reflective essay on learning styles

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Reflective My Learning Experience

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Published: Mar 19, 2024

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Reflection of Personal Learning Style in Psychology Essay

Introduction, opportunity for growth.

Various psychologists and educationists have developed theories to explain various styles of learning. Different learners have different styles of learning. Although learning theories give explanation to learning styles, each individual has a preference for a certain style of learning. As an adult learner, I view learning as a bridge to a better life and an easier way of doing things. I have observed a tremendous change in my learning style when I was an adolescent up to now, as an adult. I make use of the learning styles that I find more comfortable to work with.

Learning is a process through which we acquire information. Once acquired, this information is organized in such a way as to enable the learner solve their daily problems (Mackeracher, 2004, p7). As a student in business communication, I have learnt concepts of business communication. These concepts have enabled me to improve my communication skills. I prefer learning styles that relate concepts learnt in class to the actual business communication in practice. I know my objectives for learning and as such, aim at achieving these objectives through the learning process. Unlike in high school when my greatest motivators to learning were teachers, today I am more self-directed.

I am more attracted to practical concepts. Most concepts taught in the education system are far removed from reality (Knowles, Holton & Swanson, 2005, p53). I find such concepts unattractive. However, concepts that connect to reality are more appealing to me. For this reason, I like to compare concepts taught in class with what I know. When taught a new concept I take time to relate it with reality.

Concepts with logical structures are more appealing to me. When presented with a new concept I take time to find its logical structure. The intention in this case is to better understand such a concept. I am able to adequately concentrate on lecturers who use logical explanations in their lectures. On the other hand, I do not like lecturers who just mention concepts without relating them to other concepts on the subject or to reality. When presented with a new concept I take time to assimilate it and find its logical structure. Information acquired through this method is not easily forgotten. Business communication is, in fact, very logical. By undertaking certain activities in business communication, one in assured of what should follow. For example, it is logical that lack of communication channels in an organization would lead to suspicion, mistrust and lower productivity.

Group discussions have been one of my strongest learning styles at University of Riverside. Discussion groups have allowed me to discuss concepts with my co-learners. Every person has their opinions over a subject, meaning that our understanding over concepts may vary. While some people may be quick to grasp information, others take time to get the concepts. In group discussion, each person’s strength is utilized while those with difficulties are assisted. In most cases, I use discussion groups to discuss the concept discussed in lectures. I also use the discussion groups to discuss business related issues in our economy with my group members. Discussion is the most used decision making and communication style in business. To me, a discussion group offers me a feeling of what goes on in companies’ boardrooms as decisions are made.

I make use of several learning styles. However, perseverance has helped me to succeed in learning. Learning is a slow process; concepts unfold bit by bit and require patience for one to be successful. I persevere learning new concepts, do researches on various subjects and implement these concepts to solve problems.

Creativity is part of my learning style. I believe that the field of knowledge has a lot that needs to be discovered. I also believe that there are new and better ways of doing things. For these reasons, I like to be creative in my learning. I try to find new and better ways of executing concepts learnt. I also try to find new knowledge that not only adds value to business communication but also brings in better business communication strategies. Creativity gives me satisfaction as a learner. In the process of being creative, I am able to understand concepts learnt with clarity. Apart from understanding concepts, creativity helps me to connect these concepts learnt to the practical world.

Experiential and pragmatic concerts in adult learning theories are evident in my learning style (Knowles, Holton & Swanson, 2005, p47). I prefer to have a subjective experience of the concept leant. I try to relate concepts learnt to my experience or try to conceptualize an experience to the concepts. On the other hand, I prefer concepts that have a direct correlation with reality. My pragmatic approach to learning has helped me to be creative.

Although my learning styles have been effective in various ways, there are areas where I can improve. One of my areas of growth is visualizing. In most cases, I am not able to create a mental picture of the concepts. This has lowered my imagination that would have been helpful in creativity. Procrastination and poor organization skills have also hindered my learning. Sometime, I fail to balance available time to activities and end up struggling to meet deadlines. Procrastination has also led me to postpone important activities.

As a solution to my weaknesses, I plan to have a more objective approach to learning. To increase visualization, I will try to create a mental picture of every concept learnt. To increase use of imagination in creativity, I will try to imagine various situations in the future. For example, in business communication, I would try to imagine the nature of business communication, maybe in thirty years to come. To solve poor organization and procrastination, I will make use of a plan. The plan will allocate considerable time for every activity in a week. Apart from having a plan, I also intend to stick to it.

For learning to be successful, personal learning styles are necessary. Various learning styles are used by both young and adult learners. Nonetheless, each learner has learning styles that they find most appealing to him or her. To me, learning cannot be separated from reality. I try to find the connection between concepts learnt to what is observed on the outside. I use creativity to come up with new ways of doing things and make use of concepts learnt. I use group discussions to reach out to other people’s opinions and share what I have learnt. Poor visualization, procrastination and poor organization skills are my areas of growth. These areas will be improved by planning, discipline and practice.

Knowles, M., Holton, E. & Swanson, R. (2005). The adult leaner: the definitive classic in adult education and human resource development . Edinburgh: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Mackeracher, D. (2004). Making sense of adult learning . Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

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IvyPanda. (2021, December 8). Reflection of Personal Learning Style in Psychology. https://ivypanda.com/essays/reflection-of-personal-learning-style-in-psychology/

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IvyPanda . "Reflection of Personal Learning Style in Psychology." December 8, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/reflection-of-personal-learning-style-in-psychology/.

