InnovAiT: The RCGP Journal for

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Learning Styles
Alexandra Rolfe and Brad Cheek
InnovAiT 2012 5: 176
DOI: 10.1093/innovait/inr239

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 InnovAiT, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 176181, 2012 doi:10.1093/innovait/inr239

Learning styles

I
ndividuals have diverse characteristics that lead to different styles of learning.
Teaching is an intervention designed to promote learning and accumulation of
knowledge. In theory, this can be improved by matching an individuals learning
style to how the individual is taught. Knowledge of learning styles can be useful for
trainees for a number of reasons: improvement of their own learning techniques,
participation in teaching of others or development of teaching skills in the future.
This article aims to look at various models of learning styles and then discusses how
teaching could be tailored to the individual to optimize the learning environment.

The GP curriculum and learning styles Modality styles

Curriculum statement 3.7 addresses teaching,
The modality styles theory suggests that there are four
mentoring and clinical supervision stating that a GP
learning styles that relate to different sensory modalities. A
should be able to:
commonly used questionnaire for discovering preferred
OO Understand how adults learn
learning style is Flemings VARK (visual, aural, read/write,
OO Demonstrate an awareness of the differing learning
kinesthetic) which can be accessed free-of-charge via
styles of individuals
website www.vark-learn.com. The four styles are as follows:
OO Plan and structure a teaching episode appropriately
OO Visual/verbal (read/write) learning style
for the learners concerned
OO Visual/non-verbal (pictorial) learning style

OO Tactile/kinaesthetic learning style

Definition OO Auditory/verbal learning style

A learning style can be seen as the characteristics of a
learner that influence the way in which that person learns.
Differences between individuals shape how they learn; some
prefer reflection while others need to see and practise their
new skills. Understanding your preferred learning style
may aid your ability to assimilate and accumulate new
information.
Suitable teaching and learning approaches for each different
learning style can be found in Table 1. However, it is
important to remember that presenting information to
learners in a variety of modalities helps all learners, no
matter what their learning style preference; it allows them to
integrate knowledge and assists recall by providing different
representations and links to information.

The idea of learning styles is controversial; a systematic Visual/verbal learning style

review by Coffield et al. (2004) discovered over 70 different Visual/verbal learners are more efficient when presented
styles. This article focuses on the three main learning style with visual information in the form of written language. They
theories: do well with the lectures that provide good slides or a
OO The first theory is based on the assumption that learners suitable written outline. Textbooks and class notes are also
have innate or fixed traits which are tied to sensory useful. The learner will be happy to study on his or her own
modalities and that they learn most effectively by in a quiet room and can see information in the minds eye
employing learning strategies that are linked to their when trying to remember something. For example, this type
preferred modalitymodality styles of learner might like to learn by going to lectures and reading
OO The second uses the theory that styles are flexible and textbooks.
based upon the interplay between personal
characteristics and experience. This includes Kolbs Visual/non-verbal learning style
learning cycle and Honey and Mumfords learning cycle/ Visual/non-verbal learners are most efficient when
styles. presented with visual information as a picture or illustration.
OO The third encompasses instructional styles and how They like visual aids, pictures and diagrams in textbooks.
these may be flexible depending on context and Often, this type of learner likes to work in a quiet room and
motivation may not like study groups. He or she frequently remembers
The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the RCGP. All rights reserved.
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 InnovAiT

Table 1.Suggested learning approaches for modality learning styles

Preferred style Suitable learning approaches

Visual/verbal learning style OO Use of colour-coding and highlighting with contrasting colours
OO Writing of sentences highlighting key information
OO Flashcards
OO Written explanations for diagrams
OO Use of computer word processing for type notes and visual review
OO Visual reminders of information that must be memorized

Visual/non-verbal learning style OO Flashcards with symbols and pictures

OO Highlighters for key words and pictures but limit information on the page
OO Charts to organize information
OO Computers to help organize material but making tables and charts
OO Put words and ideas into symbols pictures and diagrams

Tactile/kinaesthetic learning style OO Write down key words and phrases that can be used to remember what was said
OO Employ practice
OO Flashcards to learn a series of steps by putting them into a visual order
OO Use of highlighters for key points
OO Computers to copy key information
OO Listen to recordings of key information; make own recordings as required

The auditory/verbal learning style OO Encourage group work

OO When studying alone, may benefit from talking out loud to aid recall
OO Record lessons and use recordings of key points to help with exams
OO Encourage talking through new information and reason through problems

Source: www.GP-training.net. Introduction to learning and teaching styles and methods.

