Learning styles: a holistic approach

Human resource development practitioners and others do not appear to share a common underlying framework for, and understanding of, “learning style”. Argues that learning style is but one construct which, along with learning preferences and cognitive styles, may be included under the umbrella term “personal style”. Reviews each aspect of the suggested personal style framework and considers its relationship to learning performance at the reaction, learning, behaviour and results levels. Describes the instruments which may be used for profiling personal style. Suggests that personal styles profiling is of value to HRD practitioners because it may enable them to: identify their own styles; become aware of any bias or imbalance in the training and learning methods which they employ; design and develop learning events which accommodate, or at least acknowledge, the personal styles of the learners.