Honey and Mumfords learning style questionnaire (LSQ)

- recognizes four types of styles

Learning style Description Caracteristics
Refectors
!e"ectors li#e to stand $ac# to ponder e%periences and o$ser&e
tem from many di'erent perspecti&es( )ey collect data* $ot +rst
and and from oters* and prefer to tin# a$out it torougly $efore
coming to any conclusion( )e toroug collection and analysis of
data a$out e%periences and e&ents is ,at counts so tey tend to
postpone reacing de+niti&e conclusions for as long as possi$le(
)eir pilosopy is to $e cautious( )ey are tougtful people ,o
li#e to consider all possi$le angles and implications $efore ma#ing a
mo&e(
Careful
-ood listener
Holds $ac# from participation
Metodical
Does not .ump to conclusions
Slo, to decide
)oroug and tougtful
Theorists
)eorists adapt and integrate o$ser&ations into comple% $ut
logically sound teories( )ey tin# pro$lems troug in a &ertical*
step-$y-step logical ,ay( )ey assimilate disparate facts into
coerent teories( )ey tend to $e perfectionists ,o ,on/t rest
easy until tings are tidy and +t into a rational sceme( )ey li#e to
analyze and syntesize( )ey are #een on $asic assumptions*
principles* teories models and systems tin#ing( )eir pilosopy
poses rationality and logic( 01f it/s logical it/s good0( Questions tey
frequently as# are2 0Does it ma#e sense30 0Ho, does tis +t ,it
tat3 45at are te $asic assumptions30 )ey tend to $e detaced*
analytical and dedicated to rational o$.ecti&ity rater tan anyting
su$.ecti&e or am$iguous(
Disciplined
1ntolerant of su$.ecti&e* intuiti&e ideas
Logical
Lo, tolerance of uncertainty* am$iguity
6$.ecti&e
7arental in approac
7ro$ing ,en questioning
!ational
!estricted in lateral tougt
Activists
8cti&ists in&ol&e temsel&es fully and ,itout $ias in ne,
e%periences( )ey en.oy te ere and no, and are appy to $e
dominated $y immediate e%periences( )ey are open-minded* not
s#eptical* and tis tends to ma#e tem entusiastic a$out anyting
ne,( )eir pilosopy is 01/ll try anyting once0( )ey tend to act
+rst and consider te consequences after,ards( )eir days are +lled
,it acti&ity( )ey tac#le pro$lems $y $rainstorming( 8s soon as te
e%citement from one acti&ity as died do,n tey are $usy loo#ing
for te ne%t( )ey tend to tri&e on te callenge of ne,
e%periences $ut are $ored ,it implementation and longer term
consolidation(
9le%i$le
-ets $ored ,it consolidation
Happy to gi&e tings a try
6pen minded
6ptimistic a$out cange
!uses into action ,itout preparation
)a#es immediate o$&ious action
)a#es unnecessary ris#s
:nli#ely to resist cange
Pragmatists
7ragmatists are #een on trying out ideas* teories and tecniques to
see if tey ,or# in practice( )ey positi&ely searc out ne, ideas
and ta#e te +rst opportunity to e%periment ,it applications( )ey
are te sort of people ,o return from management courses
$rimming ,it ne, ideas tat tey ,ant to try out in practice( )ey
li#e to get on ,it tings and act quic#ly and con+dently on ideas
tat attract tem( )ey tend to $e impatient ,it ruminating and
open ended discussions( )ey are essentially practical* do,n-to-
eart people ,o li#e ma#ing practical decisions and sol&ing
pro$lems(
;usinessli#e
gets to te point
Does not li#e teory
1mpatient ,it ,a<e
=een to test tings out in practice
7ractical* do,n to eart* realistic
!e.ects ideas ,itout clear application
Seizes +rst* often most o$&ious solution
)as# and tecnique focused
Source2 8utors( 8dapted from Honey > Mumford* ?@@AB Co+eld et
al(* ACCDB
3.0 Your Learning Style
Honey and Mumford (?@EA) de&ised an in"uential self-test* ,ic
indicates ,eter you are predominantly an acti&ist* a re"ector* a
teorist* or a pragmatist( )ere are ,e$sites ,ere you can ta#e a
test
F
;ut you ,ill pro$a$ly get .ust as good an idea a$out your learning
style (and tose of your colleagues) $y reading ,at eac type li#es
and loates(
3.1 Activists
8cti&ists learn $est from acti&ities in ,ic tere are2
G
He, e%periences and callenges from ,ic to learn
G Sort Iere and no, tas#s in&ol&ing
Competiti&e team,or# and pro$lem-sol&ing
G
J%citement* cange and &ariety
G Iig &isi$ility tas#s suc as cairing meetings* leading
discussions and
7resentations
G
Situations in ,ic ne, ideas can $e de&eloped ,itout constraints
of policy and structure
G
6pportunities for .ust Ia&ing a go(
8cti&ists learn least from* and may react against* acti&ities ,ere2
G
)ey a&e a passi&e role (lectures* instructions* reading)
G
)ey are o$ser&ers
G
)ey are required to assimilate* analyses and interpret lots of
/messy/ data
G
)ey must ,or# in a solitary ,ay (reading and ,riting alone)
G