something by mentally visualizing a picture of it. Visual/ long-term stability in learning style (Kolb, 1984). He
non-verbal learners often have an artistic side. An example defined four main styles of learning:
of this type of learning might be construction of a flow chart OO Concrete experiencefeelinghaving the experience

to clarify the management steps of a particular condition in OO Reflective observationwatchingreviewing the

primary care. experience

OO Abstract conceptualizationthinkingconcluding from

Tactile/kinaesthetic learning style the experience

Tactile/kinaesthetic learners are most efficient with a OO Active experimentationdoingplanning the next

hands-on style. They like to get on with activities and stage

practise what they have learnt. They also enjoy being
physically active in the learning environment and benefit
from practical demonstrations. Practical examples and
working through scenarios will help these learners.
Auditory/verbal learning style
Auditory/verbal learners benefit from information that is
presented in spoken language. They gain from lectures and
enjoy group discussion or listening to audio tapes. They are
able to remember information by hearing the way that it
sounds and they may like to repeat it out loud. These
learners benefit from talking through examples to see how
they work.
Flexible styles
David Kolb progressed the idea of learning styles in the
1980s by describing individual learning styles as a
differential preference for learning, which changes slightly
from situation to situation. At the same time, there is some
Kolbs model of learning can be seen as a circle, which the
learner passes through to complete the learning (Fig. 1). He
hypothesized that the complete learner has the ability to
pass through all the stages, but most have a preferred style.
Importantly, he realized that although one method might be
dominant others can be used too. He described that people
would enter the circle at their preferred point and move
around it according to current context. Individuals can
switch between styles at different rates and may spend the
majority of time in their preferred style. Kolb also produced
a learning styles inventory to help learners find their
preferred learning style but maintained that this should only
be used a guide and to help learners achieve skills in all four
types of learning.
Kolbs work was then taken forward by Peter Honey and
Alan Mumford who produced a method to explore the
individuals learning style that is widely used in medicine
today. As seen in Fig. 2, they revised Kolbs original learning
cycle to take into account general behavioural tendencies

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 (rather than directly asking how people learn) and divided
learners into four categories. These categories broadly
correspond with Kolbs learning styles:
OO Activist (concrete experience)
OO Reflector (reflective observation)
OO Theorist (abstract conceptualization)
OO Pragmatist (active experimentation)
Figure 1.Kolbs learning cycle.
Source: Kolb, D. Experiential learning: experience as the source
of learning and development (1983) Prentice-Hall ISBN:
0132952610
Figure 2.Honey and Mumfords learning styles.
Source: Honey, P., Mumford, A. The manual of learning styles
(1992) Peter Honey Publications Maidenhead ISBN: 0950844470
Completing the learning style questionnaire that Honey and
Mumford developed may help learners tailor their learning
to their preferred style. Honey and Mumford also described
the strengths and weaknesses of each style (Fig. 3).
Consideration of learning style may enable learners to make
the most of learning opportunities. Designing a personalized
plan with the method of learning tailored to the individuals
preferred learning style may maximize learning gain (Fig. 4).
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However, because learners learn best by going around the
learning style circle, it is also important for learners to
understand the learning styles that they are not so good at.
By developing these areas (remembering that learning styles
are behaviours and that behavioural skills can be learnt),
learners can enhance their learning abilities. Furthermore,
sometimes learners find themselves in learning situations to
which they are not well suited; by spending time developing
other learning styles, learners can maximize their learning
gain in all learning environments.
Instructional styles
A third theory is that learners adapt their learning to suit the
context. This has been demonstrated by the ASSIST tool
developed by Entwistle. He describes the difference between
learners style, preferred approach to their learning/strategy
and their approach to the current context. He then divides
people into deep, strategic and shallow learners and
discusses their intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for
learning (Fig. 5).
Deep learners have more intrinsic motivations, i.e. they learn
because they want to, are interested in the subject and wish
to gain deeper knowledge and understanding. Shallow
learners have an extrinsic motivation and learn for a purpose,
for example examinations; they often employ rote learning.
The middle group, or strategists, is able to move between
these two extremes and will pick up whatever type of
learning is required to give the best outcome.
Interestingly, very good students often start off as deep
learners but as demand dictates become shallower. Surface
learners employ a factual learning approach while deep
learning approaches include discussion and conversation as
well as problem-based learning. Strategic learners do both.
Among medical students, being a strategic learner seems to
correlate with success in assessments.
The contribution of
learning styles to
education
Both learners and teachers contribute to the learning
process. Recognizing and understanding learning styles and
their application can guide both parties in developing
learning approaches acceptable to the student (Fig. 6).
There is little concrete evidence that matching the learners
preferred learning style and the presentation of material to
the learner makes a difference, but it is often useful and
interesting for learners to recognize their own and others
learning styles so that they can understand why different
people learn in different ways and look into developing
different strategies for learning.
For the educator, understanding trainees style can help
make learning relevant and help the teacher to understand
why an approach will work with one trainee but not another.
 InnovAiT

Figure 3.Strengths and weaknesses of Honey and Mumfords learning styles*.

