Certificate in Science & Health, Level 3 Study & Computing Skills (SCS)

1. Certificate in Science & Health, Level 3Study & Computing Skills (SCS) Learning styles

2. Last session • We looked at adult learners • We defined what an adult learner is • We looked at the expectations of an adult learner • We established the differences between an adult learner and a school learner • We looked at what it means to be an active learner • We looked at how you can self-direct your own learning

3. TYPES OF LEARNERS • You will probably find you are a combination of learning types depending on the topic, your interest, the time of day, or your state of mind. • You may find that one style becomes more dominant with you over time. • We are going to look at four different styles: • Builder, Baker, Boffin and Butler.

4. Types of Learners THE BUILDER Likes systematic learning, building brick by brick on a solid foundation. Builders like to feel that each brick is in place before the next brick is put on top. Builders tend to be practical, factual, common sense learners who enjoy learning by doing.

5. Types of Learners THE BAKER is the opposite. Bakers like to see the whole cake in the mind’s eye first. Bakers feel most comfortable when they can understand what each part or ingredient contributes to the whole. Bakers tend to be visual, inventive, holistic, intuitive learners. They are driven as much by what feels right, as what the book says is right.

6. Types of Learners THE BOFFIN collects facts and figures, and delights in unrelated fragments of knowledge for knowledge’s sake. Boffins are the Mastermind winners who like to know anything and everything. Unlike the Baker, Boffins do not need to visualise the product before undertaking the process.

7. Types of Learners THE BUTLER also serves by standing and waiting… Butlers are people who are content to wait and be told what to learn and what to do. They like others to tell them what they need to know and think. They prefer to know exactly where they stand. This does not mean that they lack intelligence or can’t think for themselves. Far from it! They just find easier to be given a direction than to make their own. We all like to be spoon-fed at times, but Butlers are learners who, most of the time, prefer regurgitating what they know, to deciding what they may need to know if no one tells them

8. Which type of learner is dominant for you at the moment?

9. What kind of thinker are you? When trying to find out what learning style you have it is interesting to identify if you are more dominant on the right or left side of your brain. Left-brain thinkers like orderly common-sense. They see small details, and deal with them in a systematic way. Language, numbers and symbols are controlled by this side of the brain.

10. Right-brain thinkers are intuitive and creative. They see the big picture, and can scan and process rapidly. Recognition, artistic, musical and memory are controlled by this side of the brain. Getting both sides of the brain to work together greatly accelerates learning and performance skills.

11. ACTIVITY What Kind of Thinker are You? Fill in your workbook pages 9 & 10

12. Different learning styles Learning styles are simply different approaches or ways of learning. There are three different types of learning styles Visual Auditory Tactile/Kinesthetic

13. Visual learners are… • Good at remembering faces • Forgets names • Good at reading facial expressions • Like descriptions • Like maps or diagrams • Can stare into space and imagine images

14. Visual learners: learn by seeing... • Using visual materials such as pictures, charts, maps, graphs. • Using colour to highlight important points in text. • Illustrating ideas as a picture or brainstorming bubble before writing them down. • Writing a story and illustrate it. • Using multi-media (e.g. computers, videos, and filmstrips). • Studying in a quiet place away from verbal disturbances. • Reading illustrated books. • Visualising information as a picture to aid memorisation.

15. Auditory learners … • Spell words by spelling them out • Like to listen rather then read instructions • Enjoys listening but can’t wait to talk • Remembers names • Forgets faces

16. Auditory learners: learn by listening...  • Participating in class discussions/debates. • Using a tape recorder during lectures instead of taking notes. • Reading text out aloud. • Creating musical jingles to aid memory. • Creating mnemonics to aid memory . • Discussing ideas verbally. • Dictating to someone while they write down your thoughts. • Using story telling to demonstrate point.

17. Tactile/ Kinesthetic learners… • Cannot sit for long periods of time. • Lose concentration easily. • Like activities. • Fidgets. • Likes to learn by ‘doing’. • Good at remembering events or real life situations.

18. Tactile/ Kinestheticlearners: learn by moving,doing and touching... • Taking frequent study breaks. • Moving around to learn new things (e.g. read while on an exercise bike). • Working at a standing position. • Using bright colours to highlight reading material. • Listening to music while you study. • Skimming through reading material to get a rough idea what it is about before settling down to read it in detail.

19. ACTIVITY Are You a Visual, Auditory or Kinesthetic Learner? Fill in your workbook, pages 11 - 13

20. Kinds of Learning Rote Narrative Visual Verbal Analytical Multisense Symbolic & Numeric

21. Activity Match up the Kinds of Learning terms with their explanations

22. Summary Types of learners – Builder, Baker, Boffin, Butler Kinds of thinkers – Left and Right brain Learning Styles – Auditory, Visual Tactile/kinesthetic Kinds of learning – Rote, verbal, multi-sense, analytical, narrative, visual, symbolic and Numeric