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Practice-based and reflective learning

• Reflective thinking
• Introduction

Key features

Using academic evidence, selecting the content, getting the language right, useful links for reflective learning.

• Reflective writing video tutorial (University of Hull) A clear explanation of things to think about when you are writing reflectively.
• Study Advice Helping students to achieve study success with guides, video tutorials, seminars and one-to-one advice sessions.
• Academic Phrasebank Use this site for examples of linking phrases and ways to refer to sources.
• Academic writing LibGuide Expert guidance on punctuation, grammar, writing style and proof-reading.
• Essay writing LibGuide Expert guidance on writing essays for university.
• Report writing LibGuide Expert guidance on planning, structuring and writing reports at university.
• Dissertations and major projects LibGuide Expert guidance on planning, researching and writing dissertations and major projects.

Follow the guidelines for your course. There is likely to be a word limit: you cannot write about everything, so select what will illustrate your discussion best. Remember that most of the marks awarded for your work are likely to be for the reflective insights and not for the description of events, so keep your descriptions brief and to the point.

• Reflective writing (Study Guide) You can also print off an abridged PDF version of this guide. This is designed to be printed double-sided on A4, then folded to make an A5 guide.

Reflective writing is a way of processing your practice-based experience to produce learning. It has two key features:

1) It integrates theory and practice. Identify important aspects of your reflections and write these using the appropriate theories and academic context to explain and interpret your reflections. Use your experiences to evaluate the theories - can the theories be adapted or modified to be more helpful for your situation?

2) It identifies the learning outcomes of your experience. So you might include a plan for next time identifying what you would do differently, your new understandings or values and unexpected things you have learnt about yourself.

You are aiming to draw out the links between theory and practice. So you will need to keep comparing the two and exploring the relationship between them.

Analyze the event and think about it with reference to a particular theory or academic evidence:

• Are your observations consistent with the theory, models or published academic evidence?
• How can the theories help you to interpret your experience?
• Also consider how your experience in practice helps you to understand the theories. Does it seem to bear out what the theories have predicted?
• Or is it quite different? If so, can you identify why it's different? (Perhaps you were operating in different circumstances from the original research, for instance.)

Collecting evidence

There are two sources of evidence which need to be used in reflective writing assignments:

1) Your reflections form essential evidence of your experiences. Keep notes on your reflections and the developments that have occurred during the process.

2) Academic evidence from published case studies and theories to show how your ideas and practices have developed in the context of the relevant academic literature.

1)  Write a log of the event. Describe what happened as briefly and objectively as possible. You might be asked to include the log as an appendix to your assignment but it is mostly for your own benefit so that you can recall what occurred accurately.

2)  Reflect . You should reflect upon the experience before you start to write, although additional insights are likely to emerge throughout the writing process. Discuss with a friend or colleague and develop your insight. Keep notes on your thinking.

3)  Select . Identify relevant examples which illustrate the reflective process; choose a few of the most challenging or puzzling incidents and explore why they are interesting and what you have learnt from them.

Start with the points you want to make, then select examples to back up your points, from your two sources of evidence:

ii) theories, published case studies, or academic articles.

Use the reflective learning cycle to structure your writing:

• plan again etc.

This will make sure you cover the whole process and explain not just what happened, but why it happened and what improvements can be made based on your new understanding.

As a large proportion of your reflective account is based on your own experience, it is normally appropriate to use the first person ('I'). However, most assignments containing reflective writing will also include academic writing. You are therefore likely to need to write both in the first person ("I felt…") and in the third person ("Smith (2009) proposes that …"). Identify which parts of your experience you are being asked to reflect on and use this as a guide to when to use the first person. Always check your guidelines if you are not sure. If guidelines are not available then, in your introduction, explain when and why you are going to use "I" in your writing.

You will produce a balance by weaving together sections of 'I thought… 'I felt,…' and the relevant academic theories in the same section or paragraph. This is more effective than having a section which deals with the theory and a separate section dealing with your experiences.

Try to avoid emotive or subjective terms. Even though you are drawing on your experiences (and they may well have been emotional), you are trying to communicate these to your reader in an academic style. This means using descriptions that everyone would understand in the same way. So rather than writing, "The client was very unhappy at the start of the session", it might be better to write, "The client was visibly distressed", or "The client reported that he was very unhappy". This shows that you are aware that the client's understanding of 'unhappiness' may be quite different from yours or your reader's.  

When writing about your reflections use the past tense as you are referring to a particular moment (I felt…). When referring to theory use the present tense as the ideas are still current (Smith proposes that...).

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Kolb’s Learning Styles and Experiential Learning Cycle

Saul Mcleod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul Mcleod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

On This Page:

David Kolb published his learning styles model in 1984, from which he developed his learning style inventory.

Kolb’s experiential learning theory works on two levels: a four-stage learning cycle and four separate learning styles. Much of Kolb’s theory concerns the learner’s internal cognitive processes.

Kolb states that learning involves the acquisition of abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations. In Kolb’s theory, the impetus for the development of new concepts is provided by new experiences.

“Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Kolb, 1984, p. 38).

The Experiential Learning Cycle

Kolb’s experiential learning style theory is typically represented by a four-stage learning cycle in which the learner “touches all the bases”:

The terms “Reflective Cycle” and “Experiential Learning Cycle” are often used interchangeably when referring to this four-stage learning process. The main idea behind both terms is that effective learning occurs through a continuous cycle of experience, reflection, conceptualization, and experimentation.

