The document provides a self-study on understanding learning styles using the Felder-Soloman learning styles model. It guides the reader through taking a learning styles assessment, interpreting their results, and creating an action plan. Examples are given of different learning style preferences and strategies. The goal is for readers to optimize their learning by understanding their natural strengths and compensating for weaknesses.

1. Optimize Your Learning by
Knowing Your Learning Style
(A Self-Study)
Prepared by:
Benjamin Fairs
Ed Mijangos
Tony Cortes
April 2015

2. Is this self-study for you?
This self-study is designed for all who would like to
better understand their learning style and leverage
effective study techniques that work uniquely for
them.
For optimum learning, we recommend that you start
and finish the self-study in one sitting, which would
take 30-60 minutes to complete.
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3. Learning outcomes
By the end of this self-study, you will:
 Understand the Felder-Soloman learning styles.
 Know your Felder-Soloman learning style.
 Identify learning activities and opportunities that
speak to your style.
 Identify coping strategies for when the learning
opportunity does not match your style.
 Create an action plan to optimize your learning.
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4. What you will need for this self-study
 An internet connection
 A printer
 A pen
 Your action plan template (provided to you later)
 30-60 minutes of uninterrupted time – please turn
off your smartphone
 An insatiable desire to learn!
Let’s begin!
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5. Introduction to
Felder-Soloman Index of Learning Styles*
There are four scales in the Felder-Soloman index of
learning styles:
 Active (ACT) – Reflective (REF) Scale
 Sensing (SEN) – Intuitive (INT) Scale
 Visual (VIS) – Verbal (VRB) Scale
 Sequential (SEQ) – Global (GLB) Scale
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*Felder, R.M., and Soloman, B.A. (n.d.). Index of Learning Styles. Retrieved from this
website. Links to related websites are provided at the end of the self-study.

6. Let’s take a closer look at the styles
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Active Active learners learn best by doing something active with the
information they are learning.
Reflective Reflective learners prefer to think about the information first.
Sensing Sensing learners like learning facts.
Intuitive Intuitive learners prefer discovering possibilities and relationships.
Visual Visual learners remember best what they see.
Verbal Verbal learners get more out of written and spoken information.
Sequential Sequential learners gain understanding in linear, logical steps.
Global Global learners tend to absorb material almost randomly without
seeing connections.

7. Let’s see the styles in action
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Active Jump right into assembling the furniture.
Reflective Think about the process first.
Sensing Try to find out information about the furniture.
Intuitive Determine how the furniture would fit in and relate to other items in
the house.
Visual Feast at the diagrams that come with the assembly manual.
Verbal Go to YouTube and look for a video with instructions.
Sequential Arrange all the parts on the floor in sequence before assembling it.
Global Start with the biggest part of the furniture and start from there.
If we bought furniture from Ikea™, how would people
assemble it using their learning styles?

8. Your learning style
While we all use the styles in the four scales in our
learning, more commonly we lean towards a moderate
or strong preference for a style, although some people
may be balanced across the scales.
Let’s take a look at your learning style now.
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9. Index of Learning Styles
 Select the link below to be directed to the inventory of
44 questions. Follow the instructions on the website.
 Remember to print your results before you exit the
survey. (Note: You need to use the print command of
your browser; the results page does not have a print
button.)
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Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire

