Could your learning style affect

your work performance?

Capital Voc. Consulting is interested in raising awareness on issues that affect career development and professional success.  We believe that we ALL should learn tools that can improve our odds to excel at whatever it is that we want to achieve. 

 

In 1987, Neil Fleming, an university teacher in New Zealand, developed an inventory designed to help students and others learn more about their learning preferences, the VAK model (Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic).  At a later date, he added a 4th element to his learning style theory R (reading and writing).

 

In Fleming's model, learners are identified according to their learning preference:

 

  • Visual Learning (pictures, movies, diagrams)
  • Auditory learning (music, discussion, lectures)
  • Kinesthetic learning (movement, experiments, hands-on activities)
  • Reading and writing (making lists, reading textbooks, taking notes)

 

Taking the time to understand your natural learning preference will not only help you excel in your studies, but it can make a great difference in your work performance.  A career requires constant learning and progression; effectively learning new work processes is a natural part of career ladders.

 

According to Jason Womack, a work place performance expert, and author of Your Best Just Got Better, Visual people need to see and draw things- and might say, "I see what you are saying."  Auditory Individuals need to hear it and say it-they might say, " I hear what you are saying." And Kinesthetic people create models, print decks, and draw on charts or whiteboards."  following by "that makes sense to me."

 

Have you ever looked around the room during a company meeting?  Who is taking notes?, Who is asking questions to clarify process?, Who is asking for examples or practical exercises?   These simple actions are clear indicators of our learning preferences.

Have you experienced difficulties learning a new task that appears rather simple?

 

The intrinsic way your brain prefers to learn is directly related to the speed and success you will have while learning new skills and abilities in your life time.  Some how, our systems are pre-programed with different learning preferences.

 

If we make reference to Fleming's learning preference theory and pretend that your job setting is a classroom, you can see how your learning preference could directly affect your performance (At least, it is our belief)

 

Benefits of understanding your preferred learning style:

 

1. Learn new tasks in a shorter period of time. By using tools that apply to your learning preference, your brain could master and learn new task easier.

 

2. Improve communication with work peers.  Understanding the learning preferences of work peers will help you select the way to deliver new information or provide training with less room for misinterpretation.

3. Make less mistakes on your work processes.  Utilize cues and reminders that best fit your learning style. 

 

There are several free online learning assessments available.  It only takes a few minutes to learn something that can help you a lifetime.

 

Here is a link you can visit to identify your Preferred Learning Style:

http://www.vark-learn.com 

 

Written by: Veriuska Corso, BS, CDMS, CDF- Vocational Consultant and Career Planner. 

 

All Rights reserved. Capital Voc Consulting 2103

 

Sources:

1. VARK Learning Styles, Fleming's Biography  http://vark-learn.com

2. Central Piedmont Community College-Academic Learning Center/www.cpcc.edu/academic_learning.

3. Learning Styles and Workplace  Your Best Just Got Better: Work Smarter, Think Bigger, Make More- Jackson Womack.

4. Learning Styles and Self-Regulated learning strategies http://ascilite.org.au/conferences/hobart11/downloads/papers/Alharbi-full.pdf

5. Coping with Diversity: The VARK inventory, Nail D. Fleming  http://www.sportbop.co.nz/vdb/document/205 

6. Perceptual preferences in learning among teacher education students in practical-aesthetical subjects, Christer Stensmo (2006)

 

 

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