learning how to learn better: cognitive style

Learning How To Learning How To Learn Better:Learn Better:

Cognitive StyleCognitive Style

MEMO

TO: Students disappointed with their test grades

FROM: Richard M. Felder, North Carolina State University

Dear Students,

Many of you have told your instructor that you understood the

course material much better than your last test grade showed, and

some of you asked what you should do to keep the same thing from

happening on the next test.

Let me ask you some questions about how you prepared for the

test. Answer them as honestly as you can. If you answer "No" to

many of them, your disappointing test grade should not be too

surprising. If there are still a lot of "No’s” after the next test, your

disappointing grade on that test should be even less surprising.

If your answer to most of these questions is "Yes" and you still got a

poor grade, something else must be going on. It might be a good

idea for you to meet with your instructor or a counselor to see if you

can figure out what it is.

You'll notice that several of the questions presume that you're

working with classmates on the homework--either comparing

solutions you first obtained individually or actually getting together to

work out the solutions. Either approach is fine.

If you've been working entirely by yourself and your test grades are

unsatisfactory, I would strongly encourage you to find one or two

homework and study partners to work with before the next test. (Be

careful about the second approach, however; if what you're doing is

mainly watching others work out solutions you're probably doing

yourself more harm than good.)

The question "How should I prepare for the test" becomes easy

once you've filled out the checklist. The answer is... Do

whatever it takes to be able to answer `Yes' to most of the

questions.

Good luck,

Richard Felder

The question "How should I prepare for the test" becomes easy

once you've filled out the checklist. The answer is... Do

whatever it takes to be able to answer `Yes' to most of the

questions.

Good luck,

Richard Felder

Test Preparation Checklist

Answer "Yes" only if you usually did the things described (as opposed to occasionally or never).

#1

Did you make a serious effort to understand the material? (Just hunting for relevant worked-out examples doesn't count.)



#2

Did you work with classmates (or a tutor) on homework, or at least check your answers

with others?



#3

Did you think about how to get an answer yourself before you worked with your

classmates?



#4

Did you participate actively in group/paired discussions (contributing ideas, asking

questions, giving responses)?



#5

Did you consult with the instructor or teaching assistants when you were having

trouble with something?



#6

Did you understand ALL of your answers (how you got them, why they were right,

etc.) before you turned an assignment in?



#7

Did you ask in class for explanations of answers that weren't clear to you?



#8

If you had a study guide or review, did you carefully go through it before the test and

prove to yourself that you could do everything on it?



#9

Did you spend time actually using formulas, definitions, and vocabulary to arrive at answers instead of cramming or simply

memorizing responses?



#10

Did you go over the study guide and problems with classmates and quiz one

another?



#11

If there was a review session before the test, did you attend it and ask questions about

anything you weren't sure about?



#12

Did you get a reasonable night's sleep before the test? (If your answer is no, your

answers to 1-11 may not matter.)


• The more "Yes" responses you recorded, the better your preparation for the test.

• If you recorded two or more "No" responses, think seriously about making some changes in how you prepare for the next test.

How Do I Prepare Better?

• Step 1: Know how you best learn.

• Step 2: Evaluate what you’re doing.

• Step 3: “Play” to your strengths.

• Step 4: Develop a plan of action

• Step 5: Carry out that plan

• Step 6: Decide what worked (or didn’t)

• Step 7: Adjust and begin at step 2 again.

How do I change things?

• Learn what energizes and drains you.

• Identify strengths and predictable pitfalls.

• Make constructive use of differences.

• Gain greater flexibility and perspective.

Step 1:Step 1:

Know how you Know how you best learn.best learn.

Cognitive Style Inventoryhttp://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html

Each of the four questions of the CSI inventory has two parts.

The first part is a general description of the preference choices. The second part is a

list of paired statements.

Use both parts to form your opinion on your more dominant preference.

Cognitive Style Inventoryhttp://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html

Copy these down and mark your choices.

1. ___E ___ I

2. ___S ___ N

3. ___T ___ F

4. ___J ___ P

Q1. Which is your most natural energy orientation?

Every person has two faces. One is directed towards the OUTER world of activities, excitements, people, and

things. The other is directed inward to the INNER world of thoughts, interests, ideas, and imagination.

While these are two different but complementary sides of our nature, most people have an preference towards energy from either the OUTER or the INNER world.

Thus one of their faces, either the Extraverted (E) or Introverted (I), takes the lead in their personality

development and plays a more dominant role in their behavior.

Q1. Which is your most natural energy orientation?

Extraverted Characteristics

• Act first, think/reflect later • Feel deprived when cutoff

from interaction with the outside world

• Usually open to and motivated by outside world of people and things

• Enjoy wide variety and change in people relationships

Introverted Characteristics

• Think/reflect first, then Act

• Regularly require an amount of "private time" to recharge batteries

• Motivated internally, mind is sometimes so active it is "closed" to outside world

• Prefer one-to-one communication and relationships

Q2. Which way of understanding is most "automatic" or natural?

• The Sensing (S) side of our brain notices the sights, sounds, smells and all the sensory details of the PRESENT. It categorizes, organizes, records and stores the specifics from the here and now. It is REALITY based, dealing with "what is." It also provides the specific details of memory & recollections from PAST events.

• The Intuitive (N) side of our brain seeks to understand, interpret and form OVERALL patterns of all the information that is collected and records these patterns and relationships. It speculates on POSSIBILITIES, including looking into and forecasting the FUTURE. It is imaginative and conceptual.

Q2. Which way of understanding is most "automatic" or natural?