• Concrete Experience – the learner encounters a concrete experience. This might be a new experience or situation, or a reinterpretation of existing experience in the light of new concepts.
• Reflective Observation of the New Experience – the learner reflects on the new experience in the light of their existing knowledge. Of particular importance are any inconsistencies between experience and understanding.
• Abstract Conceptualization – reflection gives rise to a new idea, or a modification of an existing abstract concept (the person has learned from their experience).
• Active Experimentation – the newly created or modified concepts give rise to experimentation. The learner applies their idea(s) to the world around them to see what happens.

Effective learning is seen when a person progresses through a cycle of four stages: of (1) having a concrete experience followed by (2) observation of and reflection on that experience which leads to (3) the formation of abstract concepts (analysis) and generalizations (conclusions) which are then (4) used to test a hypothesis in future situations, resulting in new experiences.

Kolb (1984) views learning as an integrated process, with each stage mutually supporting and feeding into the next. It is possible to enter the cycle at any stage and follow it through its logical sequence.

However, effective learning only occurs when a learner can execute all four stages of the model. Therefore, no one stage of the cycle is effective as a learning procedure on its own.

The process of going through the cycle results in the formation of increasingly complex and abstract ‘mental models’ of whatever the learner is learning about.

Learning Styles

Kolb’s learning theory (1984) sets out four distinct learning styles, which are based on a four-stage learning cycle (see above). Kolb explains that different people naturally prefer a certain single different learning style.

Various factors influence a person’s preferred style. For example, social environment, educational experiences, or the basic cognitive structure of the individual.

Whatever influences the choice of style, the learning style preference itself is actually the product of two pairs of variables, or two separate “choices” that we make, which Kolb presented as lines of an axis, each with “conflicting” modes at either end.

A typical presentation of Kolb’s two continuums is that the east-west axis is called the Processing Continuum (how we approach a task), and the north-south axis is called the Perception Continuum (our emotional response, or how we think or feel about it).

Kolb believed that we cannot perform both variables on a single axis simultaneously (e.g., think and feel). Our learning style is a product of these two choice decisions.

It’s often easier to see the construction of Kolb’s learning styles in terms of a two-by-two matrix. Each learning style represents a combination of two preferred styles.

The matrix also highlights Kolb’s terminology for the four learning styles; diverging, assimilating, and converging, accommodating:

Knowing a person’s (and your own) learning style enables learning to be orientated according to the preferred method.

That said, everyone responds to and needs the stimulus of all types of learning styles to one extent or another – it’s a matter of using emphasis that fits best with the given situation and a person’s learning style preferences.

Here are brief descriptions of the four Kolb learning styles:

Diverging (feeling and watching – CE/RO)

These people are able to look at things from different perspectives. They are sensitive. They prefer to watch rather than do, tending to gather information and use imagination to solve problems. They are best at viewing concrete situations from several different viewpoints.

Kolb called this style “diverging” because these people perform better in situations that require ideas-generation, for example, brainstorming. People with a diverging learning style have broad cultural interests and like to gather information.

They are interested in people, tend to be imaginative and emotional, and tend to be strong in the arts. People with the diverging style prefer to work in groups, to listen with an open mind and to receive personal feedback.

Assimilating (watching and thinking – AC/RO)

The assimilating learning preference involves a concise, logical approach. Ideas and concepts are more important than people.

These people require good, clear explanations rather than a practical opportunity. They excel at understanding wide-ranging information and organizing it in a clear, logical format.

People with an assimilating learning style are less focused on people and more interested in ideas and abstract concepts.  People with this style are more attracted to logically sound theories than approaches based on practical value.

This learning style is important for effectiveness in information and science careers. In formal learning situations, people with this style prefer readings, lectures, exploring analytical models, and having time to think things through.

Converging (doing and thinking – AC/AE)

People with a converging learning style can solve problems and will use their learning to find solutions to practical issues. They prefer technical tasks, and are less concerned with people and interpersonal aspects.

People with a converging learning style are best at finding practical uses for ideas and theories. They can solve problems and make decisions by finding solutions to questions and problems.

People with a converging learning style are more attracted to technical tasks and problems than social or interpersonal issues. A converging learning style enables specialist and technology abilities.

People with a converging style like to experiment with new ideas, to simulate, and to work with practical applications.

Accommodating (doing and feeling – CE/AE)

The Accommodating learning style is “hands-on,” and relies on intuition rather than logic. These people use other people’s analysis, and prefer to take a practical, experiential approach. They are attracted to new challenges and experiences, and to carrying out plans.

They commonly act on “gut” instinct rather than logical analysis. People with an accommodating learning style will tend to rely on others for information than carry out their own analysis. This learning style is prevalent within the general population.

Educational Implications

Both Kolb’s (1984) learning stages and the cycle could be used by teachers to critically evaluate the learning provision typically available to students, and to develop more appropriate learning opportunities.

Educators should ensure that activities are designed and carried out in ways that offer each learner the chance to engage in the manner that suits them best.

Also, individuals can be helped to learn more effectively by the identification of their lesser preferred learning styles and the strengthening of these through the application of the experiential learning cycle.

Ideally, activities and material should be developed in ways that draw on abilities from each stage of the experiential learning cycle and take the students through the whole process in sequence.

Kolb, D. A. (1976). The Learning Style Inventory: Technical Manual . Boston, MA: McBer.

Kolb, D.A. (1981). Learning styles and disciplinary differences, in: A.W. Chickering (Ed.) The Modern American College (pp. 232–255). San Francisco, LA: Jossey-Bass.

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development (Vol. 1). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Kolb, D. A., & Fry, R. (1975). Toward an applied theory of experiential learning. In C. Cooper (Ed.), Studies of group process (pp. 33–57). New York: Wiley.

