DOCUMENT by: Katherine Watson
Subject: Self-Assessment: Learning Styles

"Learning Styles" Self Assessment

What's Your Learning Style
Did you know that everyone has their own unique learning style? Your learning style is the way you prefer to learn. It doesn't have anything to do with how intelligent you are or what skills you have learned. It has to do with how your brain works most efficiently to learn new information. Your learning style has been with you since you were born. There's no such thing as a "good" learning style or a "bad" learning style. Success comes with many different learning styles. There is no "right" approach to learning. We all have our own particular way of learning new information. The important thing is to be aware of the nature of your learning style.

Below is a Learning Style Survey that will help you begin to identify what learning style best fits you. Once you have ascertained your learning style, you will learn how to use certain learning strategies that will help you study and learn in a more productive manner.

For each of the 36 questions below select either "a, b, c or d" to indicate your answer. Please choose only one answer for each question. If you are having difficulty choosing one, just choose the one that applies more frequently. When you are finished selecting the answers, you will need to add up how many times you selected each letter.

1. You understand something better if:
a. You try it out
b. It is explained to you
c. You listen to it
d. You can see it on a board or chart

2. When you were a child you were more likely:
a. Playing sports
b. Involved in chorus
c. Playing an instrument
d. Involved in Art and Graphic Design

3. When studying you prefer to:
a. Work hands on
b. Work with others in discussion
c. Listen to books on tape
d. Read the textbook and look at the graphs

4. When you first meet somebody, you are more likely to remember:
a. What they did or how they acted
b. The conversation you had
c. What they said about themselves
d. What they looked like

5. When having difficulty spelling a word you would:
a. Look it up in a dictionary
b. Spell it out loud
c. Sound it out loud
d. Write it down on paper

6. You prefer a teacher who uses:
a. Hands on Projects and experiments
b. Group Discussion
c. Lecture and books on tape
d. Pie Charts and graphs

7. You are more likely to be considered:
a. Athletic
b. Political
c. Musical
d. Artistic

8. You remember best when:
a. You do something
b. You say something
c. You hear something
d. You see something

9. When it comes to instructions you:
a. Start building without reading first
b. Read them yourself aloud while you build
c. Have someone read them to you as you build
d. Read them first so you can see the structure in your head

10. When introduced to a new situation you:
a. Try it right away, and learn from doing it
b. Need someone to go through step-by-step
c. Listen to instructions once and then go for it
d. Like seeing someone do it first and then try

11. Are you more likely to:
a. Dance to a song
b. Sing a song
b. Listen to words and meanings of a song
d. Watch the music video

12. As a person you tend to:
a. Work with your hands or play sports and exercise
b. Express yourself in writing or verbally
c. Work with sound and music
d. Use images and pictures or maps to communicate with others

13. If something is bothering you, you tend to:
a. Go for a run or exercise to release the stress
b. Talk about it with others
c. Take advice from others and listen to their opinion
d. Write the issue down and compare pros and cons

14. On your spare time you are most likely found:
a. Doing something active, such as sports or yard work
b. Reading a book
c. Listening to Music
d. Watching television

15. When taking notes in class you tend to:
a. Not take notes and doodle instead
b. Listen to the teacher and talk about it later with classmates
c. Record the lecture on tape
d. Take notes

16. When going on vacation you would prefer to:
a. Go with the flow, be spontaneous
b. Talk about the Itinerary before the trip
c. Have someone tell you each day at a time
d. Have a written Itinerary and pictures of the places

17. When it comes to board games you would prefer a game that involves:
a. Touch, action and movement
b. Speaking and Writing
c. Sound, rhyme and music
d. Mind maps, color and pictures

18. You tend to use common phrases such as:
a. Stay in touch
b. Let’s talk later
c. That rings a bell
d. I never forget a face

19. While driving you tend to:
a. Dance, sing and have a good time
b. Talk to the people in the car
c. Sing along with the song
d. Not listen to music and pay attention to the road

20. When dining out, you prefer:
a. A sports bar so you can watch the game
b. A nice quit place so you can talk
c. A place where music is played, maybe a band
d. A place maybe on the lake so you can watch the sunset

