Introduction
Individuals exhibit differences in the ways they learn. These differences are collectively called learning styles. In this paper, I explore my learning style, discussing how it has proved useful in my role as a nursing student as well as the weaknesses and strengths associated with my dominant learning style. To establish my dominant learning style, I will utilize the Peter Honey and Alan Mumford’s Learning Styles Questionnaire. Gaining an understanding of one’s most preferred learning style allows them to communicate, reason and even engage in the learning process more effectively.
The Usefulness of Understanding the Learning Styles in Nursing
In most cases, when we begin to learn, our focus is always on what we learn rather than how we learn. However, it is equally pivotal to consider our approach to learning. It is projected that being cognizant of how we learn increases our efficiency and effectiveness concerning the learning process (Scott 2010, p.5-17). There is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning because all of them have their weaknesses and strengths, which depend on the specific subject of the learning process. In essence, there are four primary learning styles, namely the activist, reflectors, theorists, and pragmatists (Hopper 2016, p.173-200). These learning styles were developed and proposed by Alan Mumford and Peter Honey who also came up with a Learning Style Questionnaire whose main function is to help people identify their learning styles. The questionnaire is an improvement of Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory (LSI), which, according to Alan Mumford and Peter Honey, presented low face validity, especially with managers. As opposed to Kolb’s LSI that directly asks people how they learn, Honey and Mumford's LSQ investigates general behavioural tendencies.