Understanding Thinking Style Preferences of Students

1. Understanding Thinking Style Preferences of Students Tracey Hawkins Professor of Accounting University of Cincinnati April 2, 2009

2. Arrange your 5 cards in order, starting with the card that best describes you and ending with the card that is least like you.

3. What was your immediate response to the cards you were dealt? • Were there any you wanted to get rid of immediately? • Are there any that you weren’t willing to part with? • Would you be comfortable finishing the game with the hand that you were dealt?

4. You may now try to “improve” your hand by trading cards with others. You must maintain five cards in your hand at all times.

5. What were some of the strategies you used to negotiate trades? • Were there any noticeable patterns in the kinds of cards players wanted to keep and those they were willing to trade? • If patterns were detected, what might they suggest about the preferences of the group?

6. You must now discard your two least preferred cards. You make examine all the discarded cards and make any exchanges you wish. You should end with only three cards.

7. What reactions did you have when you had to give two of your cards back? • Were those choices easy or difficult for you to make? • In the end, were you able to put together a hand that closely represented you? If not, what card(s) did you want that you couldn’t get?

8. Whole Brain Modeldeveloped by Ned Herrmann

9. BlueThis group is good at… • Gathering facts • Analyzing issues • Problem solving logically • Arguing rationally • Considering financial aspects • Measuring precisely • Understanding technical elements

10. GreenThis group is good at… • Finding overlooked flaws • Approaching problems practically • Standing firm on issues • Maintaining a standard of consistency • Providing stable leadership and supervision • Reading fine print in documents/contracts • Organizing and keeping track of essential data • Developing detailed plans and procedures • Articulating plans in an orderly way • Keeping financial records straight

11. RedThis group is good at… • Recognizing interpersonal difficulties • Anticipating how others will feel • Intuitively understanding how others feel • Picking up the non-verbal cues of interpersonal stress • Engendering enthusiasm • Persuading • Teaching • Conciliating • Understanding emotional elements • Considering values

12. YellowThis group is good at… • Reading the signs of coming change • Seeing the “big picture” • Recognizing new possibilities • Tolerating ambiguity • Integrating ideas and concepts • Bending or challenging established policies • Synthesizing unlike elements into a new whole • Inventing innovative solutions to problems • Problem solving in intuitive ways

13. Understanding that our students have different thinking styles can help us… • Develop learning activities that will help all students learn • Allow for better group interaction

14. For more information: • The Whole Brain Business Book by Ned Herrmann • The Creative Brain by Ned Herrmann • The Diversity Game created by Ted Coulson and Alison Strickland • www.hbdi.com