Kolb, D. A., Rubin, I. M., & McIntyre, J. M. (1984). Organizational psychology: readings on human behavior in organizations . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Further Reading

• How to Write a Psychology Essay
• David Kolb’s Website
• Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological science in the public interest, 9(3) , 105-119.

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Learning Styles: A Review of Theory, Application, and Best Practices

Much pedagogical research has focused on the concept of “learning styles.” Several authors have proposed that the ability to typify student learning styles can augment the educational experience. As such, instructors might tailor their teaching style so that it is more congruent with a given student's or class of students' learning style. Others have argued that a learning/teaching style mismatch encourages and challenges students to expand their academic capabilities. Best practice might involve offering courses that employ a variety of teaching styles. Several scales are available for the standardization of learning styles. These scales employ a variety of learning style descriptors and are sometimes criticized as being measures of personality rather than learning style. Learning styles may become an increasingly relevant pedagogic concept as classes increase in size and diversity. This review will describe various learning style instruments as well as their potential use and limitations. Also discussed is the use of learning style theory in various concentrations including pharmacy.

INTRODUCTION

The diversity of students engaged in higher education continues to expand. Students come to colleges with varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds, from a multitude of training programs and institutions, and with differing learning styles. 1 Coupled with this increase in diversification has been a growth in distance education programs and expansions in the types of instructional media used to deliver information. 2 , 3 These changes and advances in technology have led many educators to reconsider traditional, uniform instruction methods and stress the importance of considering student learning styles in the design and delivery of course content. 4 - 5 Mismatches between an instructor's style of teaching and a student's method of learning have been cited as potential learning obstacles within the classroom and as a reason for using a variety of teaching modalities to deliver instruction. 6 - 8 The concept of using a menu of teaching modalities is based on the premise that at least some content will be presented in a manner suited to every type of learner within a given classroom or course. Some research has focused on profiling learning types so that instructors have a better understanding of the cohort of students they are educating. 7 - 8 This information can be used to guide the selection of instruction modalities employed in the classroom. Limited research has also focused on describing and characterizing composite learning styles and patterns for students in various concentrations of study (eg, medicine, engineering). 5 , 6 , 9 This review will describe the potential utility and limitations in assessing learning styles.

LEARNING STYLES

A benchmark definition of “learning styles” is “characteristic cognitive, effective, and psychosocial behaviors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning environment. 10 Learning styles are considered by many to be one factor of success in higher education. Confounding research and, in many instances, application of learning style theory has begat the myriad of methods used to categorize learning styles. No single commonly accepted method currently exists, but alternatively several potential scales and classifications are in use. Most of these scales and classifications are more similar than dissimilar and focus on environmental preferences, sensory modalities, personality types, and/or cognitive styles. 11 Lack of a conceptual framework for both learning style theory and measurement is a common and central criticism in this area. In 2004 the United Kingdom Learning and Skills Research Center commissioned a report intended to systematically examine existing learning style models and instruments. In the commission report, Coffield et al identified several inconsistencies in learning style models and instruments and cautioned educators with regards to their use. 12 The authors also outlined a suggested research agenda for this area.

Alternatively, many researchers have argued that knowledge of learning styles can be of use to both educators and students. Faculty members with knowledge of learning styles can tailor pedagogy so that it best coincides with learning styles exhibited by the majority of students. 4 Alternatively, students with knowledge of their own preferences are empowered to use various techniques to enhance learning, which in turn may impact overall educational satisfaction. This ability is particularly critical and useful when an instructor's teaching style does not match a student's learning style. Compounding the issue of learning styles in the classroom has been the movement in many collegiate environments to distance and/or asynchronous education. 2 , 3 This shift in educational modality is inconsistent with the learning models with which most older students and adult learners are accustomed from their primary and high school education. 3 , 13 , 14 Alternatively, environmental influences and more widespread availability of technological advances (eg, personal digital assistants, digital video, the World Wide Web, wireless Internet) may make younger generations of students more comfortable with distance learning. 15 - 17

LEARNING STYLES INSTRUMENTS

As previously stated, several models and measures of learning styles have been described in the literature. Kolb proposed a model involving a 4-stage cyclic structure that begins with a concrete experience, which lends to a reflective observation and subsequently an abstract conceptualization that allows for active experimentation. 18 Kolb's model is associated with the Learning Style Inventory instrument (LSI). The LSI focuses on learner's preferences in terms of concrete versus abstract, and action versus reflection. Learners are subsequently described as divergers, convergers, assimilators, or accommodators.

Honey and Mumford developed an alternative instrument known as the Learning Style Questionnaire (LSQ). 6 Presumably, the LSQ has improved validity and predictive accuracy compared to the LSI. The LSQ describes 4 distinct types of learners: activists (learn primarily by experience), reflectors (learn from reflective observation), theorists (learn from exploring associations and interrelationships), and pragmatics (learn from doing or trying things with practical outcomes). The LSQ has been more widely used and studied in management and business settings and its applicability to academia has been questioned. 6 An alternative to the LSQ, the Canfield Learning Style Inventory (CLSI) describes learning styles along 4 dimensions. 19 These dimensions include conditions for learning, area of interest, mode of learning, and conditions for performance. Analogous to the LSQ, applicability of the CLSI to academic settings has been questioned. Additionally, some confusion surrounding scoring and interpretation of certain result values also exists.

