by Darrell Pursiful

Two factors determine a person’s learning style. One factor is how we prefer to gather information, how we think about things. Some people prefer to gather information through concrete experience. Most young children learn best through concrete experience, and some of us never outgrow this phase! Others, however, prefer to gather information through abstract conceptualization. These are the “bookworms,” the people who insist on “just the facts,” preferably written in a book by an acknowledged expert in the field.

 The other factor determining our learning style is how we process the information we gather. Some people process information through reflective observation. They take what they have experienced (the experiencers) or read (the conceptualizers) and think it over, often in the privacy of their own minds. Others are more at home processing what they learn through active experimentation. These people have never really learned something until they can try it out in real life.

These four functions of learning might be called “feeling” (concrete experimentation), “watching” (reflective observation), “thinking” (abstract conceptualization), and “doing” (active experimentation).

By considering how we gather and process information, we can roughly group all learners into one of four basic learning styles.

• Reflective learners are “feelers” and “watchers.” They are able to look at things from different perspectives. They gather information and use imagination to solve problems. Reflectives tend to be quiet, and they often don’t know what they think about something until they have had time to mull it over.

• Theoretical learners are “thinkers” and “watchers.” They prefer a concise and logical approach. Ideas and concepts tend to be more important than people or relationships. Theorists demand a good, clear explanation of things.

• Pragmatic learners are “thinkers” and “doers.” They want to apply what they learn to finding solutions to practical issues. They prefer technical tasks, and are less concerned with people and the interpersonal aspects of things. Pragmatists want their ideas to be supported by facts and figures, and anything that isn’t practical is considered a waste of time.

• Active learners are “feelers” and “doers.” These are hands-on learners who tend to rely on intuition rather than logic. They prefer to use other people's analysis and like a practical, experiential approach. These learners love to build on the ideas of others and immediately put their learning into practice.

The challenge facing any teacher is to construct a teaching plan that meets the needs of every learner, each with his or her preferred learning style. It is easy to assume that the kinds of learning activities the teachers excelled in will work for everyone. Effective teaching, however, must encompass all of the ways that people customarily handle information. One way to construct a lesson plan that addresses all your learners with their various learning styles is to use a four-part mnemonic device: “grab,” “lab,” “tab,” and “jab.”

GRAB (“feeling”) – Begin the lesson in such a way that you “grab” the attention of your learners. You grab them best by some sort of concrete experience. Relate your lesson to everyday life through simulations, role-play, or other methods. Either provide them with an experience, or ask them to recall a previous experience.

LAB (“watching”) – Now you must process the experience by inviting reflective observation. Debrief the experience by asking about personal meaning: how does this relate to “real life”? How would you feel if this were your experience? Allow learners to ponder the implications of the subject matter. The true reflective-types will probably prefer to sit in silence, but breaking the classroom into small groups can ease some of their natural hesitancy to share their thoughts before they have been fully processed.

TAB (“thinking”) – Now is the time to shore up the experiencing and reflecting with some hard data. In a Bible study setting, this is where we explore how Scripture sheds light on the subject matter. This will appeal to those who prefer abstract conceptualization by giving them doctrinal or ethical principles, the history of Christian thought, facts and statistics, etc.

JAB (“doing”) – Do not conclude the lesson without inviting some form of active experimentation. Let the learners try out what they have learned in order to find the practical applications. Again, a role-play scenario is an excellent way to let your students put what they have learned into practice.

The beauty of this plan is that the teacher doesn’t have to know which learners fit in which category, or how many of each there will be. By devising a plan that gives every potential learner a familiar handle, every learner is positioned to do the best learning possible.

Darrell Pursiful is the editor of the Formations Adult Bible Study series. In addition to his B.A. and Master's degrees, Darrell has a Ph.D. in New Testament. He has taught New Testament and Church History at both the college and seminary level, and his dissertation work on biblical spirituality has blossomed into an enduring passion to explore the prayer, liturgy, and discipleship of the early church. Before his work with Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Darrell served as pastor and church staff minister for churches in Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan. Darrell and his wife Connie have one daughter, Rebecca.