Overview of adult learning styles and theories that underpin the research surrounding this topic.

1. Gordon M. Groat
PhD (abd), MS, BGS, ASc CRTT
gordon@bluegringo.com

2.  TypeLogic
 Personality
Pathways
 Team Technology
Give the test a rip…
Humanmetrics

3.  What it is…  What it is not…
◦ An Academic Theory ◦ An Exact Science
◦ Widely Cited and ◦ Something that is
Poorly Understood written in stone
◦ Critical to our ◦ A Panacea
Success ◦ Undisputed
◦ Provides Context that ◦ Unchanging
speaks to what
Motivates Adult
Learners

4.  Constructivism Theory (Piaget, et al)
◦ cognitive-developmental stream
◦ through processes of accommodation and
assimilation, individuals construct new knowledge
from their experiences
◦ Typically associated with Pedagogy of “Learning
through Doing”
 Early Contributors to Learning Theory include Dewey,
Piaget, Vygotsky, and Bruner

5.  The learner as a unique individual
(Gredler, Wertsch 1997)
 Background and Culture Impact the Learner
(Gredler, Wertsch 1997)
 Responsibility for Learning
(Von Glasersfeld 1989)
 Motivation for Learning
(Prawat and Floden 1994)

6.  Social constructivist scholars view learning as
an active process where learners should learn
to discover principles, concepts and facts for
themselves.
 Instructors have to adapt to the role of
facilitators and not teachers

7.  Individuals make meanings through the
interactions with each other and with the
environment they live in. Knowledge is thus a
product of humans and is socially and
culturally constructed

8. Adults will commit to learning when the goals
and objectives are considered realistic and
important to them. Application in the 'real
world' is important and relevant to the adult
learner's personal and professional needs
(Speck 1996)
Speaks to Motivation for Learning

9. Adults want to be the origin of their own
learning and will resist learning activities they
believe are an attack on their competence.
Thus, professional development needs to give
participants some control over the what, who,
how, why, when, and where of their learning.
Speaks to Responsibility for Learning

10. Adult learners need to see that the
professional development learning and their
day-to-day activities are related and relevant.
Speaks to Background and Culture as well as Motivation for
Learning

11. Adult learners need direct, concrete experiences
in which they apply the learning in real work.
Speaks to Motivation for Learning

12.  Adult learners need to see that the professional
development learning and their day-to-day
activities are related and relevant.
 Adult learners need direct, concrete experiences in
which they apply the learning in real work.

13.  Adult learning has ego involved. Professional
development must be structured to provide
support from peers and to reduce the fear of
judgment during learning.
 Adults need to receive feedback on how they are
doing and the results of their efforts. Opportunities
must be built into professional development
activities that allow the learner to practice the
learning and receive structured, helpful feedback.

14.  Adults need to participate in small-group activities
during the learning to move them beyond
understanding to application, analysis, synthesis,
and evaluation. Small-group activities provide an
opportunity to share, reflect, and generalize their
learning experiences.
 Adult learners come to learning with a wide range
of previous experiences, knowledge, self-direction,
interests, and competencies. This diversity must be
accommodated in the professional development
planning.

15.  Transfer of learning for adults is not automatic and
must be facilitated. Coaching and other kinds of follow-
up support are needed to help adult learners transfer
learning into daily practice so that it is sustained

16.  Peer Mentoring – Remember the part about
the statement that should precede any
learning… i.e. the “Learning Styles” side of
the Pyramid… “EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS AND
PURPOSE FOR THE WHY LEARNERS” - recall
the language that was set as an example

17.  THINK about the exact words they
recommended we use….
◦ “By the end of this training you will be able to…..”
 Where do you see this phrase over and over again…?

18.  Masterful
Conversations
Goals: By the end of this training, the
learner should be able to understand
core skills necessary to conduct
masterful conversations, including
use of advocacy, inquiry, reflective
listening and the ladder of inference,
be able to manage one's own
judgments and strong feelings and
transform those for productive
purposes in the conversation and
enable individuals and organizations
to leverage key interpersonal skills
for improved results and working
relationships.

19. Dr. David Kolb’s Model
What you got
in Peer
Mentoring
was based
on this model
Like most
areas of
inquiry,
multiple
models exist

20. Kolb Model
 Breaks Learning Dichotomies
Styles into four Concrete Reflective Why?
pairs of preferences Abstract Reflective What?
or dichotomies Abstract Active How?
Concrete Active What If?