*It should be noted that this model was initially designed for business users and so some of the learning
activities proposed are not always relevant to primary care.
Source: Honey, P., Mumford, A. The manual of learning styles (1992) Peter Honey Publications Maidenhead
ISBN: 0950844470

Figure 4. Learning activities and preferences for people with different learning styles.
Source: Honey, P., Mumford, A. The manual of learning styles (1992) Peter Honey
Publications Maidenhead ISBN: 0950844470

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Figure 5.Entwistles approaches to learning.
Source: Entwistle, N. Contrasting perspectives on learning. In:
The experience of learning: implications for teaching and studying
in higher education. Marton, F., Hounsell, D., Entwistle, N. (3rd
edition) (2005) University of Edinburgh, Centre for Teaching,
Learning and Assessment.
Figure 6.Contributions to the learning process.
Source: www.gp-training.net- www.gp-training.net/training/
educational_theory/reflective_learning/learning_styles/styles.
htm.
Knowledge of learning styles helps learners understand how
they and their peers learn and in small groups, this can lead
to discussion and flexibility in teaching approaches.
Knowledge of learning style can also help with individual
feedback. For example, applying the Honey and Mumford
learning styles, a pragmatist or activist might benefit from
being shown a new skill and then practising it, while a
theorist may need to understand the concepts behind it
first; a reflector might wish to analyse in more depth why
something went wrong, so just explaining the problem with
no thought about how to improve it may not be very helpful.
However, although it might be useful to try to match
learning to learning style, good learners are versatile and can
adapt to different learning styles in different contexts.
Furthermore, multi-dimensional teaching is useful for all
learning styles. It might be useful to consider some learning
scenarios to appreciate how understanding learning styles
could help you learn and also teach others. Think about how
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people with different learning styles would approach the
learning tasks in Box 1.
Box 1. Learning scenarios.
Learning styles
Try to think how learners with different styles might
approach each of these tasks:
1) Sarah has her Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) exam
coming up and feels very shaky on her statistics
2) Punit has a partnership interview coming up and has
to give a presentation about commissioning as part
of the interview
3) Kofi has just been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
and wants to find out everything that she can about it
4) James has recently been appointed a GP trainer. His
first trainee started working in his practice last week
and he is planning his first tutorial on the topic of
hypertension management in primary care
Reflection
Think about a new task that you have had to do recently.
For example, doing a 6 weeks baby check. How did you
learn to do it? How did your peers learn to do 6 weeks
checks?
Practical application
You have been asked to set up a teaching session for
foundation doctors on polymyalgia rheumatica. Think
about how you would structure and deliver a half hour
teaching session that would incorporate several learning
styles.
Clinical context
Patients are also individuals who will have differing learning
styles. It might be worth thinking about using a variety of
methods when explaining concepts to patients, for example,
diagrams and leaflets may help some patients while others
might prefer to reflect on what had been said vocally. Mixing
modalities may help patients to understand disease
processes and illness management.
Key points
OO Knowledge of learning styles helps learners
understand how they learn and may help them
develop new ways to learn more efficiently
OO Teaching approaches can be tailored to help the
individual learn more efficiently but multidimensional
learning is useful for all
OO Knowledge of others learning styles can promote
harmony in a group
OO Using a number of approaches may improve patients
understanding of disease and illness
OO Learning styles are controversial and should be used
as a guide rather than an absolute

REFERENCES AND FURTHER INFORMATION
OO Coffield, F.J., Moseley, D.V., Hall, E., Ecclestone, K.
Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning: a
systematic and critical review (2004) Learning and
Skills Research Centre. Accessed via www.hull.ac.uk/
php/edskas/learning%20styles.pdf [date last accessed
15.11.2011]
OO Entwistle, N. Contrasting perspectives on learning. In:
The experience of learning: implications for teaching and
studying in higher education Marton, F., Hounsell, D.,
Entwistle, N. (eds) (3rd edition) (2005) University
of Edinburgh, Centre for Teaching, Learning and
Assessment
OO Flemings inventory of learning styles. Accessed via
www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=advice
[date last accessed 23.8.2011]
Dr Alexandra Rolfe
GPST3/Clinical Fellow, University of Edinburgh
E-mail: Alix.rolfe@ed.ac.uk
Dr Brad Cheek
GP TrainerWest Cumbria
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InnovAiT
OO Honey, P., Mumford, A. The manual of learning styles (1992)
Peter Honey Publications ISBN: 0950844470
OO Kolb, D. Experiential learning: experience as the source
of learning and development (1984) Prentice-Hall
ISBN: 0132952610
OO Learning styles on GP-learning.net. Accessed via
www.gp-training.net/training/educational_theory/
reflective_learning/learning_styles/introduction.htm
[date last accessed 30.8.2011]
OO RCGP Curriculum statement 3.7: teaching, learning and
clinical supervision. Accessed via www.rcgp-curriculum.
org.uk/PDF/curr_3_7_Teaching_Mentoring_Clinical_
Supervision.pdf [date last accessed 26.09.2011]
OO Swanick, T. Understanding medical education
evidence, theory and practice. 1st Editorial Assistant
(2010) Wiley-Blackwell ISBN: 978-1-4051-9680-2
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