1. Project Introduction
Research on “Accommodating Learning Styles in
International Bridging Education Programs” funded
by Canadian Council on Learning (2006 – 2008)
 Investigator: Professor Lillie Lum, School of Nursing, York
University
 Co-investigators: Caroline Chassels, Ontario Institute for Studies
in Education, University of Toronto and Hilary Schuldt,
Woodgreen Community Services
 Research Consultant: Nikhat Rasheed
 Undergraduate Assistant: Arti Chagar
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2. Our Research Objectives
 To obtain demographic data on your previous
educational and work histories that we can
measure across professions
 To understand your learning histories, styles,
preferences and self-directedness
 To arm you with the knowledge of your learning
style how you can improve chances for success in
your current program, how to become a life-long
learner and how to improve team and group
working!
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3. Why Do We Have Different Styles?
 Parental upbringing
 Previous experience in education
 Temperament
 What’s worked and what hasn’t
 Other?
 No wrong or right way!
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4. How Will Knowing your Learning Style Help You?
In both professional and personal spaces…
 Maximize learning from educational programs
 Solve problems that occur due to different learning
styles
 Improve your team working and group working skills
 Manage disagreement and conflict
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5. Our Research Tools
Your research package contains:
 Consent Form
 Bridging Education and Work Survey
 Self-directed Learning Question Booklet +
Answer Sheet
 Kolb Learning Styles Inventory Question Booklet
+ Answer Sheet
 You have to return all documents except the
Kolb booklet which is yours to keep.
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6. Instructions
 Please fill out three questionnaires and sign/date the consent
form.
 You do not need to fill out any section that asks for your personal
details except if you want to participate in a discussion group to
follow, then you can put your first name and phone number at the
end of the bridging education and work (demographic) survey.
 Keep the Kolb Booklet but return the Kolb questionnaire. You will
be given a spare Kolb sheet when you return the package.
 When you return the package containing all three questionnaires
and the consent form by next week, sign and collect a new
package containing your $25 honorarium.
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7. Frequently Asked Questions:
Filling the Bridging Education Professional Work
Survey
 Q4. Please list the countries you have lived in but don’t add Canada to it
 Q10. We want to really understand how many languages you speak including
your own native languages, English and/or French. So please list 4 of your
best languages in addition to English (which is already listed). Think carefully
about how good you are and try and use the rating chart as a guide.
 Q12. It would be great if you put in the scores you got for the language tests
you have taken. Helps us to see how well everyone is doing!
 Q17. You should tick ALL the different educational qualifications you have
(but this does not include the specific license to practice that some countries
award you). Not all countries license the professions. Sometimes you only
need a degree.
 Q18. I know it might take some time but please use the code charts provided.
It is very hard for us to know just from the name if your educational institution
was a university or college or institute.
 Q19. This refers to the highest only, please only tick ONE.
 Q33/36. Please use the code charts provided to give us information on the
institutions that give you license to practice or where you worked.
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8. Frequently Asked Questions:
Filling out the Learning Styles Inventory
 Making the choices
• Don’t fill out your personal information on the front, we don’t need it
• For each sentence, you have to pick one choice, the one that is most like
you.
• Our suggestion is that you read the questions carefully and circle your
answer in your booklet first
• Then once you have answered all the questions, you can transfer the
answers to the answer sheet
 Filling out the answer sheet
• Transfer your answers to the answer sheet correctly
• Be sure to colour in your responses properly (black pen is best) so that the
machine can read your responses
• Return both the question and answer sheets to us so that we can double
check you have filled out your answers correctly.
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9. Frequently Asked Questions:
Filling out the Kolb Properly
 Ranking the Kolb
• For each sentence, you have to rate the choices from most like you (4) to least like
you (1). Sometimes there will be choices that you will feel you undertake equally. But
still, you need to rank them from 1 to 4.
• The easiest way to do this is to read the choices and decide which one is like you
most (4) and which one is like you the least (1). Then try and rank the other two
choices in the middle (2,3).
• To fill it out correctly, make sure that on each sentence you have 1,2,3,4 across it.
Please do not repeat the same number on the same sentence.
• You only have one chance to fill out the sheet because there is carbon paper at the
back. So be careful.
• Also, make sure to write down your final scores (AE, CE, RO, AC) on separate paper
so you can check against it later. You can keep the Kolb Booklet.
 Meanings of the words e.g. “rational” and “reserved”?
• If you don’t understand the meaning of the words straight away, you can consult a
dictionary to make sure you understand the meaning properly.
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10. Kolb - The Circle of Learning
Fill out the Kolb question sheet
by looking at the different
options they have given you
for every statement, then mark
4 for the one that’s most like
you, and 1 for the one most
unlike you and rate the others
(2,3) based on what you think.
You can discuss the questions
with a partner or friend if you
feel it would be useful! Then
follow the instructions on the
sheet and plot your scores on
the circle.
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11. Kolb - Learning-Style Type Grid
You can also plot your scores
on the grid to understand
which styles you use most
while learning and which one’s
you can improve upon.
Tip: Make photocopies of both
the circle and the grid and use
those to plot your scores so
that you can make more copies
of the book at a later stage,
and can repeat the test
whenever you want!
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12. My Kolb Scores
 I learn by thinking most, followed by observation and
then actually doing 
 I’m good at planning systematically, logically
analyzing ideas and acting on an intellectual
understanding of a situation 
 Cycle of Learning: Abstract Conceptualization
 Learning Style: Assimilating 
 Some Career Possibilities – Educational
Research, Economics, Technology (I love
technology!)
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