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| Sarah Willis | ||||||||||||||||
| Discovering my Learning Style | ||||||||||||||||
| ��������������� Do you know how you learn best? HBDI and VARK are two questionnaires that are designed to help a person discover their best learning style and how to improve and build their strategies for learning. The HBDI questionnaire focuses on feeling, thinking, doing and innovating learners. On the other hand, VARK contains visual, aural, kinesthetic and read/write learning styles. Both were created to help a person realize their strengths and their best learning style. Both HBDI and VARK provide descriptions of each mode of learning and how to apply it in the classroom as well as in life. By completing each questionnaire, you can learn a little about yourself, but most importantly how to improve your life. | ||||||||||||||||
| ��������������� After taking the VARK questionnaire, I discovered that I am a kinesthetic and aural learner. As a kinesthetic learner, I learn by doing, through real life experiences and through practical application of knowledge. As an aural learner, I learn well by listening and participating in class discussions. As a Kinesthetic learner, I apply my learning style when I actively do hands-on experiments such as in my Biology class. In my Biology class we do dissections, create charts and watch videos and visuals. Chemistry, unlike biology, focuses on memorizing and doing math, two things that I really dislike. Although both were science classes, the material had to be taught differently, which affected my success in the class. Biology was taught with hands-on experiments while chemistry was mostly written work. Unfortunately, I ended up failing chemistry the first year but passing Biology. As an aural learner I learn by listening and participating in class discussions. In my study skills class I frequently volunteer answers during discussion. I also remember interesting illustrations or anecdotes. For example, when my Humanities teacher entered the class one evening he stated, "My wife and I worked on these tests together so if there are any mistakes,well it's her fault", and we laughed. His comments help us to open up for discussion and be ready to learn. | ||||||||||||||||
| ��������������� With my high score as a feeling learner on the HBDI scale I know I am uncomfortable with answers that are abstract and that I enjoy making personal connections and prefer an emotionally supportive environment. I know I an uncomfortable with answers that are abstract and it shows in my math class. When we start a new chapter in my math class, I tend to ask how this chapter will be applied in my life or future. I also know I enjoy making personal connections with others whether it's through their emotions or personal experiences. One Sunday morning the preacher began the sermon by telling how the girl who had just sang in front of the congregation was frightfully nervous, but she took the risk in order to get her song across to the people in the audience. The story applied to the sermon in the sense that they were both about taking risks. The stories connected the feelings and emotions felt of the two people, the girl on stage and the biblical character. I know I also enjoy an emotionally supportive environment. This shows in school because I know my teachers would go the extra mile for their students. They help me succeed by providing extra credit, viewing work to help make corrections before the due date and giving us their office hours and actually asking us sincerely to come see them. For example, my English composition professor took two class periods in order to have individual conferences with each student to give us an idea of our strengths and weaknesses. She told us ways to improve and gave us feedback on our first essay we had turned in. I know I have great teachers that care about my success and future, and that helps me know I have the capability of learning. | ||||||||||||||||
| ��������������� According to the VARK scale, and by the way class is run, I believe that my Humanities professor is a read/write instructor. A read/write teacher tends to create lists and many definitions, and class is run by lecture for note taking. My Humanities professor possesses all the criteria to be considered a read/write instructor. Every class he walks in and immediately writes the daily points on the board that we will be covering that day. He also gives out a vocabulary list at the beginning of each chapter. Additionally he uses the class period for us to write notes and tells us what will be on the upcoming test and expects us to write down what we hear and discuss. He also uses the board to write side notes, or to go into depth about a topic. For example, when we were discussing the Golden and Silver rules, he made a chart on the board to show the similarities and differences. | ||||||||||||||||
| ��������������� According to the VARK scale, I believe my English composition professor is a read/write teacher. Teachers who are read/write typically take many points out of the text book, use words well and often and have lots of information in notes and essays. Our class has two books that we use on a daily basis. We are always pulling information out of the books and applying what we get out to the lesson plan. For example, the essays we read in the notes are the ones she wants us to model our papers after for our own writing. She also has many handouts of upcoming events she wants us to attend. Every day when she begins class she has a list of things written down that she wants to go over or discuss. It is her own personal list of things she wants to make known to us. The flow of the class is run off the list she has prepared. The way she runs class and teaches, leads me to believe she is a read/write teacher. | ||||||||||||||||
| ��������������� My least preferred style of learning would be the read/write method on the VARK profile. The teacher that uses this strongest would be my Humanities professor. In order to become more comfortable with his style of teaching there are some different things I can do to prepare myself for the class. In order to better adapt I need to attend every class period in order to hear what he goes over because I cannot count on the book having all the specific points he covered. I can also go back to the book after I have heard his main points in the lecture and then write notes from it. I can also write down quotes he says that pertain to the lesson, and jog my memory. Because I am primarily an aural learner, reading aloud will help me a lot. These are only some of the ways in which I can adapt to a teacher with a teaching style that is different from my preferred learning styles. | ||||||||||||||||
| ��������������� The VARK and HBDI have helped me determine what kind of learner I am, what kind of teachers my professors are and how I can adapt to them if necessary. Through these resources I have managed to learn the best way for me to process information, and apply it to my classes. I have come to the conclusion that all of my teachers have different styles of teaching and not every professor is the same. I know I can accomplish more because of what I have learned and can "Figure out" my professors in a more understandable way, thanks to the HBDI and VARK questionnaires. | ||||||||||||||||
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