Essay About Learning Style And Personal Learning Style

Theories of Motivation
Essay title: Theories of Motivation
Theories of Motivation
People learn at different rates and in different ways. There are many learning
assessment tools available to assist a person in discovering their learning style. This
paper will cover the different discoveries I have made about myself during my
Managerial Communication class here at the University of Phoenix. I will concentrate
on four key areas: personal learning style, strengths, growth opportunities, and
strategies I will use for improvement.
Robbins (2002) defines motivation as “the processes that account for an individuals
intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal.” (p.155) Experts
accede that the most highly motivating work assignments offered should be similar to
the kinds of activities people might choose to do for fun on their own. (Katz, 1998).
Educators postulate that most people fall into one of 4 basic learning styles: visual,
auditory, kinesthetic or didactic. The visual learner absorbs information by reading it or
seeing it on paper. The auditory learner absorbs information better when they hear it.
The kinesthetic learner needs hands-on exercises, practice, or examples to understand
and learn. While no one gathers all his or her information one-way exclusively, every
one has dominant method of learning. (Kay, 1998, pp. 6-7).
Based on the Learning Style Questionnaire given during class, I learned my style is
more reflective. I tend to spend a lot time thinking through the problem. This can be a
good way to work out a problem but I sometime waste a lot of energy analyzing and
over analyzing the problem and not enough time actually solving the problem. This
assessment also revealed my learning style is more sensing, meaning I tend to learn
easier by memorizing facts. I am also a visual learner. I learn best by using pictures,
diagrams, flowcharts, and time lines. Lastly, my learning style assessment revealed I
I am a sequential learner. Sequential learners do not always understand the big picture,
but can process the different elements of the problem logically. Understanding how I
learn was very helpful. It showed I needed to find balance in my learning style.
The Learning Style Questionnaire gave me feedback on myself as well are reinforced
some of things I already knew about myself.
Assessing my strengths is a little harder, mainly because I do not like talking about
myself. Talking about my strengths makes me feel a little uneasy, but I will try.
Although I like structure, I can be pretty flexible. I am flexible with plans, project
changes, and deadlines. I think flexibility is a good skill as long as I am not being taken
advantage of. I am an excellent listener. I listen to understand requirements or the other
persons position. I often observe people, especially if I do not really know them. This
helps to improve my listening skills. I am rational and analytical. These two go hand in
hand. I am able to apply logic and reasoning to work out problems. I look at the pros
and cons of each solution to determine the best solution for the problem or business
requirement. Lastly, I am a team player. I only want the team