Learning Styles Inventory

Discovering how you learn best is one of the keys to being a successful college student. Using your strengths will allow you to make the most of your study time.

Take the inventory online

Sensory Modality Inventory

There are ten incomplete sentences and three choices for completing each. Some of the choices contain more than one option. If any one of those options seems typical of you, score that answer. All of the options do not have to apply to you. Score the three choices by rating:

3 = to the answer most typical of you,
2 = to your second choice,
1 = to the one least like you

1. When I want to learn something new, I usually:
1. ____ want someone to explain it to me.
2. ____ want to read about it in a book or magazine.
3. ____ want to try it out, take notes, or make a model of it.
2. At a party, most of the time I like to:
1. ____ listen and talk to two or three people at once.
2. ____ see how everyone looks and watch the people.
3. ____ dance, play games, or take part in some activities.
3. If I were helping with a musical show, I would most likely:
1. ____ write the music, sing the songs, or play the accompaniment.
2. ____ design the costumes, paint the scenery, or work the lighting effects.
3. ____ make the costumes, build the sets, or take an acting role.
4. When I am angry, my first reaction is to:
1. ____ tell people off, laugh, joke, or talk it over with someone.
2. ____ blame myself or someone else, daydream about taking revenge, or keep it inside.
3. ____ make a fist or tense my muscles, vent on something else, hit or throw things.
5. A happy event I would like to have is:
1. ____ hearing the thunderous applause for my speech or music.
2. ____ photographing the prized picture of a sensational newspaper story.
3. ____ achieving the fame of being first in a physical activity such as dancing, acting, surfing, or a sports event.
6. I prefer a teacher to:
1. ____ use the lecture method with informative explanations, and discussions.
2. ____ write on the chalkboard, use visual aids, and assign readings.
3. ____ require posters, models, or in-service practice, and some activities in class.
7. I know that I talk with:
1. ____ different tones of voice.
2. ____ my eyes and facial expressions.
3. ____ my hands and gestures.
8. If I had to remember an event so that I could record it later, I would choose to:
1. ____ tell it aloud to someone or hear a tape recording or a song about it.
2. ____ see pictures of it or read a description.
3. ____ replay it in some practice rehearsal using movements such as dance, playacting, or drill.
9. When I cook something new, I like to:
1. ____ have someone tell me the directions, such as a friend or TV show.
2. ____ read the recipe and judge by how it looks.
3. ____ use many posts and dishes, stir often and taste-test.
10. In my free time, I like to:
1. ____ listen to the radio, talk on the telephone, or attend a musical event.
2. ____ go to the movies, watch TV, or read a magazine or book.
3. ____ get some exercise, go for a walk, play games, or make things .

Add the point totals for A, B, & C, respectively:

A. Auditory =	____
B. Visual =	____
C. Kinesthetic =	____

Study Tips for Learning Modality Strengths

Everyone has the capacity to learn in many different ways. Remember that your learning style represents how you prefer to learn new information. Review the suggestions listed below. Incorporating some of the techniques of your dominant learning style(s) will allow you to be a more effective student.

Auditory Preference

Clues:
Prefers to get information by listening - needs to hear it to know it.
May have difficulty following written directions.
Often has difficulty with reading and writing.
May have an inability to read body language and facial expressions.

General Hints:
You will benefit from hearing information-audio tapes, your own voice, or lectures.
You may want to make tapes of reading assignments or class notes.
Pretend that you are teaching someone else the information and explain it out loud.
Reading aloud notes or text material will help you.

Lecture Hints:
Use a cassette tape player as pre-testing by asking yourself a question, leaving a 2- second blank space, and then giving the answer. Use a cassette player to record difficult material from your notes.

Orally test yourself by asking question from your notes.
Read aloud any difficult material in your notes. If you can't read aloud, try vocalizing the words quietly.

Textbook Hints:
Read aloud all summary statements, headings, and subheadings before you begin reading a chapter.
Restate key ideas to yourself as you read material. Keep a "conversation" going with your text as you read (agree or disagree with the author, or question key ideas).
For difficult material, restate in your own words what you have just read.
Read aloud, vocalize, or whisper passages that are difficult.
After reading, quiz yourself (aloud) over the vocabulary.
Orally quiz yourself over selected main ideas.
Tape yourself reading difficult text sections, and then go back and listen to them.

Visual Preference

Clues:
Needs to see it to know it.
May have a strong sense of color and artistic ability.
Often has difficulty with spoken directions and following lectures.
May experience an overreaction to sounds.

General Hints:
You will benefit from seeing information-either in print or from videos, charts, or overheads.
It will be easier for you to remember what you read than what you hear.
When given information orally, you should write it down or take some notes.

Lecture Hints:
Read the text before attending lectures.
Take notes over lecture material.
For difficult or confusing material, use a mapping technique along with notes. (Mapping is drawing a diagram of the material read using only the main ideas. You show the relationships among the ideas with lines connecting the ideas.) Use white space on your page as a guide when taking notes. To learn material, stare off into space and remember what the written information looked like on your page.

Textbook Hints:
Preview chapters by reading the headings, subheadings, and outlines before reading the chapter.
Watch for topic sentences. Reread them to help you stay with the material being read.
Underline topic sentences.
Draw a diagram, jot down a list, use mapping, or make a chart to help you retain difficult material.
Underline key words and concepts as you read. Marking your text will be very helpful.

 

Kinesthetic Preference

Clues:
Prefers hands-on learning.
Can assemble parts without reading directions.
May have difficulty sitting still.
Tends to learn better when physical activity is involved.
May be very well coordinated and have athletic ability.

General Hints:
You learn best by doing. The more involved you are with material, the easier it is for you to learn.
You should try to find practical application for information. When you can, do projects and experiments using what you learn.
Write information down.
Moving your fingers along the lines as you read may help.

Lecture Hints:
Take notes and go back over them, making special marks for important material or material you need to go over more.
For difficult or confusing material, answer practice questions in writing.
Write difficult information in the air with your finger.
Use your hand as a marker as you go through your notes.

Textbook Hints:
Use your hand or finger as a guide as you read.
For difficult material, draw a chart or diagram to help you understand what you read.
Underline important words and concepts as you study.
Making and using study/flash cards will help you learn difficult material. Use 3 X 5 cards with a question on one side and the answer on the other. You can also put charts, lists, and diagrams on small cards to use for studying.
Use you finger to point out summary information, main points, and headings and subheadings as you read.

Hints are from Jan Bradley, Jo Belle Burnett, Gary Funk and Myrna Hite Walker (1992). Thrills, Spills, and Study Skills: A Strategy and Vocabulary Approach. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.