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I recently attended a Zoom presentation for work where the lecture left me bored, angry, and frustrated. I actually wrote in my notes that I felt like the speaker was, “Vomiting words at me, and I could not pick out anything valuable amongst the spew.” Gross, huh?
I know this is not a very good reaction to something that I was supposed to learn, and I should be more professional, but I couldn’t concentrate or focus on what she was saying. It was just tiny detail after tiny detail, and I could not discover the connection.
Being a teacher, I asked myself what was wrong with the presenter. What was wrong with me?
Global vs. Analytic
While listening to the presentation, my mind wandered to learning style preferences, and I realized the problem. I am a global learner. Unfortunately, the presenter was so extremely analytic in her approach, that I couldn’t see the point she was trying to make.
You see, global learners prefer to be given an overview first. The big picture is the structure on which they can hang the details. Without a central idea, they feel like they are shoveling through useless information. They need to know the thesis before they can sit still and listen to the explanations. They are usually not strong auditory learners, either.
Meanwhile, the analytic learner wants the facts and details first. They carefully and sequentially build the small pieces into a big picture. If you think of building a house, these logical learners want to know how to use all of the tools before they begin construction. In contrast, global learners want to see what they are making before they decide which tools are important enough to investigate.
A good teacher combines these opposite ways of approaching the material in designing the perfect lesson plan. They combine stories and emotions (global) with logical facts and details (analytical).
Analytical Break Down:
There are several pros to being an analytical learner. For one, analytical learners tend to thrive in a traditional school setting. They enjoy lectures where they can squeeze out all of the information a bit at a time. They ask great questions in class and enjoy conducting research to find the answers. Analytical thinkers work in an organized, sequential way. They follow the rules, adhere to the procedures, and prefer a classical method of instruction. When completing assignments, they want clear directions with a rubric.
An excellent memory for facts, details, and numbers is another strength of the analytical learner. They can identify patterns that others might not see. Because they can visualize the pieces, they can identify how small changes can affect the big picture. This allows them to develop detailed strategies to solve problems. As adults, they make good accountants, data scientists, and analysts.
Teaching an Analytical Learner:
Several curriculums address this classical method of instruction. The Writing Road to Reading by Romalada Spalding is a great example. Nothing is left to chance. The student is instructed how to sit, how to hold a pencil, and how to angle the paper on the desk. There is a correct way to do everything. In addition, pupils learn most of the letter sounds (the phonetic pieces) before they ever begin to read (the ultimate goal).
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The Writing Road to Reading, Sixth Edition By Romalda Bishop Spalding, edited by Mary E. North, Ph.D. / HarperCollins |
Classical Conversations is another program in which analytical learners thrive. Students memorize facts which build a strong foundation for further development in junior high and high school where they begin to interpret the facts and gain a more global understanding of the world around them.
Global Break Down:
On the other hand, the global learner wants the concept before the details, the emotion before the logic. They can be visionary in their approach, sometimes coming up with out-of-the-box ideas. They have the ability to look at a problem from multiple directions, and they are good at developing master plans. Some positive labels include perceptive and insightful.
In the classroom, they may look random in their approaches to learning because they tend to tackle multiple tasks at one time. They make decisions based on emotions and intuition rather than logic. They skip around textbooks, looking for what they deem important. You may see them talking with their hands gesturing.
Teaching a Global Learner
These students thrive with thematic units and student-directed real-world learning through play. They love stories and books. Introduce them to people who can tell their personal stories. Allow them to work with others.
Teachers and parents should let the global learner try their hand at reading as soon as possible. These students will be motivated to learn by accessing stories or information that is of interest to them. Leveled readers work well with this type of learner because they only need a little phonetic knowledge under their belt before jumping in.
Usborne books were a favorite with my family. Both social studies and science texts have a great overview with pictures for the global learner while they include plenty of facts to satisfy the analytical. Even very young global and analytical learners can pick out what is interesting and narrate what they have discovered.
Addressing the Needs of All Learners
Lectures:
If the instructor referred to above had begun her presentation with a quick story or anecdote about how the curriculum was useful, I would have been more motivated to follow along. Or if she had summarized how the teacher interface was helpful for instruction and grading, I would have had a framework on which to hang the specifics. Global learners want the why before they learn how. To make the analytical learners happy, the instructor should launch into the nuts and bolts of the program directly after capturing the audience’s attention.
A good teacher will not rely on lectures alone but will give students time to work with the information using their own learning style preferences. They will let the global students jump around the material and explore enough to make their own connections and they will not be judgemental about how certain students sequence details.
Handouts:
A handout is handy for everyone. It should have a clear overview for the global learner, along with step-by-step instructions for the analytical learner. Just understand that the global learner wants control of the handout so they can skip through it and create a big picture in their mind while the analytic leaner is happy to follow along with a screen share on a Zoom call.
Textbooks:
If you want to frustrate an analytic learner, you will skip chapters one and two of the textbook and jump directly into chapter three without an explanation. They need to know they are not missing out on important background information that would help them understand the third chapter.
On the other hand, to the global learner, starting with chapter 3 might be a relief. To them, launching at the very beginning of a textbook with the thought of reading sequentially all the way through is a daunting task. A textbook can look frightening and downright mean without an overview or syllabus to give the big picture, first.
Both analytic and global learners will benefit from a survey of the textbook before jumping in. Looking at chapter headings in the table of contents and reading a syllabus will give learners an outline of what they will learn with the nuts and bolts details of what to expect.
Conclusion:
When discussing learning style preferences, I am always hesitant to box people into just two opposite categories such as global and analytical. Understand that we all have a variety of learning style preferences that affect how we access information and approach problems. Often times we need polar opposites to come together and bring balance to a project or the classroom.
Everyone has their own unique perspective. The global thinker can come up with ideas, but it takes discipline to put together all of the pieces that change an idea into a reality. I know I depend on my analytical co-workers and friends to help me with sequencing and processes. They love the specifics and bring up details that I would never see. They enjoy the particulars that I find tedious and difficult to work with. The world needs both the visionary and the practical. Excellent teachers address the needs of both.
More articles on learning style preferences can be found here:
Determining How I Learn Best: An Overview of Learning Styles
Teach with Learning Styles in Mind
Environmental Preferences for Learning
Emotional Preferences for Learning
I agree. Each person has a unique approach to learning and a unique combination of the two styles you mention. Skip either of them and the students lose valuable learning.