Felder and Silverman introduced a learning style assessment instrument that was specifically designed for classroom use and was first applied in the context of engineering education. 20 The instrument consists of 44 short items with a choice between 2 responses to each sentence. Learners are categorized in 4 dichotomous areas: preference in terms of type and mode of information perception (sensory or intuitive; visual or verbal), approaches to organizing and processing information (active or reflective), and the rate at which students progress towards understanding (sequential or global). The instrument associated with the model is known as the Index of Learning Survey (ILS). 21 The ILS is based on a 44-item questionnaire and outputs a preference profile for a student or an entire class. The preference profile is based on the 4 previously defined learning dimensions. The ILS has several advantages over other instruments including conciseness and ease of administration (in both a written and computerized format). 20 , 21 No published data exist with regards to the use of the ILS in populations of pharmacy students or pharmacists. Cook described a study designed to examine the reliability of the ILS for determining learning styles among a population of internal medicine residents. 20 The researchers administered the ILS twice and the Learning Style Type Indicator (LSTI) once to 138 residents (86 men, 52 women). The LSTI has been previously compared to the ILS by several investigators. 8 , 19 Cook found that the Cronbach's alpha scores for the ILS and LSTI ranged from 0.19 to 0.69. They preliminarily concluded that the ILS scores were reliable and valid among this cohort of residents, particularly within the active-reflective and sensing-intuitive domains. In a separate study, Cook et al attempted to evaluate convergence and discrimination among the ILS, LSI, and another computer-based instrument known as the Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA). 11 The cohort studied consisted of family medicine and internal medicine residents as well as first- and third-year medical students. Eighty-nine participants completed all 3 instruments, and responses were analyzed using calculated Pearson's r and Cronbach's α. The authors found that the ILS active-reflective and sensing-intuitive scores as well as the LSI active-reflective scores were valid in determining learning styles. However, the ILS sequential-global domain failed to correlate well with other instruments and may be flawed, at least in this given population. The authors advised the use of caution when interpreting scores without a strong knowledge of construct definitions and empirical evidence.

Several other instruments designed to measure personality indexes or psychological types may overlap and describe learning styles in nonspecific fashions. One example of such an indicator is the Myers-Briggs Index. 6 While some relation between personality indexes and learning styles may exist, the use of instruments intended to describe personality to characterize learning style has been criticized by several authors. Therefore, the use of these markers to measure learning styles is not recommended. 6 The concept of emotional intelligence is another popular way to characterize intellect and learning capacity but similarly should not be misconstrued as an effective means of describing learning styles. 23

Several authors have proposed correlations between culture and learning styles. 6 , 24 This is predicated on the concept that culture influences environmental perceptions which, in turn, to some degree determine the way in which information is processed and organized. The storage, processing, and assimilation methods for information contribute to how new knowledge is learned. Culture also plays a role in conditioning and reinforcing learning styles and partially explains why teaching methods used in certain parts of the world may be ineffective or less effective when blindly transplanted to another locale. 6 , 24 Teachers should be aware of this phenomenon and the influence it has on the variety of learning styles that are present in classrooms. This is especially true in classrooms that have a large contingency of international students. Such classrooms are becoming increasingly common as more and more schools expand their internationalization efforts. 25

The technological age may also be influencing the learning styles of younger students and emerging generations of learners. The Millennial Generation has been described as more technologically advanced than their Generation X counterparts, with higher expectations for the use of computer-aided media in the classroom. 15 , 16 , 26 Younger students are accustomed to enhanced visual images associated with various computer- and television-based games and game systems. 16 , 26 Additionally, video technology is increasingly becoming “transportable” in the way of mobile computing, MP3 devices, personal digital video players, and other technologies. 26 All of these advances have made visual images more pervasive and common within industrialized nations.

APPLYING LEARNING STYLES TO THE CLASSROOM

As class sizes increase, so do the types and numbers of student learning styles. Also, as previously mentioned, internationalization and changes in the media culture may affect the spectrum of classroom learning styles as well. 24 , 25 Given the variability in learning styles that may exist in a classroom, some authors suggested that students should adapt their learning styles to coincide with a given instruction style. 6 , 27 This allows instructors to dictate the methods used to instruct in the classroom. This approach also allows instructors to “teach from their strengths,” with little consideration to other external factors such as learning style of students. While convenient, this unilateral approach has been criticized for placing all of the responsibility for aligning teaching and learning on the student. When the majority of information is presented in formats that are misaligned with learning styles, students may spend more time manipulating material than they do in comprehending and applying the information. Additionally, a unilaterally designed classroom may reinforce a “do nothing” approach among faculty members. 6 Alternatively, a teaching style-learning style mismatch might challenge students to adjust, grow intellectually, and learn in more integrated ways. However, it may be difficult to predict which students have the baseline capacity to adjust, particularly when significant gaps in knowledge of a given subject already exist or when the learner is a novice to the topic being instructed. 6 , 27 This might be especially challenging within professional curricula where course load expectations are significant.

Best practice most likely involves a teaching paradigm which addresses and accommodates multiple dimensions of learning styles that build self-efficacy. 27 Instructing in a way that encompasses multiple learning styles gives the teacher an opportunity to reach a greater extent of a given class, while also challenging students to expand their range of learning styles and aptitudes at a slower pace. This may avoid lost learning opportunities and circumvent unnecessary frustration from both the teacher and student. For many instructors, multi-style teaching is their inherent approach to learning, while other instructors more commonly employ unilateral styles. Learning might be better facilitated if instructors were cognizant of both their teaching styles and the learning styles of their students. An understanding and appreciation of a given individual's teaching style requires self-reflection and introspection and should be a component of a well-maintained teaching portfolio. Major changes or modifications to teaching styles might not be necessary in order to effectively create a classroom atmosphere that addresses multiple learning styles or targets individual ones. However, faculty members should be cautious to not over ambitiously, arbitrarily, or frivolously design courses and activities with an array of teaching modalities that are not carefully connected, orchestrated, and delivered.

