INDEX OF LEARNING STYLES*
Barbara A. Soloman
First-Year College
North Carolina State
University
Raleigh, North Carolina 27695
Richard M.
Felder
Department of Chemical Engineering
North Carolina State
University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7905
DIRECTIONS
Circle "a" or "b" to indicate your answer to every
question. Please choose only one answer for each question.
If both "a"
and "b" seem to apply to you, choose the one that applies more frequently.
- I understand something better after I
(a) try it out.
(b) think it
through.
- I would rather be considered
(a) realistic.
(b) innovative.
- When I think about what I did yesterday, I am most likely to
get
(a) a picture.
(b) words.
- I tend to
(a) understand
details of a subject but may be fuzzy about its overall structure.
(b) understand the overall structure but may be fuzzy
about details.
- When I am learning something new, it helps me to
(a) talk about it.
(b) think about it.
- If I were a teacher, I would rather teach a course
(a) that deals with facts and real life
situations.
(b) that deals with ideas and
theories.
- I prefer to get new information in
(a) pictures, diagrams, graphs, or maps.
(b) written directions or verbal information.
- Once I understand
(a) all the
parts, I understand the whole thing.
(b) the
whole thing, I see how the parts fit.
- In a study group working on difficult material, I am more
likely to
(a) jump in and contribute
ideas.
(b) sit back and listen.
- I find it easier
(a) to learn
facts.
(b) to learn concepts.
- In a book with lots of pictures and charts, I am likely
to
(a) look over the pictures and charts
carefully.
(b) focus on the written
text.
- When I solve math problems
(a) I usually work my way to the solutions one step at a time.
(b) I often just see the solutions but then have to
struggle to figure out the steps to get to them.
- In classes I have taken
(a) I
have usually gotten to know many of the students.
(b) I have rarely gotten to know many of the students.
- In reading nonfiction, I prefer
(a) something that teaches me new facts or tells me how to do
something.
(b) something that gives me new
ideas to think about.
- I like teachers
(a) who put a
lot of diagrams on the board.
(b) who spend a
lot of time explaining.
- When I'm analyzing a story or a novel
(a) I think of the incidents and try to put them together to figure
out the themes.
(b) I just know what the themes
are when I finish reading and then I have to go back and find the incidents
that demonstrate them.
- When I start a homework problem, I am more likely to
(a) start working on the solution immediately.
(b) try to fully understand the problem first.
- I prefer the idea of
(a) certainty.
(b) theory.
- I remember best
(a) what I
see.
(b) what I hear.
- It is more important to me that an instructor
(a) lay out the material in clear sequential
steps.
(b) give me an overall picture and
relate the material to other subjects.
- I prefer to study
(a) in a
study group.
(b) alone.
- I am more likely to be considered
(a) careful about the details of my work.
(b) creative about how to do my work.
- When I get directions to a new place, I prefer
(a) a map.
(b) written
instructions.
- I learn
(a) at a fairly
regular pace. If I study hard, I'll "get it."
(b) in fits and starts. I'll be totally confused and then suddenly it all
"clicks."
- I would rather first
(a) try
things out.
(b) think about how I'm going to do
it.
- When I am reading for enjoyment, I like writers to
(a) clearly say what they mean.
(b) say things in creative, interesting ways.
- When I see a diagram or sketch in class, I am most likely to
remember
(a) the picture.
(b) what the instructor said about it.
- When considering a body of information, I am more likely
to
(a) focus on details and miss the big
picture.
(b) try to understand the big picture
before getting into the details.
- I more easily remember
(a) something I have done.
(b) something I
have thought a lot about.
- When I have to perform a task, I prefer to
(a) master one way of doing it.
(b) come up with new ways of doing it.
- When someone is showing me data, I prefer
(a) charts or graphs.
(b) text summarizing the results.
- When writing a paper, I am more likely to
(a) work on (think about or write) the beginning of
the paper and progress forward.
(b) work on
(think about or write) different parts of the paper and then order
them.
- When I have to work on a group project, I first want
to
(a) have "group brainstorming" where
everyone contributes ideas.
(b) brainstorm
individually and then come together as a group to compare ideas.
- I consider it higher praise to call someone
(a) sensible.
(b) imaginative.
- When I meet people at a party, I am more likely to
remember
(a) what they looked like.
(b) what they said about themselves.
- When I am learning a new subject, I prefer to
(a) stay focused on that subject, learning as much
about it as I can.
(b) try to make connections
between that subject and related subjects.
- I am more likely to be considered
(a) outgoing.
(b) reserved.
- I prefer courses that emphasize
(a) concrete material (facts, dat(a).
(b) abstract material (concepts, theories).
- For entertainment, I would rather
(a) watch television.
(b) read a
book.
- Some teachers start their lectures with an outline of what
they will cover. Such outlines are
(a) somewhat
helpful to me.
(b) very helpful to me.
- The idea of doing homework in groups, with one grade for the
entire group,
(a) appeals to me.
(b) does not appeal to me.
- When I am doing long calculations,
(a) I tend to repeat all my steps and check my work carefully.
(b) I find checking my work tiresome and have to force
myself to do it.
- I tend to picture places I have been
(a) easily and fairly accurately.
(b) with difficulty and without much detail.
- When solving problems in a group, I would be more likely
to
(a) think of the steps in the solution
process.
(b) think of possible consequences or
applications of the solution in a wide range of areas.
|