LEARNING STYLES

It would be naïve to think that there is such a thing as a one size fits all style of learning and it is important for organisations to understand exactly how individuals learn and how learning styles theories can be used to optimize achievement and satisfaction within the work force (Goulding & Syed-khuzzan 2014). Descriptions of learning styles are far from scarce, with a number of variations within the literature and numerous models and explanations at hand. We all learn in different ways, the most recognised being visual, auditory or kinaesthetic. A learning style can be defined as an individuals preferred way of learning. The majority of the literature surrounding learning styles is embedded in education and the classroom, however as a student brings the need to learn to a classroom, a new employee brings the same set of needs for learning to an organisation (Hardy, 1996). Learning styles are not fixed and more often than not individuals adopt different learning styles in different contexts. There are several different learning style models including; Kolbs, Honey and Mumford and Felder & silverman, each model has its own unique description and set of classifications of learning styles.

Why are learning styles important to you?

Learning is critical for organisations and business and it can’t be stressed enough that we don’t all learn the same way. In order for a learning environment to be effective it is important that it embraces an individuals’ characteristics and their needs in order to support the learning process and progress (Goulding & Syed- Khuzzan 2014). Learners who are actively engaged in a training or learning process are more likely to achieve success in the task at hand ( Pritchard 2014), being engaged in your own learning process gives you a sense of control which in turn promotes higher self-esteem and motivation which will have a positive influence on the outcomes.

We all know that one colleague who just “took to the job” … sheer luck or a match between a learning environment and learning styles?