Psychologists also classify the types of learning we do. Read the following summary of four types of learning and answer the following:

a) Which one of these types of learning will be most important in RTCs and why?

b) Give two more examples of each of these types of learning from your own experience.

We may learn:

1. Knowledge. This means the facts about something e.g. the names of the main categories of food; the names of the parts of an outboard motor.

2. Understanding. This means relating the facts together and being able to explain something in your own words e.g. how the main types of food are useful and how you can combine them together to give a balanced diet; the principles on which an outboard motor engine works, such as the combustion of petrol etc.

3. Skills. This is the ability to do something e.g. to operate a sewing machine; to cook the food for a balanced meal; or to change the spark plugs in an outboard motor.

4. Attitudes. This means forming opinions about what is good and bad or what actions we should take. Your students may learn knowledge about the best types of food for young babies, and they may understand why these foods are good but they learn an attitude when they decide to go back to the village and improve the diet for young babies. Mechanics learn attitudes when they think about the need to conserve fuel by not using outboard motors all the time, or the need to prevent pollution by not cleaning the engine in a running stream.

Another way of classifying types of learning is to join knowledge and understanding together because they both use the brain.

Practical skills usually make use of the body to do things.

Attitudes are to do with feelings which we often say come from the heart.

The diagram on the next page shows this.

Psychologists have put forward many ideas about the ways people learn. They cannot agree on these and are still arguing about them. Read the passages below summarising four of the ways they have suggested are important, and then answer the questions.

1. Learning in small stages. Some say that people learn best if we break down what is to be learnt into small stages and we learn each one in turn. They say that if we do an action or reply to a question, and we are rewarded by being told that it is correct, or by being praised or getting something we need, we will learn to repeat the action or the reply again. Slowly and in stages we build one action on another, or one reply on another, until we understand the whole process.

For instance, in learning to type, we usually learn three or four letters at a time and gradually increase the number until we know all the letters on the keyboard. We build our learning step by step, and are rewarded when we see the correct letters appearing on the page.

2. Learning in wholes. Others say it is better to start with the whole process, so that we get an insight into what we are going to learn before we break it down into smaller stages e.g. you should understand what digestion is and its function in humans and animals before you look at the parts of the digestive system of a cow. As people learn, they automatically relate what they are learning to what they already know, so the students will automatically relate the digestive system of the cow to their general understanding of what digestion is.

An example of a skill learnt as a whole would be learning to ride a bicycle. You have to get on a bicycle and try to ride and, after a few occasions when you fall off, you will suddenly balance and can ride. You gain a sudden ‘insight’ into how to do it, just as you suddenly understand something you have been struggling hard to understand. You cannot learn to ride by practicing the pedals first, then the steering and then the brakes: you have to learn all together.

 

We should also remember that different people learn in different ways. Some people have suggested there are four different styles of learning.

1. Activists are people who like to experiment and ‘have a go’ at something, even if they make a mistake. They are good at throwing out ideas or ‘brainstorming’ and may volunteer to be the first to try a new skill or idea. They like to experiment with new ideas and may be very creative.

2. Reflectors like to think about what they do before they do it. They do not like to take risks and like to be sure they are not making mistakes. They like to follow where others lead rather than taking the lead.

3. Theorists like to understand something in a clear and logical way. They are more interested in the theory behind something than in putting it into practice. They like to understand the whole idea before looking at its parts.

4. Pragmatists like to put into practice what they learn and are less interested in the theory. They like to work something out stage by stage by actually doing it.

After reading this, answer the following:

1. Suggest which of these styles of learning fit best with each of the ways of learning in the previous section.

2. Which styles of learning do you think are most common in Solomon Islands?

3. Observe some lessons at St Dominic’s and try to spot students who have each of these styles of learning.

4. If different people have different styles of learning, what does that suggest about the way we should teach?

The following questionnaire helps you to decide what learning style you usually follow.

Put a tick against any statement you agree with, and a cross against statements you disagree with.

When you have finished, circle all the numbers on the totals sheet that you ticked in the questionnaire. Add up the total of circled numbers in each column to show which learning style you most commonly use.

We all use all of these styles to some extent, so you will probably have some numbers circled in each column, but the highest shows the style you prefer.

Compare your totals to others in the class.

THE LEARNING STYLES QUESTIONNAIRE

This questionnaire has a total of 80 statements which you are asked to tick or cross to indicate whether you agree or disagree with them.

This is designed to find out which style of learning you prefer. It may help you to choose methods of learning which suit your style.

There is no time limit to the questionnaire. It may take you 15 minutes to half an hour. The result depends on how honest you are with your answers. There are no right or wrong answers. If you agree more than you disagree with a statement, put a tick by it. If you disagree more than you agree put a cross by it. Be sure to mark each line with a tick or cross. Only put a tick against a statement if you really agree with it. Try not to tick two statements saying opposite things.