Novice learners will likely be more successful when classrooms, either by design or by chance, are tailored to their learning style. However, the ultimate goal is to instill within students the skills to recognize and react to various styles so that learning is maximized no matter what the environment. 28 This is an essential skill for an independent learner and for students in any career path.

Particular consideration of learning styles might be given to asynchronous courses and other courses where a significant portion of time is spent online. 29 As technology advances and classroom sizes in many institutions become increasingly large, asynchronous instruction is becoming more pervasive. In many instances, students who have grown accustomed to technological advances may prefer asynchronous courses. Online platforms may inherently affect learning on a single dimension (visual or auditory). Most researchers who have compared the learning styles of students enrolled in online versus traditional courses have found no correlations between the learning styles and learning outcomes of cohorts enrolled in either course type. Johnson et al compared learning style profiles to student satisfaction with either online or face-to-face study groups. 30 Forty-eight college students participated in the analysis. Learning styles were measured using the ILS. Students were surveyed with regard to their satisfaction with various study group formats. These results were then correlated to actual performance on course examinations. Active and visual learners demonstrated a significant preference for face-to-face study groups. Alternatively, students who were reflective learners demonstrated a preference for online groups. Likely due to the small sample size, none of these differences achieved statistical significance. The authors suggest that these results are evidence for courses employing hybrid teaching styles that reach as many different students as possible. Cook et al studied 121 internal medicine residents and also found no association (p > 0.05) between ILS-measured learning styles and preferences for learning formats (eg, Web-based versus paper-based learning modules). 31 Scores on assessment questions related to learning modules administered to the residents were also not statistically correlated with learning styles.

Cook et al examined the effectiveness of adapting Web-based learning modules to a given learner's style. 32 The investigators created 2 versions of a Web-based instructional module on complementary and alternative medications. One version of the modules directed the learner to “active” questions that provided learners immediate and comprehensive feedback, while the other version involved “reflective” questions that directed learners back to the case content for answers. Eighty-nine residents were randomly matched or mismatched based on their active-reflective learning styles (as determined by ILS) to either the “active” or “reflective” test version. Posttest scores for either question type among mismatched subjects did not differ significantly ( p = 0.97), suggesting no interaction between learning styles and question types. The authors concluded from this small study that learning styles had no influence on learning outcomes. The study was limited in its lack of assessment of baseline knowledge, motivation, or other characteristics. Also, the difficulty of the assessment may not have been sufficient enough to distinguish a difference and/or “mismatched” learners may have automatically adapted to the information they received regardless of type.

STUDIES OF PHARMACY STUDENTS

There are no published studies that have systematically examined the learning styles of pharmacy students. Pungente et al collected some learning styles data as part of a study designed to evaluate how first-year pharmacy students' learning styles influenced preferences toward different activities associated with problem-based learning (PBL). 33 One hundred sixteen first-year students completed Kolb's LSI. Learning styles were then matched to responses from a survey designed to assess student preferences towards various aspects of PBL. The majority of students were classified by the LSI as being accommodators (36.2%), with a fairly even distribution of styles among remaining students (19.8% assimilators, 22.4% convergers, 21.6% divergers). There was a proportional distribution of learning styles among a convenience sample of pharmacy students. Divergers were the least satisfied with the PBL method of instruction, while convergers demonstrated the strongest preference for this method of learning. The investigators proposed that the next step might be to correlate learning styles and PBL preferences with actual academic success.

Limited research correlating learning styles to learning outcomes has hampered the application of learning style theory to actual classroom settings. Complicating research is the plethora of different learning style measurement instruments available. Despite these obstacles, efforts to better define and utilize learning style theory is an area of growing research. A better knowledge and understanding of learning styles may become increasingly critical as classroom sizes increase and as technological advances continue to mold the types of students entering higher education. While research in this area continues to grow, faculty members should make concentrated efforts to teach in a multi-style fashion that both reaches the greatest extent of students in a given class and challenges all students to grow as learners.

Effectiviology

Reflective Learning: Thinking About the Way You Learn

• Reflective learning involves actively monitoring and assessing your knowledge, abilities, and performance during the learning process, in order to improve the process and its associated outcomes.
• For example, if you’re studying for a test, you can engage in reflective learning by asking yourself how well you understand each of the topics that you’re studying, and based on this figure out which topics you need to spend more time on.

Reflective learning can be beneficial in various ways and in various contexts, so it’s often worthwhile to engage in it. As such, in the following article you will learn more about reflective learning, and see how you can engage in it yourself, as well as how you can encourage others to engage in it.

Examples of reflective learning

An example of reflective learning is a person who starts a new hobby, and asks themself how well they’re learning the new information that comes with the hobby, whether there are any gaps in their knowledge, and which learning strategies they enjoy using the most.

Other examples of reflective learning appear in various domains, both in academia and outside of it. For instance:

• A student taking a difficult course can ask themself which parts of the material they struggle with and why, in order to figure out what they should be focusing on, and how they can modify their learning to make it more effective.
• An intern learning to perform various tasks at their new workplace can assess their ability to perform those tasks, so they can know which tasks they need to ask for help with.
• An athlete who’s preparing for a competition can think about which learning strategies aren’t working well for them and why, and then either improve the way they use those strategies, or replacing those strategies with better ones.

