General Learning Style (ESTP)

Students with this learning style learn best by experiencing, doing and memorising, and are interested in the practical use to which they can put ideas. They collect facts and are a mine of useful and relevant information. They are quickly bored and can become disruptive if their energy and enthusiasm is not understood or properly channelled.

Fresh experiences excite them, as a consequence of which they tend to plunge into new subjects, learning as they go. Variety, sensory stimulation and active participation maintain their interest, and thus they benefit from short presentations, 'on-the-job' training that has immediate applications, and practical, experiential workshops. They need physical involvement and activity to maintain their attention. Demonstrations and practical examples are of more use to these learners than theory, discussion or reading.

As learners, they:

• are less interested in theories than in factual and practical information
• are action-orientated and enjoy personal involvement and participation
• prefer hands-on training
• like to be entertained and to entertain others
• are good at improvising, decision-making and risk-taking
• enjoy competition
• need frequent breaks that allow for physical movement

They learn best when:

• there is an active and lively atmosphere, and a wide range of activities to participate in
• set challenges or tasks, and required to solve problems with others
• there are plenty of opportunities for co-operative interaction, dialogue and group discussion
• encouraged to set their own deadlines and targets
• given positions of leadership or responsibility, for example coaching others, demonstrating techniques, organising team members etc.
• there is plenty of 'hands-on' training or examples, and that they can put into practice what they have learnt
• ideas are presented imaginatively or in an multi-sensory manner, for example using dramatisation or presentations that include music, video, movement etc.
• they can link what they are learning to 'real-world' problems
• learning is experienced as fun, e.g. it includes games, role-playing, experimentation, plenty of stimulation and interaction, as well as 'free time' for assimilating ideas

They are challenged when:

• the learning environment is dull, un-stimulating and rigid, with few opportunities to participate
• imagination, intuition and creativity are valued above ingenuity, involvement and practical skill
• the learning is essentially passive, i.e. reading, observing others, listening to how something 'should' be done, taking notes
• the focus is on academic competition or achieving set goals or standards
• required to work alone, for example reading, writing or reflecting
• there is too much theory, generalisation or ambiguity

College Learning Style

Students with this learning style are good-natured problem solvers. They dislike long explanations, and would rather get a few key details about a situation, make a brief recommendation, and then move on to the next problem. Their friendliness leads others to like and listen to them.

Choosing a Major Subject

• Decide by trial and error
• Seek part-time work to try out options
• Tend to seek majors and careers requiring action, flexibility, and dealing with the real world, such as engineering, construction, production, recreation, police work, marketing, health technology

Learning Preferences

• Prefer first-hand experience
• Ability more like to show in actual situations than on written tests
• Impatient with ideas or theories that can't be directly tested
• May experience difficulty in classrooms because few college instructors are their type
• Like to get their facts straight

Reading, Writing, Studying

• May jump from subject to subject while studying
• Frequently organise study groups that turn into play
• Interested in physical activity; report no hours per week of non-required serious reading
• Would rather show someone what they know than write about it, but can write easier by dictating first drafts
• Need to revise drafts by presenting the bottom line and removing excessive data

Playing

• Enjoy physical exercise and sports
• Flatmates find them happy-go-lucky, gifted at easing tense situations
• Like to entertain their dates
• May enjoy playing so much that work is sometimes forgotten

Possible Causes of Stress

• Abstractions and theories that seem irrelevant
• May offend flatmates by being too blunt
• May act too quickly without checking how actions affect others
• May lack clear sense of direction
• May get so caught up in activity that studies are ignored

Dealing With Stress

• Naturally spontaneous and adaptable
• Like physical activity to reduce stress
• Like risk-taking and new experiences to relieve tension
• Need to trust hunches when taking multiple choice tests
• May need to slow down and weigh the pros and cons before acting