INTERVIEW EDGE • JAN 1998

Participative Learners vs Reflective Learners

It's not only psychologists and educators who understand that people learn in different ways. Experienced trainers, for instance, know that seminar participants bring varied learning styles to the classroom. Now, research from the Instructional Systems Association's twentieth anniversary conference confirms that most of us - around 70 percent - are participative learners; the rest are reflective learners.

Participative learners are extroverted, hands-on people; they learn best in situations that allow for role playing, group exercises, and team activities. On the other hand, those who are more contemplative need some quiet time to help them assimilate and interpret new information. Good trainers try to create workshop situations that facilitate both types of learning; so do we. All our interview training programs are designed to be equally effective for participative and reflective learners.