Sensing Characteristics • Mentally live in the Now,

attending to present opportunities

• Using common sense and creating practical solutions is automatic-instinctual

• Memory recall is rich in detail of facts and past events

• Draw better from past experience

• Like clear and concrete information; dislike guessing when facts are "fuzzy"

Intuitive Characteristics • Mentally live in the Future,

attending to future possibilities• Using imagination and

creating/inventing new possibilities is automatic-instinctual

• Memory recall emphasizes patterns, contexts, and connections

• Draw better from theoretical understanding

• Comfortable with ambiguous, fuzzy data and with guessing its meaning.

Q3. Which way of forming judgments and making choices

is most natural?

• The Thinking (T) side of our brain analyzes information in a DETACHED, objective fashion. It operates from factual principles, deduces and forms conclusions systematically. It is our logical nature.

• The Feeling (F) side of our brain forms conclusions in an ATTACHED and somewhat global manner, based on likes/dislikes, impact on others, and human and aesthetic values. It is our subjective nature.

Q3. Which way of forming judgments and making choices

is most natural?Thinking Characteristics

• Instinctively search for facts and logic in a decision situation.

• Naturally notices tasks and work to be accomplished.

• Easily able to provide an objective and critical analysis.

• Accept conflict as a natural, normal part of relationships with people.

Feeling Characteristics • Instinctively employ

personal feelings and impact on people in decision situations

• Naturally sensitive to people needs and reactions.

• Naturally seek consensus and popular opinions.

• Unsettled by conflict; have almost a toxic reaction to disharmony.

Q4. What is your "action orientation" towards the outside

world?• All people use both judging (thinking and feeling) and

perceiving (sensing and intuition) processes to store information, organize our thoughts, make decisions, take actions and manage our lives.

• Yet one of these processes (Judging or Perceiving) tends to take the lead in our relationship with the outside world . . . while the other governs our inner world.


world?

• A Judging (J) style approaches the outside world WITH A PLAN and is oriented towards organizing one's surroundings, being prepared, making decisions and reaching closure and completion.

A Perceiving (P) style takes the outside world AS IT COMES and is adopting and adapting, flexible, open-ended and receptive to new opportunities and changing game plans.


world?Judging Characteristics

• Plan many of the details in advance before moving into action.

• Focus on task-related action; complete meaningful segments before moving on.

• Work best and avoid stress when able to keep ahead of deadlines.

• Naturally use targets, dates and standard routines to manage life.

Perceiving Characteristics • Comfortable moving into

action without a plan; plan on-the-go.

• Like to multi-task, have variety, mix work and play.

• Naturally tolerant of time pressure; work best close to the deadlines.

• Instinctively avoid commitments which interfere with flexibility, freedom and variety

What are your 4 Personality Type Letters?

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4Where you focus your attention

The way you take in

infor-mation

The way you make decisions

How you deal with the outer

world

4 Personality Type Letters

Where you

focus your

attention

ExtrovertedDraw energy from the outside world of people, activities, and things

IntrovertedDraw energy from one’s inner world of ideas, emotions, and impressions

The way you

take in

information

SensingTake in information through the five senses and notice what is actual

Intuition Take in information through a “sixth aa sense” and notice what might be

The way you

make decisions

ThinkingOrganize and structure information to decide things in a logical, objective way

FeelingOrganize and structure information to a decide things in a personal, value-

based way

How you deal

with the outer

world

JudgingPrefer living a planned and aaaa organized life

PerceivingPrefer living a spontaneous and aaaaaa

flexible a life

Think about how I teach this class and

about the other things you know about

me. Discuss in your group what type I

am most likely to be. Be prepared to

justify your answers/conclusions.

Group Discussion

4 Personality Type Letters

Where you

focus your

attention

ExtrovertedDraw energy from the outside world of people, activities, and things

IntrovertedDraw energy from one’s inner world of ideas, emotions, and impressions

The way you

take in

information

SensingTake in information through the five senses and notice what is actual

Intuition Take in information through a “sixth aa sense” and notice what might be

The way you

make decisions

ThinkingOrganize and structure information to decide things in a logical, objective way

FeelingOrganize and structure information to a decide things in a personal, value-

based way

How you deal

with the outer

world

JudgingPrefer living a planned and aaaa organized life

PerceivingPrefer living a spontaneous and aaaaaa

flexible a life

The Sixteen Types at a GlanceBy Charles Martin, Ph.D.

http://www.capt.org/mbti-assessment/type-descriptions.htm

1

ISTJ

2

ISFJ

3

INFJ

4

INTJ

5

ISTP

6

ISFP

7

INFP

8

INTP

9

ESTP

10

ESFP

11

ENFP

12

ENTP

13

ESTJ

14

ESFJ

15

ENFJ

16

ENTJ

Read Charles Martin’s description of your type. Jot down some notes to

the “Questions for Type Alike Groups” (handout). We will discuss your

responses.

Questions for Type Alike Groupswww.personalitypathways.com/marlowe

1. How well does this description actually fit you?

2. Pick three specific traits/characteristics and tell about a situation in

the last month where the description fits perfectly.

3. Brainstorm a list of strengths of your type.

4. Brainstorm a list of weaknesses of your type.

5. Think of a time in the last month when you had to work with someone

you found irritating. How can your type help explain why you did not

enjoy the situation?

6. What kind of work/tasks/jobs do you find most interesting and

satisfying?

7. What causes you a lot of stress? How does your type help explain

this?

8. What words or ideas do others use to describe your type that are

inaccurate?

Questions for Type Alike Groupsadapted from www.personalitypathways.com/marlowe

Think about the classes you’ve had in

the past. Choose some that you’ve

enjoyed and/or done well in. Choose

some you struggled with. Then, think

about the teacher. What was his/her

type? How might this have impacted

your experience?

Homework

learning how to learn better: cognitive style

Documents

test grades

disappointing test grade

good luck

disappointing grade

solutions youre

good idea

poor grade

richard felderthe question