21. Felder Silverman
Learning Styles
Model Dichotomies
Active Reflective
 Breaks Personality Types
Sensing Intuitive
into four pairs of
preferences or dichotomies Visual Verbal
and influenced by the Sequential Global
research of Dr. Carl Jung
The Research Lineage
◦ Dr. Richard Felder
◦ Dr. Linda Silverman

22. ACTIVE REFLECTIVE
 retain and understand  Prefer to think about the
information best by doing learning material quietly
something active with it  Let’s think it through first
 Let's try it out and see  Often prefer working
how it works alone
 Tend to prefer groups as
opposed to working alone
 Lectures are not the
preferred method of
learning

23. SENSING INTUITIVE
 Tend to like to learn facts  Prefer to explore and
 Tend to be patient with discover various possibilities
details and relationships
 Good at memorizing facts  Like innovation and dislike
 Enjoy doing hands-on work repetition
 tend to be more practical  May be better at grasping
and careful in their approach new concepts
 Are not fond of courses that  Are comfortable with
have no connection to the abstractions
real world  Seem to work faster and to
be innovative in their
approach
 Are not fond of courses that
involve a lot of
memorization

24. VISUAL VERBAL
 Prefer to take in new  Prefer to take in new
information by seeing it information through the
in various forms spoken or written word
◦ Dashboards ◦ Lectures
◦ Graphs ◦ Books
◦ Pictures ◦ Discussions / Round
◦ Charts Tables

25. SEQUENTIAL GLOBAL
 Prefer to take in  Will take in lots of
information in linear information in no
steps, with each step particular order not
following logically from worrying about the
the previous one connections until they
 Like to see information it grasp the concept
in various forms  Are known to solve
 Tend to work through complex problems
problems in an orderly quickly by “thinking
manner constructing outside the box” – but
solutions in a step by they may have difficulty
step manner communicating the
process to others

26.  Active  Reflective
◦ Group Activities ◦ Time to think and
◦ Discussions reflect
◦ Round Tables ◦ Handouts and Books
◦ Digital Copies of
Documents
Retrieved from Carlton University
http://chat.carleton.ca/~tblouin/Felder/felder.html

27.  Sensing  Intuitive
◦ Real World ◦ Concept Maps and
Applications Flowcharts
◦ Hands On Activities ◦ Open Ended
Assignments with
few constraints
Retrieved from Carlton University
http://chat.carleton.ca/~tblouin/Felder/felder.html

28.  Visual  Verbal
◦ Diagrams ◦ Discussion
◦ Charts ◦ Oral Reports
◦ Flash Presentations (stand-ups)
◦ Demonstrations ◦ Writing
Assignments
Retrieved from Carlton University
http://chat.carleton.ca/~tblouin/Felder/felder.html

29.  Sequential  Global
◦ Outlines ◦ Topic Overviews
◦ Flowcharts ◦ Connections to other
◦ Step by step process materials
Retrieved from Carlton University
http://chat.carleton.ca/~tblouin/Felder/felder.html

30.  Incorporate ALL the learning styles into
your curriculum design and mix it up… i.e.
Alternate between the styles.
 Avoid being in any one style too long –
this keeps everybody’s interest at a higher
level

31. Herrmann Brain Dominance
Instrument

32.  Breaks Personality Dichotomies
Types into four pairs of Extraversion Introversion
preferences or
dichotomies
Sensing Intuition
Thinking Feeling
The Research Lineage Judging Perceiving
◦ Dr. Carl Jung (1913)
◦ Dr. K. Briggs (1923)
 Isabel Briggs Myers
leveraged her Mother’s
research to create the MBTI

33. • Sensing: This refers  Intuition: This style
to the five senses. tends to trust
Sensing individuals information that is
prefer data that can more abstract or
is concrete and theoretical
tangible… and can be
taken in by the five
senses.

34. ◦ Thinking individuals ◦ Feeling individuals
tend to be tend to take an
reasonable, logical, empathetic view of
causal, consistent… the situation. They
they seem to like to consider how
gravitate towards a to achieve harmony
given set of rules to and consensus while
contextualize correlating to a
decision points personal value set

35. ◦ Introversion is ◦ Extraversion is
characterized by the characterized by
need to reflect on a individuals who tend
situation and not to draw energy from
rush to action action: they tend to
without careful act, then reflect, then
thought beforehand. act further

36. ◦ Judging is ◦ Perceiving tends to
characterized by present as a
order, decisions, willingness to leave
timelines, planning, things open, allow for
and execution input along the way.
according to a They sometimes wait
predetermined until deadlines
schedule approach to finish
projects and, in some
cases, they even
seem to draw a sense
of energy from
impending deadlines

37.  The four dichotomies that inform the
Personality Trait Indicator are combined to
create a “Personality Type”
 ENFP, INFP, ISFP, ENTJ, etc.
 These combined traits weave a personality
type indication (which we commonly refer
traits as “Colours” – a course that is based on
the MBTI research) and probably cross
correlated with the Kiersey Temprament
Sorter

38.  What’s Your MBTI Type?
 What’s Your Preferred Learning Style?
 What’s Your Kiersey Temperament?

39.  In essence, you probably already do
leverage this unknowingly!
◦ When you understand what kinds of
temperaments you have on your team – you can
make more informed decisions about how to
distribute tasks

40.  Remember that while this is based on
scientific research and it is NOT a Panacea
 Remember that peoples styles change and
evolve continually – don’t put people in
boxes

41.  What do you think my personality type is?
◦ ENTJ
 What do you think my preferred learning style
is?
◦ Split across the board
 What do you think my Kiersey Temperament
is?
◦ Field Marshall