CBI Health Group Identifying Learning Preferences

2 By understanding how you learn best, we can better explain:  Nature of your injury  Rehabilitation exercises  Prevention strategies  Return to Work plan  …and more!

3 Preferred learning styles differ from person to person: Doing Listening Watching Reading

4 Let’s go through 4 different learning styles

5 Visual  Visual learners need to see what they are learning  Charts, diagrams, pictures, videos, or an actual demonstration by someone  For example, you prefer watching your therapist show you an exercise  If you are an ESL speaker, you may prefer this method rather than listening to an explanation of the exercise

6 Visual/Reading  If this is your learning style, you prefer to learn new information by reading it at your own pace  For example, rather than watching a video on how to prevent back pain, you want to read a pamphlet, or a journal article  Rather than listening to a therapist explain why stretching is beneficial, you prefer reading a list of the advantages of stretching  You prefer handouts that use words, rather than simply charts and diagrams

7 Auditory  If you are part of this group, you like to hear about and talk about what you are learning  When you have been given some information, you want to talk to others about it  You prefer to listen to someone else explain a point, and then discuss it with them, rather than just digest it silently on your own time

8 Kinesthetic If this is you, you like to do and touch what you are learning You enjoy practicing in a hands-on fashion what someone is telling you to do You prefer physically trying out what is being explaining to you Particularly useful if you do not have a strong grasp of the English language

9 Why is it important to identify learning preferences?

10 Because we need to know what works best for each of you! If we don’t take the time to find out, we tend to explain things to others a certain way for different reasons: It’s how we like to learn for ourselves It’s the easiest way for us to explain something We’ve gotten into the habit of explaining things a certain way

11 Learning in the real world  Now, the reality is that all of us use all four of these modalities when learning most kinds of things  However we do have preferences for certain ones, and when teachers utilize a particular modality we are strong in, learning is enhanced

12 Learning Preferences Questionnaire  We’re going to go through a sample learning preferences questionnaire  With the questionnaire, the highest score represents the modality that can best enhance learning for you

13 Learning Preferences Questionnaire Don’t worry if no specific preference emerges, it may just mean that you don’t have a particular learning style. You’re well-rounded!

14 Learning Preferences Questionnaire The information that the quiz provides about what modalities are not as helpful is sometimes just as important as the information about what modalities are particularly useful: For example, anything works for you but except for written hand-outs

15 Learning Preferences Questionnaire When you’re done the quiz, calculate your total score to see your preferred learning style. Make a note whether you agree with this conclusion, or whether you’re skeptical:

16 Learning Preferences Questionnaire Take time later to share your scores with your treatment therapist and discuss whether a new approach needs to be taken so that we maximize your learning style!

17 Learning Preferences Questionnaire Now let’s try out that questionnaire!