Meeting student needs: accommodating learning style preferences in your training by Suzanne Griffiths and Clare Humphries, University of Cranfield.

1. Suzanne Griffiths
Clare Humphries
Meeting Student Needs:
Accommodating Learning Style
Preferences in Your Training
CDG EOE
23 March 2012

2. Workshop outline
• Introduction to Learning Styles
• Case study
• Group activity
• Report back and discussion
• Summing up and what next

3. Learning Styles
• Proposed by Peter Honey and Alan Mumford in 1970s
and 80s
• A description of the attitudes and behaviours which
determine an individual‟s preferred way of learning
• Explains why a group of learners, exposed to the same
learning opportunity, may react in very different ways
Honey, P. and Mumford, A. (1992) The Manual of Learning Styles,
3rd ed, Maidenhead: Peter Honey

4. What is my Learning
Style?
• The Learning Styles Questionnaire
• An 80 item or 40 item questionnaire
• On the CLA‟s list of Excluded Works
• Available at http://www.peterhoney.com/
• Mini quiz: „I learn best when…..‟
• Have a go!
• Tick the statements which apply to you

5. What is my Learning
Style?
• A = Activist
• R = Reflector
• T = Theorist
• P = Pragmatist

6. Learning styles:
Activist
• Open minded – try anything once!
• Act first, consider outcome later
• Thrive on new challenges, open to change
• Risk takers
• Easily bored
• They are „The Doers‟

7. Learning styles:
Activist
• Learns best from sessions where:
• There is excitement/drama with a range of
activities to tackle
• They can have a go
• Learns least from sessions where:
• Learning involves a passive role or solitary work
• They are required to interpret data

8. Learning styles:
Reflector
• Prefer to stand back and observe situations from
different angles
• Good listeners – seek others‟ opinions before making
up their own mind
• Thorough and methodical
• Cautious – not risk takers, not very assertive
• They are „The Reviewers‟

9. Learning styles:
Reflector
• Learns best from sessions where:
• They have the opportunity to review what has
happened
• They are allowed to watch/think about activities
• Learns least from sessions where:
• They are „forced into the limelight‟
• They are involved in situations which require
action without planning

10. Learning styles:
Theorist
• Solve problems in a logical, step-by-step approach
• Perfectionists
• Prefer rational and objective solutions rather than
ambiguous or subjective solutions
• Dislike disorder and uncertainty
• They are „The Concluders‟

11. Learning styles:
Theorist
• Learns best from sessions where:
• They are in structured situations with a clear
purpose
• They can listen to or read about ideas and
concepts
• Learns least from sessions where:
• They are involved in unstructured activities
• They have to participate in situations emphasizing
emotions

12. Learning styles:
Pragmatist
• Like to test new ideas to see if they work in practice
• Practical, down-to-earth problem solvers
• See problems and opportunities as a challenge
• Impatient
• Task orientated not people orientated
• They are „The Testers‟

13. Learning styles:
Pragmatist
• Learns best from sessions where:
• There is an obvious link between subject matter
and an aspect of their job
• They have an immediate opportunity to
implement what they have learned
• Learns least from sessions where:
• They cannot see an immediate relevance or
practical benefit
• The learning seems distant from reality

14. Your learning style may vary depending on the
circumstances…….
And it can be changed!
Your students are likely to have different learning style
preferences to you.

15. Learning Styles
Case Study:
Getting Started with Your Thesis:
a workshop for Masters Students

16. Case Study
• Thesis Support Workshop
• Background
• Cranfield University students
• Why the workshop is required
• An overview of workshop
• Modification of workshop for learning Styles
• New workshop feedback

17. Background
• Cranfield University
• Postgraduate education only
• Schools in Management, Health, Applied
Sciences, Engineering and Defence
• 3,800 students from 100 countries
• School of Management
• 850 students per annum
• 150 Executive Delegates per week

18. Thesis Support
Workshop
• Why was workshop required?
• Thesis 40% of final mark
• Four to six month project
• Students were not sure how to get started
• Unstructured time – no lectures
• Students were not taking full advantage of the library
resources and support available

19. Workshop Content
– 1.5 hours
• Practical Support • Refreshers (Student led)
• How to find theses • Key subject database
• How to use Inter Library • Getting to the full text
Loan services
• Citing, plagiarism and
• Review thesis guidelines Refworks
• Provide tips on common
• Writing a literature
thesis problems
review
• Encourage one to one
follow up appointment with • Accessing materials off
information specialist campus
• Anything else students
have difficulties with

20. Thesis Workshop
Activities
• Original content delivery
• Lecture
• Demonstration of resources/techniques
• Library publications
• i.e. writing a literature review
• My training on learning styles led me to redevelop
the workshop

21. Learning Style
Tasks
• Modifications for Activists
• Ensured students have diverse range of
activities to engage in
• Students set hands on activities with
computers
• Question and Answer section
• Discussions about resources with fellow
students

22. Learning Style
Tasks
• Modifications for Reflector
• Promoted workshop before and summarized after
• Detailed outline of workshop emailed to students one
week before.
• Follow up email sent day after class with summary of
content and links.
• Students have hand-outs or list of online resources
to review or revisit
• Students given opportunity to make follow up
appointments after workshop.

23. Learning Style
Tasks
• Modifications for Theorists
• Thesis workshop has clear structure and clear
purpose. (Improved the design - involved course
directors and colleagues in content and structure)
• Students have step by step guides
• Students have chance to ask questions on
methodology of writing and researching a thesis.

24. Learning Style
Tasks
• Modifications for Pragmatists
• Obvious link in workshop between activities and need
to write a thesis
• i.e. changed title of workshop from “Library refresher” to
“Getting Started with Your Thesis”
• Changed timing; within 3 weeks of proposal deadline
• Techniques learnt save time, increase quality
• Students self assess gaps in research skills

25. How did the Workshop
Go?
• Second Year Results
• Very successful;
• High attendance by students - relevant
• Valued by Course Directors, booking for next year
• Many students followed up with one to one
appointments or emails
• Feedback comments from students
• The workshop came at the right time.
• Looking forward to all the help I can get with my
thesis!

26. Group Activity

27. Group Activity
• Split into groups – each to consider a different learning
style
• In your group, reflect on your own or your institution‟s IL
teaching
• Does the session accommodate this learning style?
• Please record examples of good practice
• Could the learning style be better supported in the
session?

28. Moving Forward…
• Can you identify one thing you will be able to
incorporate in your training?

29. Learning Style Bias
• Be aware of your own learning style bias
• My personal preference for the Activist learning
style is low
• How does this affect my teaching?
• I am likely to avoid designing activities that
require
• Role Play

30. Summary
• Honey and Mumford identified 4 learning styles
• Activist, Reflector, Theorist and Pragmatist
• It is important to consider that students may have
different learning styles and to try to accommodate
them in our teaching

31. What next?
• What next......
• Fill in the contact form if you want us to email you
the group comments
• Review the list of resources in your delegate pack
• Take the test and find your learning style!
• Please email us if you have any comments or questions
• c.humphries@cranfield.ac.uk
• s.t.griffiths@cranfield.ac.uk