SELF- ASSESSMENT
Self-Assessment:
Determining Your Learning Style
People
differ a great deal in how they learn. Some people learn better with hands-on
activities. Others learn best when they work alone. Responding to the quiz below
will help you identify your predominate learning style, which, in turn can help
you learn more efficiently.
Directions:
Each question below provides two choices. Select the choice that best describes
you. (If neither describes you, chose the option that is closer to your
preference.)
Part
One:
_____a__1. I would prefer to follow a set of
a.
oral directions
b.
written directions
____a___2.
I would prefer
to
a.
attend a lecture given by a famous psychologist
b.
read an article written by the psychologist
____b__3.
When I am introduced to someone, it
is easier for me to remember a person’s
a.
name
b.
face
__a&b_4.
I find it easier to learn new information
using
a.
language (words)
b.
pictures (pictures)
____a___5.
I prefer classes in which the
instructor
a.
lectures and answers questions
b.
uses films and videos
__a
or b__6. To follow current events, I
prefer to
a.
listen to the news or radio
b.
read the newspaper
__b_____7.
To learn how to operate a fax machine
I would prefer to
a.
listen to a friend’s explanation
b.
watch a demonstration
Part
Two:
___a&b____8.
I prefer to
a.
work with facts and details
b.
construct theories and ideas
_____a__9.
I would prefer a job that
involved
a.
following specific instructions
b.
reading, writing, analyzing
_____a10.
I prefer to
a.
solve math problems using a formula
b.
discover why a formula works
____b___11.
I would prefer to write a term paper
explaining
a.
how a process works
b.
a theory
_____a__12.
I prefer task that require me
to
a.
follow careful, detailed instructions
b.
use reasoning and critical analysis
___a&b_13.
For a criminal justice course, I would prefer
to
a.
discover how and when a law can be used
b.
learn how and why it became law
___a____14.
To learn more about the operation of a high-speed
computer printer, I would prefer to
a.
work with several types of printers
b.
understand the principles on which it operates
Part
Three
____b___
15. To solve a math problem, I would prefer
to
a.
draw or visualize the problem
b.
study a sample problem and use it as a model
____b___16.
To remember something best,
I
a.
draw or visualize the problem
b.
study a sample problem and use it as a model
____a___17.
Assembling a bicycle from a diagram
would be
a.
easy
b.
challenging
____b___18.
I prefer classes in which
I
a.
handle equipment or work with models
b.
participate in class discussion
____b___19.
To understand and remember how a
machine works, I would
a.
draw a diagram
b.
write notes
____a&b___20.
I enjoy
a.
drawing or working with my hands
b.
speaking, writing, and listening
____a___21.
If I were trying to locate an office
on an unfamiliar university campus, I would prefer
a.
a map
b.
a set of directions
Part
Four
___b____22.
For a grade in biology lab, I would prefer
to
a.
work with a lab partner
b.
work alone
____b___23.
When faced with a difficult personal
problem, I prefer to
a.
discuss it with others
b.
resolve it myself
____a___24.
Many instructors could include their
classes by
a.
including more discussion and group activities
b.
allowing student to work on their own more
frequently
____a___25.
When listening to a lecture or speaker, I
respond more to
a.
the person presenting the ideas
b.
the ideas themselves
____b___26.
When on a team project, I prefer
to
a.
work with several team members
b. divide up tasks and complete those assigned to
me
____b___27.
I prefer to shop and do
errands
a. with friends
b. by myself
____a___28.
A job in a busy office
is
a.
more appealing than working alone
b.
less appealing than working alone
Part
Five
___a____29.
To make decisions, I rely
on
a.
my experiences and gut feelings
b.
facts and objective data
___a____30.
To complete a task,
I
a.
can use whatever is available to get the job done.
b.
must have everything I need at hand
___a&b____31.
I prefer to express my ideas and
feelings through
a.
music, song, or poetry
b.
direct, concise language
_____b__32.
I prefer instructors
who
a.
allow students to be guided by their own interests
b.
make their expectations clear and explicitly
____a___33.
I tend to
a.
challenge and question what I hear and read
b.
accept what I hear and read
____b___34.
I prefer
a.
essay exams
b.
objective exams
____b___35.
In completing an assignment, I prefer
to
a.
figure out my own approach
b.
be told exactly what to do
Scoring:
To
score your questionnaire, record the total number of times you selected choice
“a” and the total number of times you selected choice “b” for each part of the
questionnaire. Record your totals in the scoring grid
below.
Scoring
Grid
Part Total
# of Choice
a Total # of Choice
b
Part
One
_____5_____________
_____5__________
Auditory Visual
Part
Two
______ 3
_________ _____3____________
Applied
Conceptual
Part
Three
______3____________
______5___________
Spatial
Verbal
Part
Four ______3____________
_____4____________
Social
Independent
Part
Five
_____4_____________
____4_____________
Creative
Pragmatic
Interpreting
Your Scores
This
questionnaire was divided into five parts; each part identifies one aspect of
your learning style. These fives aspects are explained
below.
Part
One: Auditory or Visual Learner
This
score indicates the sensory mode you prefer when processing information.
Auditory learners tend to learn more effectively through listening, whereas
visual learners process information by seeing it in print or other visual mode
including films, pictures, or diagrams. If you have a higher score in the
auditory than visual, you tend to be an auditory learner. That is you tend to
learning easily be hearing than by reading. A higher score in visual suggests
strengths with visual modes of learning.
Part
Two: Applied or Conceptual Learner
This
score describes the types of learning tasks and learning situations you prefer
and find easiest to handle. If you are an applied learner, you prefer tasks that
involve real objects and situations. Practical, real-life learning situation are
ideal for you. If you are a conceptual learner, you prefer to work with language
and ideas; practical applications are not necessary for
understanding.
Part
Three: Spatial or Verbal Learners
This
score reveals your ability to work with spatial relationships. Spatial learners
are able to visualize, or mentally see, how things work or how they are
positioned in space. Their strengths may include drawing, assembling things, or
repairing. Verbal learner lacks skills in positioning things in space. Instead,
they tend to rely on verbal or language skills.
Part
Four: Social or Independent Learners
This
score reveals your preferred level or interaction with other people in the
learning process. If you are a social learner, you prefer to work with
others—both peers and instructors—closely and directly. You tend to be
people-oriented and to enjoy personal interaction. If you are an independent
learner, you prefer to work and study alone. You tend to be self-directed or
self-motivated and often are goal-oriented.
Part
Five: Creative or Pragmatic Learners
This
core describes the approach you prefer to take toward learning tasks. Creative
learners are imaginative and innovative. They prefer to learn through discovery
or experimentation. They are comfortable taking risks and following hunches.
Pragmatic learners are practical, logical, and systematic. They seek order and
are comfortable following rules.
Source: College Reading and Study
Skills, Ninth Edition by Kathleen McWhorter. Longman Publishers, New York:
2004.