Learning Styles In and Around Team Work: What’s Your Learning Pattern?

1. Learning StylesIn and Around Team Work:What’s Your Learning Pattern? Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

2. Acknowledgment of Support • The material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant No. DUE-0089079: “Implementing the BESTEAMS model of team development across the curriculum.” Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. • Additional support was provided by the A. James Clark School of Engineering, the Mechanical Engineering department at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Morgan State University, the United States Naval Academy, and Howard University. Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

3. Personal KnowledgeLearning Objectives • Understanding of personal learning preference • Awareness of non-traditional measures of difference, beyond superficial generalizations • Knowledge of how these differences affect the reception and processing of information Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

4. Appreciating Learning Styles • Knowing strengths is important for effective team members • Attribute filters are sets of characteristics used to define similarity groups • Examples: Gender, Myers-Briggs Personality Types, SAT scores, GPA • We use attribute filters to learn about ourselves and how to relate to diverse others Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

5. Learning Patterns… • Describe the way you prefer to learn • Influence how you deal with day-to-day interactions and tasks • Are determined by reflecting on your preference for doing specific tasks Think of the last time you dealt with new technical information… How do you best like to learn? Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

6. Learning Connections Inventory: Exercise • Break into small groups as assigned by instructor • Describe how you would like to learn material, what is the best way a course could be delivered to you? • How do you go about solving problems presented to you? • One member of each team reports the results of their discussion; to be recorded in notebook Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

7. Preferred Learning Activity (Record Team Answers on Board) Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

8. Completing the Learning Connections Inventory (LCI) • Answer the 25 questions in the LCI • Forced ranking (no ties) • Modify questions if needed • 5 level scale • Look at your scores in four patterns Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

9. The Cycle of Learning • What does your learning pattern tell you? • You are unique • You have preferred ways to process learning • Use first • Avoid • Use as needed Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

10. Learning Patterns • The Learning Connections Inventory highlights your preference for • Sequential Processing (working in order, following procedures) • Precise Processing (details and questioning) • Technical processing (hands-on, independence) • Confluent processing (risk-taking, own way) • These are patterns of perceiving and processing information Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

11. Preference Scores • Use First • 25 and higher • Most “comfortable” or usual process • Avoid • 17 and lower • Not how you like to work • As Needed • Score 18 – 24 • Use if necessary but don’t feel an urgency to work that way Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

12. More on Scores • Dynamic – Learner has one or two scores at use first. • Bridge – • Learner has no pattern at use first or avoid. • Often learn from listening to others. • “Jack-of-all-trades, master of none” • Often bring balance to teams and bring competing groups together. • Strong Willed Learner • Three or more at use first. • Prefers to be own team and work alone. • Likes control. Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

13. Sequencial – Use First • Want clear directions • Like step-by-step directions • Work from beginning to end • Make lists • Organizes things • Plan first, then act Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

14. Precise Use First • Research information • Lot’s of questions • Challenge statements • Document findings • Write things down • Can’t stand when bad information is accepted as good Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

15. Technical Use First • Concrete relevance; real world • Just give the information I need • Hands-on and tinker • Like to be self-sufficient • Likes to know things but doesn’t feel a need to share it. • Likes to solve problems Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

16. Confluent Use First • Read between the lines • Outside the box • Brainstorming • Risk taking • Talk about things – a lot • Start first, then ask for directions • “Do something once, why do it again?” • “I have an idea …. I have another idea …. Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

17. Sequential Avoid • Let’s jump in • Avoid direction and practice • Ignores table of contents, indexes, syllabi • Tasks may be incomplete Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

18. Precise Avoid • Avoid debate • Take few notes • Don’t expect me to memorize! • Fearful of looking stupid • Overwhelmed when confronted with details Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

19. Technical Avoid • Why should I care how this works? • Why do we have to build it? • Avoid using tools and instruments • If it broken, throw it away Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

20. Confluent Avoid • Where is the focus? • Where is this going? • Don’t take social risks. • Seek parameters • This is out of control! Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004

21. Wrap Up: We Are Not All Alike • Awareness of your strengths is vital for full team participation • Don’t confuse style differences with performance level differences • Professionalism demands a focus on outcomes, not style • Successful teams use the skills of allmembers Adapted from and Reproduced with permission from BESTEAMS 2004