Learning Preferences

Are you an active learner?

Do you learn best by “doing” something with knowledge, such as applying it, discussing it, explaining it? Do you prefer to work in groups or teams? Do you like to “talk out” your ideas with other people? Do you prefer a wide variety of class activities? Do you like to respond immediately to challenges in class? Active learners like it when the instructor steps aside and allows the students to “get their hands dirty”.

Are you a reflective learner?

Do you learn best by thinking things through yourself? Do you like to privately practice until you do something well, before showing others? Do you like to take time to come up with a coherent response? Do you prefer to observe before trying something yourself? Do you prefer to volunteer answers rather than be called upon by the instructor? Do you need to study privately and uninterrupted? Reflective learners like it when the instructor provides more detail and examples to help students process the information more deeply.

Everyone is active and reflective some of the time. This factor correlates well with the E/I dichotomy. Generally speaking, Extraverts tend to be more active learners and Introverts tend to be more reflective learners. Learning is simply about taking time to process information in the way that helps you remember it better. Whether you are active or reflective, think about how to balance the two types of learning inside and outside of class in order to take every opportunity to process the information more deeply.

Be Better at Active Learning:

Most classrooms do not allow much time for discussion or problem-solving activities. Compensate for this by doing group study outside of class. Put together a study group. Make a list of topics to discuss/explain to each other. Test/quiz each other on the material. Think of ways to apply the information you are learning in practical ways.

Be Better at Reflective Learning:

Most classrooms do not give you much time to really process information deeply. Compensate for this by reading/skimming the materials before you go to class in order to free up more mental energy for processing information during class. Listening to the information again in class will reinforce it and push it deeper into your mind. Outside of class, make your note-taking and reviewing system more efficient.

Note-taking & Reviewing:

Note-taking and reviewing are the two most important skills for every student to learn! Take notes during class and as you read textbooks. Now here’s the hard part: Find your own way to organize those notes after class ASAP. Write little summaries of what you did in each lesson. Write little summaries of the sections/chapters that you read in books. Use titles, headers, and dates to keep your notes in order and keep them bound together for easy access. Although this process of organization takes time, it will SAVE you time in the long run because: 1) this forces you to process the information into a structure that is meaningful to you which helps you remember it better, and 2) this gives you a ready-to-go package of review materials for exam preparation. Review your notes periodically/systematically throughout the semester and, when exam time comes, there is no need to flip open that textbook again except to clarify trouble spots, thus saving you a lot of time that would otherwise be spent cramming. (I know students who have mastered this process to the point where they prefer to go see a movie on the night before exams!)

Reading/Listening Critically:

If you have trouble picking out the key points when listening to the instructor or reading the textbook, take some time to learn reading.htm" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="text-primary hover:underline font-medium">how to read critically. Additionally, learn about map" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="text-primary hover:underline font-medium">argumentation or critical reasoning, which teaches you how to identify and evaluate arguments and conclusions. This will help you pick out the most important points when learning, and it also helps you to write in a more logical and coherent manner.

Try to process information in as many ways as you can:

ISFJ / ISTJ / ESFJ / ESTJ / ENTJ / ENFJ:

Don’t rely too much on memorization or follow procedures blindly. Engage more with the material, especially thinking about how it can be applied to other situations. Think of some possible questions or problems as you learn. Read/skim the material before you go to class so that you feel more prepared and this frees up your energy for participating and analyzing ideas in class. Find people you can work well with and study together so you can expose yourself to other perspectives that you would not think of on your own.

ESTP / ESFP / ENFP / ENTP:

You tend to be quick and active which means you might struggle with sitting down and working patiently on your own. When you study, pick a quiet place and REMOVE ALL DISTRACTIONS. Try to study in the same place every time as the familiarity of the environment can help your memory. Schedule your study blocks so that they don’t interfere with other activities and include frequent small breaks (e.g. 15 minutes for every hour of study). You don’t tend to absorb material very deeply, so you need to focus better on details and impose more structure on yourself.

INFJ / INTJ / INTP / INFP:

Participate in class. You usually have good ideas so share them. Also, do not overlook the advantages of doing group study outside of class. You tend to like working alone but testing/quizzing each other in a group can help you memorize those tedious facts, figures, dates, and details that you are probably not that great with. Also the socializing component can be beneficial for your mental health. In terms of brain functioning, socializing adds an emotional component to information that helps solidify it in memory.

