Process - Top Tips - Learning Styles

Learning Styles

This document is designed as a quick reference guide to learning styles.

This will enable you to gain knowledge of a particular skill, task or process.

Have a look means you can quickly find the key information that you need and refer to it on an ongoing basis whenever you need to refresh your knowledge.

Introduction

When we need/want to learn something new we all approach this in a different way. Out of all of the possible approaches we could take no one way is better than another in terms of what we learn as we all have to do what works best for us. This is because everyone has a preferred learning style.

What you need to know…

The learning process has four stages that we each go through whenever we learn something new.

We have a go at doing a particular task or activity and then reflect on the experience to identify what we have learned. The next stage is to consider what could be done differently next time we have a go and then at the fourth stage we try out those different ways of doing the task / activity and go through the stages again.

This learning is continual and therefore is presented in the form of a cycle as shown below.

As we go through this learning process it has been argued that we have a tendency to prefer one of the stages over the others, this is our preferred learning style.

Process - Top Tips - Learning Styles

Learning Styles

This document is designed as a quick reference guide to learning styles.

This will enable you to gain knowledge of a particular skill, task or process.

Have a look means you can quickly find the key information that you need and refer to it on an ongoing basis whenever you need to refresh your knowledge.

Introduction

When we need/want to learn something new we all approach this in a different way. Out of all of the possible approaches we could take no one way is better than another in terms of what we learn as we all have to do what works best for us. This is because everyone has a preferred learning style.

What you need to know…

The learning process has four stages that we each go through whenever we learn something new.

We have a go at doing a particular task or activity and then reflect on the experience to identify what we have learned. The next stage is to consider what could be done differently next time we have a go and then at the fourth stage we try out those different ways of doing the task / activity and go through the stages again.

This learning is continual and therefore is presented in the form of a cycle as shown below.

As we go through this learning process it has been argued that we have a tendency to prefer one of the stages over the others, this is our preferred learning style.

Process - Top Tips - Learning Styles

Learning Styles

Development Activities

There are many activities you can undertake, all of which will help you in some way. Knowing your preferred learning style and the results that you want to achieve will support you in identifying the best development activities to use in each situation.

To get lots of information, you could:

● Use ‘Top Tips…’ training materials

● Read a book, brochure or magazine, trade press, libraries,

● Watch a video or DVD

● Listen to an audio tape or CD

● Use a CD-ROM

● Access the internet

Working with other people in the business:

● Use ‘development challenge’ and ‘self-coaching’ materials

● Manage a project

● Role play a situation

● Buddy up with an ‘expert’ in the field you want to learn about

● Attend a coaching session with your line manager or a colleague

● Take on new responsibilities

You could:

● Visit other stores, a distribution centre or competitors

● Assist on a project e.g. a refit

● Spend time with a field manager

Further Information

If you would like to learn more about learning styles, the following resources are recommended:

● Learning styles self-check