation of the consequences of that action. Learners should go through the cycle several times, so it may best be thought of as a spiral of cycles . . . He (Kolb) refers to the stages as: wanting, doing, feedback and digesting . . . What is important is to systematically take the learner around each stage of the cycle, ensuring that effective links are made between each stage. . .
There are two primary axes that lie behind the cycle: an 'abstract-concrete' dimension (AC-CE) and an 'active-reflective' (AE-RO) dimension. These reflect the two main dimensions to the learning process which correspond to the two major different ways by which we learn: the first is how we perceive or grasp new information or experience, and the second is how we process or transform what we perceive (Smith and Kolb 1986). The way we perceive or grasp experience ranges from immersing ourselves in the experience using our senses and feelings in a 'concrete' way to thinking 'abstractly' using logic and reason. Having perceived the experience we need to understand it through transforming it. Here individuals differ in their predilection for doing (active experimentation) and watching (reflective observation) (Fielding 1994). When plotted graphically at right angles the two axes give four different clusters, which may be used both to describe the preferred learning styles of students and to identify disciplinary groupings. . .
Kolb (1984) suggests that students develop a preference for learning in a particular way. The preferred style reflects a tendency rather than an absolute and students may adopt different learning styles in different situations, but they tend to favour some learning behaviours in preference to others. He identifies four learning styles, each of which is associated with a different way of solving problems:
Divergers - view situations from many perspectives and rely heavily upon brainstorming and generation of ideas.
Assimilators - use inductive reasoning and have the ability to create theoretical models.
Convergers - rely heavily on hypothetical-deductive reasoning.
Accommodators - carry out plans and experiments and adapt to immediate circumstances.
The particular choice of learning style reflects the individual's abilities, environment and learning history (Nulty and Barrett 1996). According to Kolb, learners learn better when the subject matter is presented in a style consistent with their preferred learning style.
Myers/Briggs Personality Types -
An explanation:
The sixteen personality types which we use in our assessment are based on the well-known research of Carl Jung, Katharine C. Briggs, and Isabel Briggs Myers. Carl Jung first developed the theory that individuals each had a psychological type. He believed that there were two basic kinds of "functions" which humans used in their lives: how we take in information (how we "perceive" things), and how we make decisions. He believed that within these two categories, there were two opposite ways of functioning. We can perceive information via 1) our senses, or 2) our intuition. We can make decisions based on 1) objective logic, or 2) subjective feelings. Jung believed that we all use these four functions in our lives, but that each individual uses the different functions with a varying amount of success and frequency. He believed that we could identify an order of preference for these functions within individuals. The function which someone uses most frequently is their "dominant" function. The dominant function is supported by an auxiliary (2nd) function, tertiary (3rd) function, and inferior (4th) function. He asserted that individuals either "extraverted" or "introverted" their dominant function. He felt that the dominant function was so important, that it overshadowed all of the other functions in terms of defining personality type. Therefore, Jung defined eight personality types:
· Extraverted Sensing (modern types: ESFP, ESTP)
· Introverted Sensing (modern types: ISTJ, ISFJ)
· Extraverted Intuition (modern types: ENFP, ENTP)
· Introverted Intuition (modern types: INFJ, INTJ)
· Extraverted Thinking (modern types: ESTJ, ENTJ)
· Introverted Thinking (modern types: ISTP, INTP)
· Extraverted Feeling (modern types: ESFJ, ENFJ)
· Introverted Feeling (modern types: INFP, ISFP)
Katharine Briggs expounded upon Jung's work, quietly working in silence and developing his theories further. But it was Katharine's daughter Isabel who was really responsible for making the work on Personality Types visible. Isabel, using her mother's work and Jung's work, asserted the importance of the auxiliary function working with the dominant function in defining Personality Type. While incorporating the auxiliary function into the picture, it became apparent that there was another distinctive preference which hadn't been defined by Jung: Judging and Perceiving. The developed theory today is that every individual has a primary mode of operation within four categories:
· our flow of energy
· how we take in information
· how we prefer to make decisions
· the basic day-to-day lifestyle that we prefer
Within each of these categories, we "prefer" to be either:
· Extraverted or Introverted
· Sensing or iNtuitive
· Thinking or Feeling
· Judging or Perceiving
We all naturally use one mode of operation within each category more easily and more frequently than we use the other mode of operation. So, we are said to "prefer" one function over the other. The combination of our four "preferences" defines our personality type. Although everybody functions across the entire spectrum of the preferences, each individual has a natural preference which leans in one direction or the other within the four categories.
Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic Learning Styles -
This group of styles relate to the primary learning inputs. They are biologically based and are reactions to the physical environment. Everyone uses all three but one tends to be more dominate than the others.
Visual -
Ÿ Remembers experiences as pictures or moving pictures and codes non-visual information as pictures.
Ÿ They think, speak and move fast: they have a high pitched voice and breathe high in their chest.
Ÿ Eye movements tend to be upwards.
Ÿ They like to ‘draw’ in the air while speaking.
Ÿ They use phrases relating to sight: “I see what you mean.” “ Look, what I’m trying to do is…”
Ÿ They like to work quickly through material.
Auditory -
Ÿ Very sensitive to sounds; tone of voice, timbre.
Ÿ They think, speak and move at a moderate pace: more resonance in their voice than visuals and mid-chest breathing.
Ÿ They can dominate in conversations or be engaged in internal conversations and appear not to be paying attention.
Ÿ Eye movements tend to be side-to-side or down in the left. The latter indicates internal dialogue.
Ÿ They use phrases relating to hearing: “Clear as a bell.” “Hear me out on this…”
Ÿ Gestures while speaking include hand on side of face, leaning head to one side or pointing to their own ear.
Ÿ They move steadily through material liking to discus things before they go on.
Kinaesthetic -
Ÿ Experience the world feelings (emotions) and sensations (physical sensory input).
Ÿ They think, speak and move slowly: lowest, more resonance voice and deepest breathing.
Ÿ Slow pace can be irritating to those how move faster
Ÿ Eye movements down and to the right.
Ÿ They use phrases relating to touch: “That really grabs me.” “It’s been rough.”
Ÿ Gestures relating to tactile experience - grasping, squeezing, physical holding od their thoughts.
Ÿ Have trouble getting ‘unstuck’ form negative feelings.
Ÿ Empathic and making decisions on ‘gut feelings’.
Denoted in the text in italics to distinguish from similarly named styles.
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