1. Understanding Thinking Style Preferences of Students
Tracey Hawkins
Professor of Accounting
University of Cincinnati
April 2, 2009

2. Arrange your 5 cards in order, starting with the card that best describes you and ending with the card that is least like you.

3. What was your immediate response to the cards you were dealt?
Were there any you wanted to get rid of immediately?
Are there any that you weren’t willing to part with?
Would you be comfortable finishing the game with the hand that you were dealt?

4. You may now try to “improve” your hand by trading cards with others
You may now try to “improve” your hand by trading cards with others. You must maintain five cards in your hand at all times.

5. What were some of the strategies you used to negotiate trades?
Were there any noticeable patterns in the kinds of cards players wanted to keep and those they were willing to trade?
If patterns were detected, what might they suggest about the preferences of the group?

6. You must now discard your two least preferred cards
You must now discard your two least preferred cards. You make examine all the discarded cards and make any exchanges you wish. You should end with only three cards.

7. What reactions did you have when you had to give two of your cards back?
Were those choices easy or difficult for you to make?
In the end, were you able to put together a hand that closely represented you? If not, what card(s) did you want that you couldn’t get?

8. Whole Brain Model developed by Ned Herrmann
Quantitative
Fact Based
Analytical
Logical
Synthesizing
Integrating
Intuitive
Holistic
Planned
Detailed
Organized
Sequential
Interpersonal
Feeling Based
Emotional
Kinesthetic

9. Blue This group is good at…
Gathering facts
Analyzing issues
Problem solving logically
Arguing rationally
Considering financial aspects
Measuring precisely
Understanding technical elements

10. Green This group is good at…
Finding overlooked flaws
Approaching problems practically
Standing firm on issues
Maintaining a standard of consistency
Providing stable leadership and supervision
Reading fine print in documents/contracts
Organizing and keeping track of essential data
Developing detailed plans and procedures
Articulating plans in an orderly way
Keeping financial records straight

11. Red This group is good at…
Recognizing interpersonal difficulties
Anticipating how others will feel
Intuitively understanding how others feel
Picking up the non-verbal cues of interpersonal stress
Engendering enthusiasm
Persuading
Teaching
Conciliating
Understanding emotional elements
Considering values

12. Yellow This group is good at…
Reading the signs of coming change
Seeing the “big picture”
Recognizing new possibilities
Tolerating ambiguity
Integrating ideas and concepts
Bending or challenging established policies
Synthesizing unlike elements into a new whole
Inventing innovative solutions to problems
Problem solving in intuitive ways

13. Understanding that our students have different thinking styles can help us…
Develop learning activities that will help all students learn
Allow for better group interaction

14. For more information: The Whole Brain Business Book by Ned Herrmann
The Creative Brain by Ned Herrmann
The Diversity Game created by Ted Coulson and Alison Strickland