As preceptor for a Capstone student, one of your responsibilities is to assist the adult student with learning and role transition. This module will help you accomplish this by considering a variety of learning styles and teaching strategies.
As the preceptor, it is important to understand students' varied learning styles. It is also essential to understand your own learning style because this will be key to your effectiveness as a preceptor.
Learning style refers to an individual's characteristic and preferred way to gather, interpret, and think about new information. Some people learn better on their own, others in groups; some learn best by reading and others by active manipulation of the materials. No single style has been demonstrated to be better than others, and no single style leads to better learning. The information about learning styles below should help you understand your own learning style and assist you in recognizing the learning styles of the student, who may or may not share your learning style.
Knowing how you learn is the first step in understanding learning styles. Think about the following questions to help you recognize your learning style:
As an exercise, assume that you like to make decisions quickly but your student prefers to think things through before acting. The student learns better when you provide written as well as visual instruction, but that is your preferred method of instruction. There may be a mismatch in teaching/learning styles. Consequently, you may both experience frustration because you do not learn in the same way. Generally, we teach in the style that we prefer.
To overcome these differences, you need to diversify how you teach: explain what you are doing and why; practice talking through procedures; verbalize the rationale for your actions. Take the time to ask the student questions and encourage more verbal exchanges of information. Provide pointers to written instructions. You may have to work outside of your comfort zone to better meet the learning needs of your student. The mismatch of styles does not mean that one is better than the other, but it does require being aware of the differences so that you can find a balance.
It is helpful to know the student's preferred learning style so that you can use a variety of teaching strategies that appeal to his/her learning style. If you are having trouble communicating, try a new approach or ask the student to step out of her/his comfort zones and try a new style.