ISTP / ISFP:

You are special because you tend to be reflective learners but enjoy hands-on activities. On one hand, you can get bored in class if you feel uninvolved. On the other hand, you can get overwhelmed if the class is too socially active or moves too quickly. Try your best to find the right balance. If you feel bored, stretch yourself and think about how to apply the concepts in practical ways. Look for questions or problems as you learn. If you feel overwhelmed by class activity, sit back and observe until you feel more confident jumping in. Whatever happens, don’t just withdraw or give up or write off the class as being pointless/useless, rather, come up with strategies to deal with whatever problems you’re having.

Are you mainly a visual learner?

Do you like watching things like films or demonstrations? Do you like interpreting charts and graphs? Visual learners like to SEE how information should be organized. They find it difficult to pick out the main points of a lecture just through listening.

Are you mainly a verbal learner?

Do you prefer textual and/or spoken instruction? Do you like to write things out in order to remember better? Verbal learners generally find it easier to absorb a lecture and pick out the key points without any visual aids. They generally do not mind reading large blocks of text.

Since our cultural media is heavily skewed toward visual stimulation, most people respond well to it. Roughly speaking, Sensors tend to prefer visual learning while Intuitives prefer verbal learning. Ideally, knowledge should be presented both visually and verbally for maximal affect, which means that everyone does better with the right combination of both modes of presentation. In terms of memory, you should try to form as many neural pathways to a piece of information as you can so that when one pathway fails, another one can be accessed. Utilize both visual and verbal learning to enhance your memory performance:

Use Visual Learning to Your Advantage:

Visual learning aids can be especially useful for intuitive types who have difficulty memorizing little facts or details. When you organize your notes (as mentioned in part 1), add some visual cues into your system to form another neural pathway to the information. For instance, you can use: color coding, diagrams, mind/concept maps, flow charts, graphs, bullet points, slides, flash cards, etc. Organize the information into “bite sized” chunks that are easy to digest. You can put together a “cheat sheet” with all the key points/facts for easy reference or use flash cards to test/quiz yourself. Review these notes regularly over a longer period of time to strengthen your memory.

Use Verbal Learning to Your Advantage:

If you have trouble with verbal learning, be sure to read/skim materials before going to class. Look at the table of contents, titles, headers, graphs, summaries, questions, etc., to understand the major points and see how the information is organized or structured by the author. This is especially useful if your instructor tends to lecture without visual aids. By preparing for class, you will already have a mental outline of the information and it will be easier to pick out the important points while you listen. As mentioned in part 1, organize your notes by writing little summaries (in bullet points if you like) of what you have learned in class or read in books, but write the summaries IN YOUR OWN WORDS. This forces you to digest, synthesize, and organize information on your own with minimal outside help. This can be especially useful for building the skills you need for essay type exams where you must quickly verbalize your thoughts in a fluent and coherent manner. You can review these “bite sized” summaries periodically to help you remember the key concepts better. Look at the end of textbook chapters for “questions to think about/discuss” and write out your answers to them. This gives you a chance to learn how to apply the concepts. Being able to apply concepts is an important part of learning at a higher level (as opposed to just memorizing and regurgitating ideas or facts). If you enjoy verbal learning, search the library or internet for audio lessons or presentations to listen to. The internet is flush with podcasts, audiobooks, video lectures, etc. This can also help expand your knowledge beyond what is presented in class or the textbook.

Are you a sequential learner?

Do you like instructors to follow logically structured lesson plans? Do you like for deadlines and benchmarks for marking progress to be clearly outlined? Do you like to systematically build on previous knowledge in a stepwise manner? Do you like instructors to stay on topic? Sequential learners can do something with bits of information (like finish homework) even if they do not fully understand everything. They can follow steps and procedures without needing to know where they lead.

Are you a holistic learner?