10. Interpret your style
If your score on a scale is 1-3, you are fairly well balanced on
the two dimensions of that scale.
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11. Interpret your style
If your score on a scale is 5-7, you have a moderate preference
for one dimension of the scale and will learn more easily in a
teaching environment which favors that dimension.
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12. Interpret your style
If your score on a scale is 9-11, you have a very strong
preference for one dimension of the scale. You may have real
difficulty learning in an environment which does not support
that preference.
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13. Learning strategies:
Active-Reflective Scale
If you scored 5-7 or 9-11 on Active,
think of the strategies below to
enhance your Reflective learning
If you scored 5-7 or 9-11 on
Reflective, think of the strategies
below to enhance your Active
learning
• Study in a group in which the
members take turns explaining
different topics to each other.
• Work with others to guess what
you will be asked on the next test
and figure out how you will
answer.
• Don't simply read or memorize the
material; stop periodically to
review what you have read and to
think of possible questions or
applications.
• Write short summaries of readings
or class notes in your own words.
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14. Learning strategies:
Sensing-Intuitive Scale
If you scored 5-7 or 9-11 on Sensing,
think of the strategies below to
enhance your Intuitive learning
If you scored 5-7 or 9-11 on Intuitive,
think of the strategies below to
enhance your Sensing learning
• Ask your instructor for specific
examples of concepts and
procedures, and find out how the
concepts apply in practice.
• If the teacher does not provide
enough specifics, try to find some
in your course text or other
references or by brainstorming
with friends or classmates.
• Ask your instructor for
interpretations or theories that link
the facts, or try to find the
connections yourself.
• You may also be prone to careless
mistakes on test because you are
impatient with details and don't
like repetition (as in checking your
completed solutions). Take time to
read the entire question before
you start answering and be sure to
check your results.
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15. Learning strategies:
Visual-Verbal Scale
If you scored 5-7 or 9-11 on Visual,
think of the strategies below to
enhance your Verbal learning
If you scored 5-7 or 9-11 on Verbal,
think of the strategies below to
enhance your Visual learning
• Write summaries or outlines of course
material in your own words.
• Working in groups can be particularly
effective: you gain understanding of
material by hearing classmates'
explanations and you learn even more
when you do the explaining.
• Practise by doing verbal tests to
remember course material.
• Organize information by making
mental lists and using acronyms.
• Try to find diagrams, sketches,
schematics, photographs, flow charts,
or any other visual representation of
course material.
• See if there are any videos online
about the course material.
• Prepare a concept map by listing key
points, enclosing them in boxes or
circles, and drawing lines with arrows
between concepts to show
connections.
• Color-code your notes with a
highlighter so that everything relating
to one topic is the same color.
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16. Learning strategies:
Sequential-Global Scale
If you scored 5-7 or 9-11 on
Sequential, think of the strategies
below to enhance your Global
learning
If you scored 5-7 or 9-11 on Global,
think of the strategies below to
enhance your Sequential learning
• Before you begin to study the first
section of a chapter in a text, skim
through the entire chapter to get an
overview.
• Strengthen your global thinking skills
by relating each new topic you study to
things you already know. The more you
can do so, the deeper your
understanding of the topic is likely to
be.
• Practise by doing verbal tests to
remember course material.
• When you are studying, take the time
to outline the lecture material for
yourself in logical order.
• Ask the instructor to fill in the skipped
steps, or fill them in yourself by
consulting references.
• Try mind mapping to organize course
material.
• Organize information by making
mental lists and using numbers.
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17. What’s next?
Now that you’ve determined your learning style and
read the recommended learning strategies, let’s
identify an action plan for your moderate to very
strong learning preference(s).
Before we begin, we’ll review a sample case study to
help you better understand how this can be applied,
including a learning styles report and action plan.
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18. Let’s meet Ben
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Ben is a call center representative who struggled with
his work which was primarily verbal, and did not have
the visual representations that he preferred.
Additionally, the job aids were written in sequential
format which did not resonate with him.
After taking the assessment and determining his
learning style, he devised coping strategies that
enabled him to adapt at work, and became more
productive.
Check out Ben’s learning styles report and action plan.

19. Ben’s learning styles report
Active-Reflective Scale
Scored 3 towards Active = he is fairly
balanced on this scale
Sensing-Intuitive Scale
Scored 1 towards Intuitive = he is fairly
balanced on this scale
Visual-Verbal Scale
Scored 7 towards Visual = he has a
moderate preference for Visual
learning
Sequential-Global Scale
Scored 7 towards Global = he has a
moderate preference for Global
learning
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20. Ben’s action plan
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Active-Reflective Ι Score: 3-Active Sensing-Intuitive Ι Score: 1-Intuitive
Since Ben is balanced on this scale, he
doesn’t need an action plan.
Since Ben is balanced on this scale, he
doesn’t need an action plan.
Visual-Verbal Ι Score: 7-Visual Sequential-Global Ι Score: 7-Global
• Create visual representations of
common tasks at work.
• Create associations between client
requests and mental pictures.
• Match job aids with pictures for better
understanding.
• Request the training department to
add pictures to training materials and
job aids.
• Create mind maps to mirror the job
aids - the mind maps will have
customer at centre with “branches”
reflecting the various ways a
customer’s request can be handled.
• Consult colleagues or supervisor to ask
for clarity on the steps he might be
missing when performing a task.

21. Write your action plan
Now that you’ve seen what Ben’s action plan looks like,
let’s create yours.
You will need your (1) learning styles report and (2) the
action plan template (last slide in this presentation). It
may be helpful to think of a learning challenge at work
while you devise your action plan.
If you’re one of the lucky ones who is balanced on all
four scales (score of 1-3), then you don’t need to create
an action plan.
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22. Don’t forget
 To refer to the strategies on slides 13 to 16.
 That your action plan should provide you with action
items when you are faced with a learning situation
that does not speak to your style.
 To keep your action plan handy to optimize learning
in any situation.
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23. Congratulations!
You’ve just helped yourself create a better
understanding of your learning style and now have an
action plan to help you optimize your learning.
Have a fabulous day!
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24. Want more?
If you would like to learn more about the Felder-
Soloman learning styles, please visit the following links:
 Learning Styles & Strategies
 Richard Felder’s video
 Richard Felder’s home page
 FAQ’s on the learning styles
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25. Action plan template
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Active-Reflective Ι Score: Sensing-Intuitive Ι Score:
Visual-Verbal Ι Score: Sequential-Global Ι Score: