Learning Style Characteristics Strategies for

of students instructors
Active
"Let's try it"; Discussions,
sitting through problem-solving
lectures is activities; student
difficult; likes to s retain
work in groups information better
when doing
something with it
 Learning Style Characteristics of Strategies for
students instructors
Provide time to think
about the material,
not just read &
REFLECTIVE "Let's think about it"; memorize; write
likes to work alone; summaries, devise
lectures are difficult if questions and
not given time to possible applications
'digest' the of the content
information
Learning Style Characteristics of Strategies for
students instructors
Sensing Likes learning facts and
using established
methods, dislikes Establish connection
surprises; difficulty with from material to the
abstract, theoretical real world with
material; good with examples of concepts
details, memorizing fact and procedures,
and hands-on work practical applications
Learning Style Characteristics Strategies for
of students instructors
Interpretations
Intuitive Discovers and theories
possibilities & which connect
relationships; facts will help in
likes learning;
innovation, provide time to
good at read questions
grasping new thoroughly and
concepts; recheck results
works quickly
Learning Style Characteristics of Strategies for
students instructors
Visual Incorporate
pictures,diagrams,charts,
Learns best from timelines, video,
what is seen; a large demonstrations
percentage of the whenever possible;
population are visual concept maps are good
learners for listing key points and
demonstrating
relationships and can be
color-coded

simulations
Learning Style Characteristics of Strategies for
students instructors
Summarize or outline
Verbal Learns best from the content verbally so
use of words that students
can transcribe in their
own words;
working through ideas
in groups can also be
effective
Learning Style Characteristics of Strategies for
students instructors

Sequential Learn best in logical Break material down

steps; linear format into smaller logical
chunks; give
overviews of material
before getting into the
content specifically
 Learning Style Characteristics of Strategies for
students instructors

Digests material in Provide overviews of

Global material before getting
leaps and bounds; into specifics; show how
tends to look at the topics are related to other
big picture and tries relevant course material
to make connections or knowledge students
to prior knowledge may have from previous
experiences
That after the topic, the students will be able to:
1. Define compliance, adherence, and motivation relevant
to learner behavior
2. Determine the learning principles that will help in the
motivation of learners
3. Identify incentives and obstacles that affect motivation
to learn
4. Assess levels of learner motivation
5. Compare and contrast selected health behavior
frameworks
6. Recognize role of nurse in health promotion
Compliance is the
submission or yielding to
predetermined goals.

Noncompliance is the
resistance to follow the
predetermined regimen.
Adherence is the
commitment or the
attachment to a
regimen or goal.
Motivation is a
psychological force that
moves a person toward
some kind of action
(Haggard, 1989).
1. Use several senses
2. Actively involve in the
learning process
3. Provide an environment
conducive for learning
4. Assess the extent to which
the learner is ready to learn
5. Determine the perceived
relevance of the information
6. Repeat information
7. Generalize information
8. Make learning a pleasant experience
9. Begin with what is known then move
toward what is unknown
10. Present information at an appropriate
rate
1. Personal attributes
2. Environmental influences
3. Learner relationship systems
1. Cognitive variables
a. Capacity to learn
b. Readiness to learn
c. Facilitating beliefs
2. Affective variables
a. Expression of emotional
state
b. Moderate level of anxiety

3. Physiological variables
a. Capacity to perform
acquired behavior
4. Experiential variables
a. Previous successful
experiences

5. Environmental variables
a. Appropriateness of
environment
b. Social support system
6. Education-Learner
Relationship System
a. Prediction of positive
relationship
Health Belief Model
◦ This explains behavior
based on set of beliefs
or perception.
◦ Change is triggered by
cues to action
Stages of Change Model:
1. Precontemplation
2. Contemplation
3. Preparation
4. Action
5. Maintenance
6. Termination
Theory of Reasoned Action
This is based on a person’s intention
to do something; the result will
be:
a. Positive or Negative attitude
b. Subjective norms
c. Behavioral control
Social Cognitive Theory
◦ Behavior is the result of
interaction between the
behavior, person and
environment
◦ Uses: Self-efficacy,
Modeling, Reinforcement,
and Locus of control
Self-efficacy Theory
◦ Will do what they think they
can do
◦ 4 variables:
1. Performance
accomplishments
2. Vicarious experience
3. Verbal persuasion
4. Physiological state
Behavior Modification
Theory
◦ Based on rewards and
punishments
Attribution Theory
◦ Identify the reason why things
happen in their lives ---- make the
outcome either positive or negative
◦ 3 dimensions:
1. Locus of causality
2. Stability
3. Controllability
1. Facilitator of Change
2. Contractor
3. Organizer
4. Evaluator
That after the topic, the students will be able to:
1. Define literacy, illiteracy, health literacy, low literacy, functional
illiteracy, reading, readability, comprehension, and numeracy
2. Identify clues that are indicators of reading and writing deficiencies
3. Critically analyze the readability and comprehension levels of
printed materials and the reading skills of clients using specific
formulas and tests
4. Describe guidelines for writing effective education materials
5. Outline teaching strategies useful in educating clients with low
literacy skills
 Literacy is the ability to use printed and
written information to function in society,
achieve goals, and develop knowledge and
potential (U.S. Dept of Education, 1993)
 Illiterate is someone who
is unable to read or write
or whose skills are at the
4th grade or below

 Low literacy is the ability

of the adult to read, write
or comprehend between
5th & 8th grade
 Functional Illiteracy – adults
who lack competency to
perform the tasks of everyday
life
 Health literacy is the ability
of the adult to read, interpret
or comprehend health
information for maintaining an
optimal level of wellness
 Readabilityis the ease with which
written or printed information can
be read.

 Comprehension is the degree to

which individuals understand
what they have read.
Level 2 – Basic
Understands information
in short prose texts with
everyday language .
Math skills: compare 2
prices
Level 3 – Intermediate
Understands and can locate
information in fairly dense
prose and documents and
can make inferences from
them.
Math skills: can solve
quantitative problems even
when necessary steps are
not obvious
Level 4 – Proficient
Understands complex prose
and analyzes complex
documents.
Math skills: can solve
multistep arithmetic problems
 The economically disadvantaged
 Older adults
 Immigrants
 Racial minorities
 High school dropouts
 The unemployed
 Prisoners
 Inner-city and rural residents
 Poor health status due to chronic
mental or physical problems
Usage of Printed Educational Materials
(PEMS):
 Supplement oral teaching
 Instructions sheet for taking medications and
treatments
 Fill out admission forms, sign consent forms
 Read medication labels and appointments
slips
Clues for low-literacy:
 Not attempt to read printed materials
 Asking to take PEM home
 Claiming that eyeglasses were left home
 Cant read something due to tiredness
 Avoid discussion of written materials or not
ask questions
 Mouthing words as they try to read
Your naicisyhp has dednemmocer
that you have a ypocsconoloc. A
yppocsconoloc is a test for
noloc recnac. You must drink a
laipceps duiqil the thgib erofeb
the noitanimaxe to naelc out
your noloc.
1. Spache Grade Level Score
- Judge materials written below 4th
grade
2. Flesch-Kincaid Scale
- Measure readability of materials
between 5th grade and college level
3. Fog Index
- Determine readability of materials from
4th grade to college level
4. Fry Readability Graph-Extended
- 1st grade to college
5. SMOG (Simplified Measure of
Gobbledygook) Formula
- Most valid test
6. Computerized Readability Software
Program
- Facilitate the usage of formulas
1. Cloze Procedure
- Assess understanding of health education literature
2. Listening Test
- Determine low-literate person understands &
remembers when listening to oral instruction
1. WRAT (Wide Range Achievement Test)
- Assess ability to recognize and pronounce list of
words
2. REALM (Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in
Medicine)
- Measures ability to read medical and health-
related vocabulary
3. TOFHLA (Test of Functional Health Literacy in
Adults)
- Measure literacy skills using actual hospital
materials (prescription label)
4. LAD (Literacy Assessment for Diabetes)
- Measures word recognition in adult patients with
diabetes
5. SAM (Instrument for Suitability Assessment of
Materials)
- Assess suitability of instructional materials
1. Decide: Purpose and Outcome
2. Choose info that is relevant; include survival skills
and essential main ideas
3. Select other supplemental media
4. Organize topics into chunks that follow a logical
sequence
5. Place key facts at the top and bottom
6. Determine the preferred reading level (5th grade)
9th Grade:
 Smoking raises blood cholesterol level and has
been known to cause irregular heartbeats

4th Grade
 Smoking may make your heartbeat less irregular
1. Using You or Your:
 People who sunburn easily and have fair skin with
red or blond hair are most prone to develop skin
cancer
 If you sunburn easily and have fair skin with red or
blond hair, you are more likely to get skin cancer.
2. Use short words, common vocabulary with 1
or 2 syllabus
 Shot ---- Injection
 Use ---- Utilize
 Stroke ---- Cardiovascular
 Medicine ---- Drug
 Lifesaver, Reoccur, Emptying
3. Spell words out instead of
abbreviation, acronyms
 That is --- i.e
 For example ---- e.g.
 September ---- sept.
 CVA, NPO
4. Organize into chunks
 Use numbers sparingly
 Limit items to seven only
5. Keep sentences short, title should
be short (convey purpose)
 Avoid commas, colons, dashes
6. Define technical words by using
parenthesis
 Bacteria (germ)
 Alzheimer’s (pronounced Alts-hi-merz)
7. Use words consistently and avoid
interchanging
 Diet ---- meal plan, menu, food, schedule,
dietary prescription
8. Avoid value judgment words with many
interpretations
 Avoid: excessive, frequently, regularly
 Drink milk frequently ---- Drink three full glasses of
milk every day
9. Put most important information FIRST

10. Use Advance organizers

 Topic headers/subheadings
11. Limit use of connectives
 However, Consequently, Even though, In spite
of
 Avoid “and” if it connects two different ideas
12. Make the first sentence the TOPIC
sentence
 Even though overexposure to the sun is the
leading cause, it isn’t necessary to give up
outdoors in order to reduce cancer
 Your chance of skin cancer can be reduced
even when enjoying the outdoors.
13. Reduce concept density by limiting
each paragraph to a simple message

14. Keep density of words low = 30-40

characters (letters) per line
15. Allow plenty of white space in margins,
double space between paragraphs

16. Keep right margins unjustified

17. Design layout that encourages
eye movement

18. Select simple text style

 Serif, Times, Courier
 14-16 size
 Avoid: italics, fancy lettering, ALL
CAPITAL
19. Highlight with BOLD or Underline

20. Use colors consistently

 Red, Yellow, Orange
 Use bold solid colors
 Avoid pastel colors
21. Create a simple cover page with a title
(1-4 words in length)
22. Limit the entire length of a document

23. Select paper that is attractive (White is

preferred; Avoid gloss paper)
24. Use bold line drawings, simple realistic
pictures and diagrams
 Avoid negative pictures
 Use subtitles/captions
25. Include a summary section
 Use: bullet/number, Q & A
 Am I likely to get skin cancer?
 How can I tell if I have skin cancer?
26. Put the reading level (RL) on the back
of a PEM
 RL6
27. Determine readability by applying at
least 2 formulas
 SMOG, Fog, Fry
 Cloze or Listening (comprehension)
 WRAT, REALM, TOFHLA (reading skills)
First Step – assessing reading ability

Second Step – planning an approach to

teaching
1. Establish trust
2. Use the smallest amount of information to
accomplish the predetermined behavioral
objectives
3. Make points of information as vivid and explicit
as possible
4. Use multiple teaching methods
5. Allow patients to restate
information in their own words
and demonstrate any procedures
taught
6. Teach one step at a time
7. Keep motivation high
8. Build in coordination of procedures
9. Use repetition
 Developing printed
educational materials
1. Include a short but descriptive title
2. Use brief headings and subheadings
3. Incorporate only one idea per paragraph
4. Divide complex instructions into small steps
1. Consider using a Q-A format
2. Address no more than 3 or 4 main points
3. Reinforce main points = summary at end
1. Keep the reading level at grade 5 or 6
2. Use 1 or 2 syllable words and short
sentences
3. Use a personal and conversational style
4. Define technical terms
5. Use words consistently throughout text
6. Avoid the use of idioms that might mean
different things
7. Use graphics and languages that are culturally
and age relevant
8. Use examples and simple analogies
1. Avoid cluttered appearance
2. Include simple diagrams that are well labeled
3. Use upper and lowercase letters
4. Use 12-14 point style
5. Use lists when appropriate
6. Limit line length to no more than 50-60 characters
Information literacy
Ability to identify the need
for information; to collect,
evaluate and interpret and
use it appropriately.
Use of computer in order to
access information.
1. Encourage learners to use their home computers
and explore functions
2. Enlist univ. or hospital librarian to help teach
learners
3. Information literacy skills must be included in
undergrad or grad curriculum