Kathleen Land
Training and Development
Professor Cynthia Daniel
February 27, 2011
Compare and contrast the four differences in learning styles. Propose ways a trainer can help each type of learner. The first learning style is sensing vs. intuitive learning style. Sensing learners like learning facts and solving problems by well established methods. Unlike intuitive learners, sensor learners resent testing on material that has not been explicitly covered in training.(p 169) Intuitive learners often prefer discovering new relationships and can be innovative in their approach to problem solving. They dislike repetition and are better at grasping concepts than sensor learners. Unlike sensors, intuitive learners don’t like courses that involve a lot of memorization and routine calculations. In order to get the most out of training, sensor learners need to be intuitive learners at times and at times intuitive learners need to be sensor learners. The trainer can help the sensor learner by organizing the training by using a problem first method. Intuitors can be more difficult to train especially if the training involves a lot of memorization. The trainer can help these people by creating incentives such as a game with a reward for memorizing certain key points of the training.
Next there is the visual vs.verbal learner. Visual learners remember best what they see, pictures, diagrams, flowcharts and demonstrations.169 Verbal learners get more out of words; both written and spoken. Visual learners are among the easiest to train. There are a wide variety of materials available to supplement lectures for the trainer to use to engage the visual learner. The trainer can help the verbal learner by having handouts of the presentation available or providing paper in which the trainee can summarize the presentation in his/her own words.
Sequential learners vs. global learners. Sequential learners gain