The benefits of reflective learning

There are many potential benefits to reflective learning:

• It can help you assess your situation , for example by prompting you to identify gaps in your knowledge and areas where you need to improve.
• It can help you figure out how to improve your learning process , for example by prompting you to figure out which learning techniques work well for you and which ones don’t.
• It can help you understand yourself better , for example by prompting you to consider what kind of assignments or information you struggle with the most.
• It can help you develop your general metacognitive skills , by training you to think critically about how you learn.
• It can increase your feelings of autonomy and control, by making you feel that you’re actively in charge of your learning process.
• It can increase your motivation to learn, by making you feel more in control of the learning process, and by making that process more deliberate and effective.
• It can improve your learning outcomes , both directly, by helping you modify the learning process, as well as indirectly, through the other benefits that it offers, such as increased motivation.

Accordingly, many studies have shown that reflective learning can lead to personal growth and improved learning. For example, one study found that encouraging students to reflect on what they’re learning and how they learn had a positive impact on their learning outcomes, and had additional benefits when it came to their critical thinking skills and their ability to organize their thoughts. Similarly, another study found that reflective learning helped students process the learning material and link it to material that they’ve encountered previously.

Furthermore, in addition to students, instructors can also benefit from the reflective learning that their students engage in. For example, reflective learning can prompt students to generate helpful feedback that instructors can then use to improve their teaching, for instance by identifying areas where students require more thorough explanations, or by identifying teaching methods that need to be modified.

Overall, reflective learning has various potential benefits, including helping learners assess their situation and improve their learning process, helping learners understand themselves and develop their metacognitive skills, and increasing learners’ feelings of autonomy and control, as well as their motivation. Accordingly, the importance of reflective learning is widely recognized in various fields , and it’s an important part of many education, training, and work programs.

How to be reflective in your learning

Being reflective in your learning means thinking about what you’re learning and how you’re learning it, in a way that helps you understand yourself and your learning better. There are several things that you can reflect on:

• Your understanding of the material. For example, how well you understand certain concepts.
• Your understanding of how to implement what you’ve learned. For example, when and how you can use a certain formula.
• Your learning process. For example, how well certain learning strategies work for you.
• Your abilities, preferences, and thoughts. For example, how difficult or enjoyable you find a certain topic.
• Your goals. For example, where and when you plan to implement something that you’ve learned, and what you hope to achieve by doing so.

You can reflect on these things in various ways and to different degrees.

For example, in some cases, you might engage in quick and shallow reflection while you’re studying, by asking yourself “do I really understand this material?”. Alternatively, in other cases, you might want to engage in slower and deeper reflection, by writing down all the key topics that you’ve learned about, and going over this list to identify areas that you don’t understand well.

Similarly, in some cases, you might want to quickly ask yourself “is this learning technique working well for me?”. Alternatively, in other cases, you might decide to write down a list of all the learning techniques that you’re using, and then rank them based on how effective they are for you. Furthermore, if you do this, you can also ask yourself what all the techniques that work well for you have in common.

When doing all this, you can use various questions to guide your reflection, as shown in the examples above, and the following are some specific questions that you might benefit from using:

• Which parts of the material do I understand well? How do I know that I understand this material well?
• Which parts of the material do I struggle with? What specifically am I struggling with, and why?
• Which learning techniques do I feel are helpful? Why do I feel that they are helpful?
• Which learning techniques do I feel are unhelpful? Why do I feel that they are unhelpful?
• Are there any changes that I can make to my learning process to make it better for me?
• Should I ask someone else for help, either with my reflection or with my learning? If so, then what should I ask about, and who is a good person to ask this?

Keep in mind that it’s often more difficult to engage in reflective learning than it is to simply move forward without reflection, especially in the short term. Accordingly, people often avoid reflection, particularly when they’re under time pressure. However, in the long term, reflective learning can be better, both when it comes directly to your learning outcomes, as well as when it comes to related benefits, such as your general ability to learn and your motivation to do so.

Overall, you can reflect on various aspects of your learning, including your understanding of the material, your understanding of how to implement what you’ve learned, your learning process, and your abilities, preferences, thoughts, and goals. You can encourage and guide reflective learning by asking relevant questions, such as “which parts of the material do I struggle with?”, “which learning techniques work well for me?”, and “is there anything I can do to make my learning process more effective?”.

Note : when engaging in reflective learning, you can also benefit from focusing on knowledge-building , an approach to learning and teaching that involves relatively deep engagement with the study material.

Reflective learning as a shared activity

Reflective learning can be something that you do by yourself or together with others. When done as a shared activity, reflective learning can take many forms. For example, it can involve a group of students openly discussing what challenges they faced while studying for a test, or a one-on-one meeting between a student and a tutor, where the tutor asks the student guiding questions about the student’s learning process.

There are advantages and disadvantages to individual reflection and shared reflection, as well as to the various forms of shared reflection. For example, while shared reflection as part of a group exposes people to more perspectives, which can help them identify more issues with their learning than they would be able to identify in a pair or by themselves, this approach can also make the reflection process much more stressful for people who are shy and struggle to work in groups.

Accordingly, when deciding whether and how to make reflective learning a shared activity, it’s important to consider the situation, and take any potential advantages and disadvantages into account.

Note : when it comes to shared reflective learning, an important concept to be aware of is the protégé effect , which is a psychological phenomenon where teaching, pretending to teach, or preparing to teach information to others helps a person learn that information. This is because the protégé effect means that shared reflective learning can help not only the person who is reflecting, but also those who help them do it.