Do you like to know how various topics or concepts are interrelated? Do you like to know the purpose of learning a particular concept? Do you like when instructors are willing to take time to explore tangents or interesting possibilities or different interpretations? Holistic learners can feel lost amidst boring details and get increasingly frustrated until they grasp the larger framework/structure of the subject. Oftentimes they will absorb information in a nonlinear way for awhile and then have an “aha!” or “eureka!” moment of insight when everything gels together.

Generally speaking:

• • SJs are most likely to be sequential learners
• • ISTP / ESTP / ENTJ / INTJ / ENFJ: tend to be sequential learners
• • INFJ / INFP / INTP / ISFP / ESFP / ENFP / ENTP: tend to be holistic learners

Use Sequential Learning to Your Advantage:

If you find that the instructor or lesson plan skips around too much or skips over important steps, then you need to compensate by filling in the gaps yourself. You can ask the instructor to find out how two lessons/topics logically follow each other. Or you can consult the textbook or other references. For instance, have a look at the table of contents or headers to see how the information flows logically from one chapter or section to another. Ask yourself how the present lesson/topic is connected to what you just learned previously; how does one build upon the other? There are many ways to structure information logically and sequentially. For example: beginning-middle-end, cause-effect, hypothesis-method-test-result, lower level-higher level, step-by-step, particular-general, general-particular, parts-whole, etc. Understanding the logical sequence of information means that you can avoid gaps in knowledge that make it harder for you to apply knowledge in real life situations.

Use Holistic Learning to Your Advantage:

If you find that the instructor tends to dive into details without enough “big picture” structure , try to find the bigger picture in other ways. Consult the textbook’s table of contents to see the overall order of the information and how each chapter or section is related to the rest. Skim/review materials before you go to class so that you can use the outline in your mind to follow what the instructor is doing. When you study, devote a large block of time to just one subject instead of jumping between several subjects/ideas so that you can immerse yourself in the subject to get a deeper understanding of the interrelatedness of the concepts. Ask yourself what the larger purpose of the information is. In other words, learn to make the mental connections to the bigger picture yourself whenever possible. Construct a model or mental map that connects the different aspects of the subject together (there are many apps available for this). For example, the subject of psychology can be broken up into social psyc, personality, developmental, abnormal, clinical, etc., and those can be further broken up into subfields. By constructing a systematic map you can see the larger connections of the information as well as where the individual parts separate, connect, or overlap. Doing this will force you to capture details better because you can systematize/sort them more quickly.

Are you mainly a quantitative learner?

Do you prefer focusing on facts, figures, stats, formulas, dates, details? Do you prefer learning well-established rules, laws, methods, or procedures that give you straightforward results? Do you dislike complications or exceptions? Do you dislike being tested on material that was not explicitly covered by the instructor/textbook? Are you generally good at hands-on procedural work? Do you like routine calculations or formulaic procedures? Do you dislike information that seems “useless” or disconnected from real life?

Are you mainly a qualitative learner?

Do you prefer exploring ideas and possibilities in depth? Do you dislike repetitive or formulaic tasks? Do you feel excited by new concepts that challenge what you already know? Do you like instructors to push you to think more critically and come up with original solutions or creative interpretations?

Anyone can use both strategies depending on the situation but one style of learning probably appeals to you more or comes more naturally for you. This factor is only very loosely correlated with MBTI. Generally speaking, Sensors and Thinkers tend to prefer quantitative learning whereas Intuitives and Feelers tend to prefer qualitative learning. Mathematics and sciences favor quantitative learning whereas social sciences and humanities feature more qualitative learning. Of course, different types of problems require different approaches and both approaches provide valuable data in their own way. Some key differences between quantitative vs. qualitative learning:

Quantitative learning:

• • seeks out explanatory laws
• • measures and quantifies, in hopes of developing universal laws
• • generates reliable population-based and generalizable data that is suited to establishing cause-and-effect relationships

Qualitative learning:

• • aims more at in-depth description
• • explores what is assumed to be a dynamic reality
• • does not claim that what is discovered is universal or replicable
• • produces rich, detailed and valid process data that contributes to deeper understanding

Try to maintain some balance in your learning style by understanding that there are strengths and weaknesses in both approaches:

If you are easily bored with memorization or formulaic work, try to figure out the “theory” that binds those little details together. Find the connections yourself through research or ask the instructor for some leads. When you need to do quantitative or detail-oriented work on an exam, get enough sleep, focus, and SLOW DOWN. Pace yourself well. Read instructions carefully and completely to make sure you know exactly what to do. If you have time, check over your work thoroughly before turning it in. Make sure you know exactly what standards or criteria the instructor is using to evaluate your success or failure. Follow the instructor’s advice about how to do well in their class because that is a direct indication of how they will measure your performance. Do not downplay the importance of quantitative learning. Without it, you can become careless and jump to conclusions without enough factual support. Your thought process will become unfocused or riddled with gaps and holes, leading you down blind alleys. You will try to apply knowledge to situations where it is not applicable.

