Discover Your Learning Strengths and Weaknesses

Self-assessments  

Objectives:

·        To increase awareness of personal learning strengths and weaknesses

·        To develop awareness of self-defeating or helpful learning / study practices based on personal learning strengths and weaknesses

Outcomes:

·        To compile a basic portfolio of printed self-assessment exercises, results, and notes concerning personal learning strengths, weaknesses, and other characteristics which effect learning effectiveness

·        To compile a personalized list of strategies to increase learning effectiveness based on results of learning self-assessments

Warm-Up:

Read the following article on Learning as an Adult: http://www.studygs.net/adulted.htm.

New Instruction:

1. Complete, score, and review results for at least THREE of the following exercises. 

2. Print or record your results for each assessment. 

3. For each assessment, record at least three new learning strategies (or changes) you can use to improve learning effectiveness.

   • Personal Style Inventory:  http://www.muskingum.edu/~cal/database/general/inventory.html

   • Self-description exercise:  http://www.muskingum.edu/~cal/database/general/self.html

   • Hemispheric dominance Inventory:  http://www.mtsu.edu/~studskl/hd/learn.html

   • Modality / Learning Channel: http://www.muskingum.edu/~cal/database/general/modality.html

   • Multiple Intelligences Inventory (80 items): http://www.ldrc.ca/projects/miinventory/

   • Learning to Learn Questionnaire:   http://www.studygs.net/metacognition.htm

4. Compile a “How I Learn Best” portfolio (folder or file) with your assessment checklists, results, learning strategies list, and any notes you have taken while doing these exercises.

Feedback and Review:

1. Share your portfolio with your instructor or a fellow student. 

2. Discuss, and write down, at least five changes you will make to your current learning practices based on results from your self-assessment.

Transfer of Knowledge or Skills:

Using your “How I Learn Best” portfolio, evaluate each topic you are trying to learn (in or out of class). 

1. Do your current methods of learning this topic support your learning strengths? 

2. How can you modify your experiences so you can learn more effectively?