1. I have strong beliefs about what is right and wrong, good and bad.

2. I often act without considering the possible consequences.

3. I tend to solve problems using a step-by-step approach.

4. I believe that too many rules and regulations restrict people.

5. I usually say what I think, simply and directly.

6. I often find that actions based on feelings are as sound as those based on careful thought and analysis.

7. I like the sort of work where I have time for thorough preparation before doing anything.

8. I regularly question people about their basic ideas.

9. What matters most is whether something works in practice.

10. I actively seek out new experiences.

11. When I hear about a new idea or approach I immediately start working out how to apply it in practice.

12. I am keen on self-discipline such as regular exercise, following a fixed routine.

13. I take pride in doing a thorough job.

14. I get on best with logical people who think carefully before doing anything.

15. I take care to think things out carefully and avoid jumping to conclusions.

16. I like to reach a decision carefully after considering many alternatives.

17. I am attracted to new, unusual ideas.

18. I don’t like disorganised things and prefer to fit things into an organised plan.

19. I accept and stick to normal procedures and policies so long as I regard them as an efficient way of getting the job done.

20. I like to use general principles to guide my actions.

21. In discussions I like to get straight to the point.

22. I tend to have distant, rather formal relationships with those at work.

23. I enjoy the challenge of doing something new and different.

24. I enjoy fun-loving people who do things just because they enjoy them.

25. I pay careful attention to detail before coming to a conclusion.

26. I find it difficult to produce ideas without thinking carefully.

27. I believe in coming to the point immediately.

28. I am careful not to jump to conclusions too quickly.

29. I prefer to have as many sources of information as possible – the more information to think over the better.

30. People who don’t take things seriously enough usually make me cross.

31. I listen to other people’s point of view before putting my own forward.

32. I tend to be open about how I’m feeling.

33. In discussions I enjoy listening to other people’s ideas.

34. I prefer to react to events as soon as they happen rather than plan things in advance.

35. I tend to be attracted to systematic techniques such as flow charts, branching diagrams, careful planning etc.

36. It worries me if I have to rush out a piece of work to meet a deadline.

37. I tend to judge people’s ideas on whether they will work in practice.

38. Quiet, thoughtful people tend to make me feel uneasy.

39. I often get annoyed with people who want to rush things.

40. It is more important to enjoy the present moment than to think about the past or future.

41. I think that decisions based on thorough analysis of all the information are sounder than those based on personal feelings only.

42. I like to do everything as well as I possibly can.

43. In discussions I usually produce lots of ideas quickly and immediately.

44. In meetings I put forward practical, realistic ideas.

45. More often than not rules are there to be broken.

46. I prefer to stand back from a situation and consider all the possible alternatives.

47. I can often see difficulties and weaknesses in other people’s arguments.

48. Usually I talk more than I listen.

49. I can often see better, more practical ways of getting things done.

50. I think written reports should be short and to the point.

51. I believe that rational logical thinking should be the most important.

52. I tend to discuss specific things with people rather than just being social.

53. I like people who approach things realistically rather than theoretically.

54. In discussions I get impatient with things which are not really to the point.

55. If I have a report to write I tend to produce lots of drafts before deciding on the final version.

56. I am keen to try things out to see if they work in practice.

57. I am keen to reach answers using a logical approach.

58. I enjoy being the one who talks a lot.

59. In discussions I often find I am the realist, keeping people to the point and avoiding crazy ideas.

60. I like to think about many alternatives before making up my mind.

61. In discussions I usually find I am thinking about the topic and not my relationship with the other people.

62. In discussions I am more likely to listen than to take the lead and do most of the talking.

63. I like to be able to relate present actions to a longer term picture.

64. When things go wrong I am happy not to worry about it and to ‘put it down to experience’.

65. I tend to reject crazy ideas as being impractical.

66. It’s best to think carefully before taking any action.

67. On balance I do the listening rather than the talking.

68. I tend to be tough on people who find it difficult to take a logical approach.

69. Most times I believe you can use any methods as long as you achieve what you are trying to do.

70. I don’t mind hurting people’s feelings as long as it gets the job done.

71. I believe that specific objectives and plans are not necessary.

72. I am usually one of the people who really enjoy things and make people laugh.

73. I do what ever is best to get the job done.

74. I quickly get bored with careful, detailed work.

75. I am keen on thinking about the basic ideas, principles and theories behind things and events.

76. I’m always interested to find out what people think.

77. I like meetings to be run on well-organised lines, sticking to laid down agenda.

78. I do not like topics which have no straight answer.

79. I enjoy the events and excitement of a crisis situation.

80. People often find that I do not consider their feelings enough.

(Adapted from Honey and Mumford, 1986)