If you are easily bored with theory or abstract ideas, try to understand the purpose of that theory. Without theory, it would be difficult to find new ways of doing things and solving problems. Continually ask yourself how the concepts connect to the real world. If necessary, get some ideas from the instructor or your peers regarding the practical applications of the theory. Not everything in life needs a final and indestructible answer. Sometimes a lot of useful knowledge can be gained in the process of discovering a possible answer. Try to have discussions with others about the ideas so that you can see other ways of interpreting them, play around with ideas. Do not rely too much on memorization, familiar methods, or procedural work because your thinking will become rigid and narrow. You will have difficulty being creative and understanding subjects in depth. You will be unable to apply knowledge outside of class or in different contexts. You will become too inflexible in terms of what you accept as “useful” or “relevant” data.

Are you more analytically-minded?

Do you like to see data in term of object interaction and cause-effect? Do you prefer collecting data, analyzing data, and figuring out how things work? Do you prefer to engage in logical thinking based on concrete data? Analytical thinkers believe that there is an objective reality outside of themselves and they try to remove any personal factors from how they see the world. They tend to prefer direct negative criticism over positive feedback because it is more valuable for solving problems and making improvements.

Are you more interpersonally-minded?

Do you like to see data in terms of how it stems from and impacts human perspective? Do you prefer instruction that has a sensory, kinesthetic, humanistic, or personal component? Do you like to listen to others express ideas and collect a diverse set of opinions? Do you look for personal meaning in knowledge? Do you enjoy knowledge that comes from group interaction? Interpersonal thinkers believe that human perception places limits on what we can actually know about the world, so we should always take it into account whenever possible. They tend to learn best in a socially supportive environment and prefer positive reinforcement or encouraging feedback that emphasizes how people could be better.

A cognitive framework refers to the interpretive system through which you process information and make sense of experiences. Some people filter information impersonally while others filter information through an awareness of human perception/perspective. Both frameworks have their value depending on the situation. This factors correlates well with the T/F dichotomy: Thinkers interpret things impersonally and Feelers interpret things interpersonally or sometimes intrapersonally. It is not good to lean too heavily towards one side and overlook/dismiss the other because then you only understand “half” of reality. It would be like seeing with only one eye where you cannot achieve the proper depth and breadth of vision. Compensate for the shortcoming of your natural preference by trying to stretch your thinking to the other side whenever possible.

Use Analytical Thinking to Your Advantage:

While studying human related factors is interesting, there is great value in being able to analyze and quantify things. It can help you clarify ambiguity and find out if certain factors are statistically significant in the grander scheme of things. Analytical thinking can also help to clarify various sides of an issue or problem, which can lead to better policies, interventions, or solutions. For instance, think about enacting government policies that would tackle poverty or inequality. Would it not be important to systematically research the most effective practices before pouring money into the project? How would you go about that research? Good analytical thinking can fill in those crucial gaps. Work on improving your critical thinking skills (there are many resources about this on the internet).

Use Interpersonal Thinking to Your Advantage:

Try to understand how knowledge affects humans or society. Does it have some tangible benefit for people? Does it have a positive or detrimental effect on society? How do humans fit into the equation? For instance, think about how some scientists or intellectuals are passionate about educating the general public about science, space, or technology. Why would it be important to do that? You can also think about how the limitations of human perception affect the knowledge that can be learned? Do you think pure objectivity is possible? Do you think scientific study can be biased? For instance, more medical studies are done on white males, why would that be a problem? Work on improving your understanding of human behavior and how it affects systems by learning something from the humanities or social sciences to supplement your technical/scientific knowledge.