21. The first thing you tend to do in the morning is:
a. Go for a walk or run
b. Call a friend or talk to your partner
c. Turn on the radio
d. Watch television

22. When waiting in a doctor's office you tend to:
a. Fidget or walk around inside or out
b. Read a Magazine
b. Listen to your headphones
d. Watch the television

24. When learning about the news you tend to:
a. Talk about it with others
b. Read about it in the newspaper or magazine
c. Hear about it on the radio
d. Watch CNN or other news channels

25. When choosing a class you tend to register for:
a. A Dance or Art course
b. A communications course
c. A lecture course
d. A Mass Media course

26. You prefer which type of Assignment:
a. A group presentation
b. A written paper
c. An oral presentation
d. Diagrams or charts

27. You would prefer a job where you are:
a. Working outside and in the field
b. Working with a team
c. Counseling
d. Behind a desk at a computer

28. I most easily communicate what is going on with me by:
a. The feelings I share
b. The words I choose
c. My tone of voice
d. The way I dress and look

29. When taking a test you would prefer:
a. To hand in a Project
b. Oral Exams
c. The teacher to explain the question aloud
d. To have the test on paper

30. When it comes to certain things, you are or have:
a. Very sensitive to the way articles of clothing feel on your body
b. Very adept at making sense of new facts and data
c. Very attuned to the sounds of your surroundings
d. A strong response to colors and to the way a room looks

31. You make important decisions based on:
a. Gut level feelings
b. Talking to others about it
c. Which way sounds the best
d. What looks best to you

32. When it comes to cooking, you:
a. Throw ingredients in and taste as you go
b. Read through each recipe and then decide
c. Go with what other people have told you is good
d. Look at the pictures in a cookbook and go from there.

33. What would you rather receive as a gift?
a. A pair of sneakers
b. A book
c. A CD
d. A DVD

34. What are you more concerned with?
a. How you perform or act in public
b. How you speak to others
c. What people say about you
d. What you are wearing

35. When involved in a conversation you?
a. Tend to use your hands
b. Are a better speaker
c. Are a better listener
d. Are more focused and have eye contact

36. When you are describing a party/event to a friend do you describe?
a. What you did or others did
b. The conversations you had with people
c. The Music
d. The people

Now go back and count the number of times you chose each letter. This will help you distinguish what Learning Style you prefer.

How many times did you chose:

a. Kinesthetic _____

b. Verbal _____

c. Auditory _____

d. Visual _____


About the Four Learning Style
All of us have different learning styles and we all learn at different paces. By now you should have identified your dominant style of learning or that you have a mix of learning styles. Next, spend a few minutes understanding the differences between these learning styles.

Kinesthetic Learners - learn through, moving, doing and touching...
Kinesthetic learners learn best through a hands-on approach and use their body and sense to touch to learn. They actively explore the physical world around them by touching and physically interacting. They may find it hard to sit still for long periods and feel a need for activity and exploration. Typically they like sports, exercise, and other physical activity, which helps them think and problem solve. They typically speak with their hands and use other body language to communicate. When they are learning a new skill, they would much prefer to be able to physical manipulate it rather then read about how it might work.

Verbal - learn through saying, hearing and seeing words...
Verbal learners learn best through the reliance of both the written and spoken word. They find it very easy to express themselves, both in writing and verbally and enjoy reading. They typically have a very good vocabulary and enjoy writing. They also love to tell stories and they are good at memorizing and using new phrases that they just learned.

Auditory Learners - learn through listening...
Auditory learners learn best through hearing lectures and discussions, talking things through (self-talk) and listening to what others have to say. Auditory learners are wonderful at interpreting meaning by listening to the tone of voice, speed and other nuances. Until written information is heard, it can have little meaning.

Visual Learners - learn through seeing...
Visual learners learn best through seeing pictures, colors, images, maps diagrams, videos, powerpoints, etc. They can easily visualize problems and solutions in their head. They often have a very good sense of direction and are experts at reading maps. During a classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information. Visual Learners love to draw and doodle.