Statements are Iteoretical
- 8n e%planation of cause
G
)ere is considera$le repetition (practicing te same s#ill)
G
)ere are precise instructions ,it little room for maneu&er
G
)ey must $e toroug* and tie up loose ends(
3.2 Refectors
!e"ectors learn $est from acti&ities ,ere tey2
G
8re allo,ed or encouraged to ,atc K tin# K ponder on acti&ities


B
L
:nderstanding our learning style
G
Ha&e time to tin# $efore acting* to assimilate $efore commenting
G
Can carry out careful* detailed researc
G
Ha&e time to re&ie, teir learning
G
Heed to produce carefully considered analyses and reports
G
8re elped to e%cange &ie,s ,it oter people ,itout danger* $y
prior agreement* ,itin a structured learning e%perience
G
Can reac a decision ,itout pressure and tigt deadlines(
!e"ectors learn least from* and may react against* acti&ities ,ere2
G )ey feel Iforced into te limeligt

G
)ey must act ,itout time for planning
G
)ey are
8s#ed for an instant reaction* or Io' te cu' tougts

G
)ey are gi&en insuMcient data on ,ic to $ase a conclusion
G
1n te interests of e%pediency* tey a&e to ma#e sort cuts or do a
super+cial .o$(
3.3 Theorists
)eorists learn $est from acti&ities ,ere2
G
5at is $eing o'ered is part of a system* model* concept or teory3
G
)ey can e%plore metodically te associations and
interrelationsips $et,een ideas* e&ents and situations
G
)ey can question and pro$e te $asic metodology* assumptions
or logic
G
)ey are intellectually stretced* e(g( $y $eing as#ed to analyses
and e&aluate* ten generalize
G
)ey are in structured situations ,it a clear purpose
G
)ey see interesting ideas and concepts* ,eter or not tey are
immediately rele&ant( )eorists learn least from* and may react
against* acti&ities ,ere tey2
G
Ha&e no apparent conte%t or purpose
G
Ha&e to participate in situations empasizing emotions and feelings
G
8re in&ol&ed in unstructured acti&ities ,ere am$iguity and
uncertainty are ig
G
8re as#ed to act or decide ,itout a $asis in policy* principle or
concept
G
8re faced ,it a otcpotc of alternati&e or contradictory
tecniques or metods ,itout e%ploring any in dept
G
Dou$t tat te su$.ect matter is metodologically sound
G
9eel out of tune ,it oter participants* for e%ample ,en tey are
,it lots of acti&ists(
3.4 Pragmatists
7ragmatists learn $est from acti&ities ,ere2
G )ere is an o$&ious lin# $et,een te su$.ect matter and a Ireal
life pro$lem

G
)ey are so,n tecniques for doing tings ,it o$&ious practical
ad&antages
G
)ey a&e te cance to try out and practice tecniques ,it
coacing or feed$ac# from a credi$le e%pert
G
)ey see a model tey can emulate* or e%amples K anecdotes
G
)ey are gi&en tecniques currently applica$le to teir o,n ,or#
G
)ey are gi&en immediate opportunities to implement ,at tey
a&e learned
G
)ey can concentrate on practical issues* suc as dra,ing up action
plans or gi&ing tips to oters( 7ragmatists learn least from* and may
react against* acti&ities ,ere2
G
)e learning is not related to an immediate need tey recognize
G
6rganizers of te learning seem distant from reality
G
)ere are no clear guidelines
G
)ey feel people are going round in circles rater tan getting to
te point


N
G
)ere are political* organizational* managerial or personal o$stacles
to implementation
G
)ere is no apparent re,ard from te learning acti&ity* for e%ample
iger gradesO