Learning Styles
Adults learn through a variety of ways. One person may learn better by listening;
another may be visual or may prefer to read instructions. Someone else will need a
demonstration.
Learning style refers to the way in which a learner approaches and responds to
a learning experience. There are several learning style assessments available on the
market including the following instruments, published in the Pfeiffer Annuals:
• Learning Style Inventory by Ronne Toker Jacobs and Barbara Schneider
Fuhrmann (1984)
• The Learning Model Instrument by Kenneth L. Murrell (1987)
• The Dunn and Dunn Model of Learning Styles by Joanne Ingham and Rita
Dunn (1993)
David Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory (1991) is used widely as a basis for other
models and instruments. These, among others, are all excellent tools to help you
identify learning style. The self-assessment process heightens your awareness that
different people learn in different ways and sensitizes people to the importance of
designing training that addresses all learning styles.
Determining Your Learning Style
To get a flavor for these style differences and to further your understanding of your
preferred learning style, complete the learning style assessment in Exhibit 2.1, then
score and study it.