How Adults Learn - Learning Styles

This is the first of three posts in which we look at the theme of Adult Learning. This is significant because the church itself is a place of learning whether this be Sunday mornings, bible studies or an Alpha course.  If the posts have an over-arching aim it is to explore ways in which faith can be developed through adult learning.  This will involve introducing you to the theory of adult learning and enhancing your skills in the development and delivery of this experience in the church context.  For a moment of light relief I invite you to watch this clip from Mr Bean which highlights what can happen when adults are not helped to engage with the learning process!

What made this a negative learning experience for Mr Bean?

David Kolb

Accessed at https://twitter.com/davkolb

In the 1970’s David Kolb developed the Experiential Learning Cycle. He suggested that there were 4 distinct stages in the learning process and that each individual has a preference for a particular style of learning. The significance of Kolb’s work is that he emphasised that learning and change result from the integration of emotional experiences with cognitive processes.  See the diagram below which illustrates Kolb’s depiction of the learning process.

Kolb named the 4 learning styles:  converger, diverger, assimilator and accommodator.  Peter Honey and Alan Mumford developed a similar description of learning styles. They described the four basic styles as activist, theorist, reflector and pragmatist. These learning theories have significant implications for the design and methodology of teaching. Additional materials used during the seminar in CITI will help you not only identify your own particular learning style but suggest ways in which you may vary your teaching approach so that it engages with as wide a variety of learning styles as possible.

 

The Activist Learning Style

 A person with a preference for the activist learning style will learn best from activities and experiences in which:

• There is a challenge
• There are new experiences / problems / opportunities
• They get closely involved with experiential activities
• There is an element of drama / excitement/ crisis
• There is a wide range of activities to get involved with
• They get a good deal of attention focussed on their role in the learning
• There is freedom to generate ideas without them being shaped by external constraints
• They get thrown in at the deep end with a difficult task and limited or inadequate resources
• The learning involves working with others in a team where ideas can be bounced around.

The activist may have trouble where:

• Learning involves a passive role, listening to lectures, watching without being able to participate
• They are asked to stand back and not be involved
• They are expected to assimilate, analyse or interpret detailed data
• They have to work on their own
• They asked to assess beforehand what they hope to learn and evaluate what they have learnt afterwards
• They are expected to understand theoretical statements
• They are expected to perform the same activity over and over again
• They are expected to give close attention to minor details

The Reflector Learning Style

People who prefer to learn by reflection will be most at ease in situations where:

• They are observing
• They have time to think and prepare before acting
• Painstaking research is possible
• There is an opportunity to review and evaluate what is being learnt
• They are asked to produce a careful, analytical response to an activity
• Exchange of views takes place within a well structured situation which minimises the risk of personal disagreement or confrontation
• There is time to reach a decision without deadlines

Reflectors are less likely to learn well where:

• They are forced into the limelight
• Expected to act without planning
• They are asked for off the cuff ideas
• There is insufficient data on which to base a conclusion
• They are given inflexible instructions about how things should be done
• They are under pressure of time
• It is necessary to take short cuts

The Theorist Learning Style

 

The person with a preference for a theorist learning style will learn best from activities in which:

• The theoretical basis is clear
• There is a methodical exploration of the links between ideas, events and situations
• They are intellectually stretched
• There is a clear structure and purpose
• Ideas and concepts emphasise logic and rationality, are elegantly expressed and supported by water tight arguments
• They can analyse and then generalise the reasons for success or failure
• There are interesting ideas on offer
• Participation in and understanding of complex situations is required

The theorist may experience difficulty where:

• The context or purpose is unclear
• There is an emphasis on emotions or feelings
• Activities are unstructured and open ended
• Decisions are taken without a contextual basis being established
• Doubt exists about the methodological soundness of data
• There is little opportunity for an in depth exploration of the subject
• There is a high proportion of activist participants.

The Pragmatist Learning Style

 

A person who prefers the pragmatist learning style will learn most effectively when:

• There is an obvious link between the subject matter and some practical aspect of the work
• The learning emphasises advantages techniques of performance
• There is someone who can offer coaching as they try out and practice new techniques
• They are presented with a model for emulation
• They are taught techniques which are relevant to their work
• There is an immediate opportunity to practice what is being learnt
• They feel they are grappling with real problems
• They can concentrate on the action plan

Pragmatist learners will learn less well in situations where:

• They cannot see the point in what they are learning
• The teacher seems to be remote from reality
• There is no opportunity to practice anything
• The learning seems to be going round in circles
• There are barriers to implementing what is being learnt
• The learning activity does not have an adequate reward

Do you recognize yourself in any of these depictions of learning styles?  Here is a further pointer which may help you identify your own learning style. Consider the question, ‘How would I learn to ski?’ 

The Activist might do so by going out onto the slopes and just going for it, they  learn through trial and error.

The Pragmatist will take lessons from the Professional but their first question will be ‘Does this work, is this worth it?’

The Reflector would watch the Professional until he/she felt confident about trying themselves.

The Theorist will teach him / herself from a book which begins by examining the effect of the face of the ski on the snow.

Honey and Mumford’s theory is not just important in terms of self-awareness. It is also significant when we come to teach. They pointed out that not only will we have a preferred learning style but that it is also the one we are most comfortable with when teaching others. We tend to think of our own experience as normative and so imagine that we are being most helpful when we draw from it, however, what helped us may not be the best or only way for others.

In her book, Learning for Life, Yvonne Craig gives a helpful table outlining possible activities which suit the different learning styles

Activists tend to like: Role play Simulation games Competitive team games Drama Sculpting Buzz groups Workshops Brainstorming Projects visits	Reflectors tend to like: Good briefing Discussions Debates Panels of experts Group interviews Film Video Libraries One-to-one work with a tutor
Theorists tend to like: Lectures A guided reading list Programmed learning Tutorials Supervision Sermons seminars	Pragmatists tend to like: Case studies Demonstrations On-the-job training Meeting the expert Workshops Instruction Training seminars Problem-solving

How many of these ideas and activities have you employed in your own experience of teaching?

This post ends with the instructions you will be given during the CITI seminar next month.  Think about how the material covered in this post might relate to the task you have been allotted.

Adult Learning Seminar

Identify your main learning style using the Honey and Mumford questionnaire. In groups plan a Bible study session which takes account of different learning styles. Your group will choose the passage and the goal will be to make it as accessible  as possible for every learner.