The following question is from The Reflective Journal by Barbara Bassot, Part 1, Theme 1.5 Learning Styles.
“Think about your learning styles (Honey and Mumford, 2000). Which are your preferred styles? Which ones do you feel you need to develop?”
Who am I?
Learners are multi-dimensional beings. As humans, we have so many characteristics, preferences, and idiosyncrasies that it is impossible to pigeonhole. So, when I reflect on my own preferences, I can see shades of myself in each dimension (almost).
Activist?
There are seasons of life when I embody the activist. When I am starting to learn about something new, I am really enthusiastic and motivated to dig in. I tend to jump in with both feet, looking for any helpful resource I can find.
Reflector?
This is likely my comfort zone. I sometimes describe myself as a “post-processor.” In a meeting or learning experience, I may struggle to fully form my thoughts and find my words. But I love to take time beyond the experience to reflect and explore without the pressure of needing to come up with immediate feedback.
Theorist?
Not so much. While I admire others’ analytical skills and rational organization, those areas are not my strong suits. Perhaps this is an area of needed growth…
Pragmatist?
Sometimes. I attend conferences with a pragmatic learning approach. My preferred sessions are those that I can leave with specific solutions I can apply in my work immediately.
Conclusions?
I am a little bit (or a lot) of each of these. I think it would be informative and enriching to focus on each of these areas. Could I approach my next project with an awareness of these dimensions? Bring a little more theorist to my work/learning and rely a little less on the reflector? I’d like to try.
Bassot, B. (2016). The reflective journal. Palgrave Macmillan.
Honey, P. & Mumford, A. (2000). The learning styles questionnaire: 80-item version. Maidenhead: Peter Honey Publications.