How to encourage reflective learning in others

To encourage reflective learning in others, you can:

• Explain what reflective learning is.
• Explain why reflective learning can be beneficial.
• Explain how people can generally engage in reflective learning, potentially using relevant examples.
• Explain how they specifically can engage in reflective learning, potentially using relevant examples.
• Create an environment that is conducive to reflective learning, for example by giving people enough time to engage in reflection.
• Guide people’s reflection directly, for example by asking them questions that prompt them to think about their learning.

There are many ways in which you can do this. For example, you can give students a worksheet a day after an important exam, which has questions that guide them through the reflective-learning process. Similarly, you can dedicate 10 minutes at the end of class to having discussions in pairs, where students are encouraged to help each other reflect on their studies.

When encouraging reflective learning in others, you should remember that the end goal is to help them develop their skills and improve their learning outcomes. As such, you want to avoid the potential pitfalls of promoting reflective learning in an inappropriate manner. This can happen, for example, if you make the reflection feel like a pointless exercise, if you push learners to share information that they don’t feel comfortable giving, or if you force learners to use reflection techniques that don’t work well for them.

For example, this means that if you generally use reflective writing as a technique for promoting reflection, but someone feels much more comfortable engaging in reflection through sketching and drawing, then you should consider letting them do so, as long as it’s appropriate given the circumstances.

Reflective learning and reflective practice

Reflective practice involves actively analyzing your experiences and actions, in order to help yourself improve and develop.

The terms reflective learning and reflective practice  refer to similar concepts, and because their definitions vary and even overlap in some cases , they are sometimes used interchangeably.

Nevertheless, one possible way to differentiate between them is to say that people engage in reflective learning with regard to events where learning is the main goal, and in reflective practice with regard to events where learning is not the main goal. For example, a nursing student might engage in reflective learning when learning how to perform a certain procedure, whereas an experienced nurse might engage in reflective practice while performing the same procedure as part of their everyday routine.

Alternatively, it’s possible to view reflective learning as a notable type of reflective practice, which revolves around improving one’s learning in particular.

Overall, there is no clear distinction between reflective practice and reflective learning, and these terms are sometimes used interchangeably. However, potential distinctions between these terms are generally not important from a practical perspective, since they are unlikely to influence how the underlying concepts are implemented in practice.

Summary and conclusions

• Reflective learning has various potential benefits, including helping learners assess their situation and improve their learning process, helping learners understand themselves and develop their metacognitive skills, and increasing learners’ feelings of autonomy and control, as well as their motivation.
• You can reflect on various aspects of your learning, including your understanding of the material, your understanding of how to implement what you’ve learned, your learning process, and your abilities, preferences, thoughts, and goals.
• You can encourage and guide reflective learning by asking relevant questions, such as “which parts of the material do I struggle with?”, “which learning techniques work well for me?”, and “is there anything I can do to make my learning process more effective?”.

Other articles you may find interesting:

• Knowledge-Telling and Knowledge-Building in Learning and Teaching
• Reflective Practice: Thinking About the Way You Do Things
• The Factors that Determine Success at Learning

• Schools & departments

Reflective essays

Guidance and information on using reflective essays.

The reflective essay is one of the most common reflective assignments and is very frequently used for both formative and especially summative assessments. Reflective essays are about presenting reflections to an audience in a systematic and formal way.

Generally, all good academic practice for assignments applies when posing reflective essays.

Typical reflective essay questions

Reflective essays tend to deal with a reflective prompt that the essay needs to address. This also often means that the essay will have to draw on a range of experiences and theories to fully and satisfactorily answer the question.

The questions/prompts should not be too vague, for example ‘reflect on your learning’, but should define an area or an aspect relevant to your learning outcomes. This is most easily ensured with thorough guidelines, highlighting elements expected in the essay.

Questions could be something like (not exhaustive):

• reflect on learning in the course with regards to [choose an aspect]
• reflect on personal development across an experience with regards to certain skills
• reflect on development towards subject benchmarks statements and the extent to which these are achieved
• reflect on the progression towards the course’s defined learning outcomes or the school’s or the University’s Graduate Attributes
• reflect on some theory relevant to the course. (Remember that for this to be a reflective essay and not an academic/critical essay, the student must use that theory to explain/inform their own experiences, and use their own experiences to criticise and put the theory into context – that is, how theory and experience inform one another.)

Typical structure and language

Reflective essays will often require theoretical literature, but this is not always essential.  Reflective essays can be built around a single individual experience, but will often draw on a series of individual experiences – or one long experience, for example an internship, that is broken into individual experiences.

The typical language and structure is formal – for thorough descriptions on this, see ‘Academic reflections: tips, language and structure’ in the Reflectors’ Toolkit, which can be valuable to highlight to students.

Academic reflections: tips, language and structure (within the Reflectors’ Toolkit)

Length and assignment weight if assessed

There is no one length that a reflective essay must take. As with all written assignments, the main consideration is that the length is appropriate for evidencing learning, answering the question and meeting the criteria.

Similarly, there is no clear answer for what percentage of the overall mark is attached to the assignment. However, the choice should mirror the required workload for the reflector to complete it, how that fits into your initiative, and the amount of preparation the reflector has had.

For instance, if the student has received formative feedback on multiple pieces of work, a larger proportion of the course mark may be appropriate, compared to if the student had not had a chance to practice. It is important to keep in mind that many students will not have had many chances to practice reflective essays before university.

Back to ‘Components of reflective tasks’

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