Learning Styles and Types of Attenders in First Year Universities

This report discusses the different learning styles and types of attenders in first year universities, with a focus on the preferred learning style of activists. It also highlights the weaknesses of this learning style and categorizes the types of attenders in universities.

Report

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Learning style analysis................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Report is described as a document which comprises information about event, incident or
other happenings. The main aim of preparing report is to describe performances or activities
performed in the happening in written form. The present report is based in an article which is
“Understanding Students”. The article is about attendance for first year students of Business
School in UK. A student gains huge experiences when there were in primary school. In this
phase of their life, they learned about simple things and when there were in higher school,
students experiences importance of education for an individual. Learners gained huge skill set in
primary and secondary schooling which includes informational technological skill,
communication skill, presentation skill, speaking skill etc (Rebelo, Santos and Silva, 2016). The
most memorable learning for student is when they find new things in similar situation and
gaining experiences through theoretical and practical knowledge. Learning experience in
educational institution is like finding pain points, fuelling smart textbooks, enhancing classroom
engagement, identifying dropout risks and cracking down towards cheating. A students enters
into first year with the motivation of gaining huge knowledge and achieving higher grades. The
attendance of first year student is around 50% as in beginning of the session they attends the
class but in the mid or end of the term they gradually disappear from classroom that reduces their
attendance percentages. The structure of classes which undertakes is like team work tasks,
observing activities, games, mind mapping, self analysis, essay or report writing, listening to
lecturers, presentations, leadership activities, role playing exercises and coursework. A student of
UK learns various things and this impacts positively on their existing learning as they makes
effective usage of their past studies in present and future learning.
MAIN BODY
Learning style analysis
Learning style is said to range of competing along with contested theories which determine
differences in learning of individual. As per the article, different learning styles that are given by
Mearman et.al (2014) are as follows:
 Activists style: The learning style is based on improving learning of students through
participation in activities. Activists style includes do-ers as well as go–gotters. A student
1

adopts the learning style when they have objective to learn for situations including group
activities, teamwork, role playing, participating in competitors etc.
 Reflectors style: The lerning style in which students prefers to take step back from
particular situation and prefers to learn through observations despite of jumping into
action or making snap decisions. Students adopt the style that has preference for activities
that allow them thinking prior to acting, watching events and undertaking research.
 Theorists style: Theorist style of learning influences learners to think carefully along
with logically for situation and completing workings within defined model. Students
adopt the style who responds well for activities which enable them to adopt statistics,
compile evidence as well as asking questions.
 Pragmatists style: The learning style which motivate students in applying knowledge
together with theories in practical addition to literal sense. Students adopt the style for
welcoming opportunity in order to experiment along with apply their learning in practical
situation.
Among the mentioned learning styles, the most preferred learning styles among student is
activists styles as it helps in learning new things through participating in various activities.
Types of attenders:
Dolnicar (2004) has categorised learners into following types:
 Idealists: These attenders are enthusiastic or feel enthused from attending lecturers and
believes that lectures makes information meaningful. The group of attenders enjoys
lecturers.
 Pragmatics: These attenders wants to know what are required to learn and only pay
emphasis to information related to assessment tasks. This type of attenders does not miss
relevant or important information.
 Average motivated students: These are the attenders that feels attending lecturers are
easier than learning alone. They have string believe that lecturers make information
important.
 Fundamental oriented students: These attenders shares pragmatic lecture attendance
purposes and focuses that attendance means learning fundamental principles about topic.
 Minimalists: The attenders that do not want to miss any significant and relevant information
associated with assessment tasks.
2

 Everything but pleasure learners: The attendees which enjoys apply for college except
enjoying lectures along with feel enthused from them (Yamin and Sim, 2016).
CONCLUSION
The mentioned report concludes that there are various learning styles and types of attenders
in first year in Universities. The preferred learning style is activist styles. The weakness in this
learning style is that it create unfavourable experience when a student feels bore in particular
learning activity. It requires improvements in future related to new tasks with excellence as well
as entertainment in high pressure situations. Other than this learning style, another learning style
include theorists learning style, reflector learning style and pragmatists learning style. In
universities, different types of attenders are there which are categorised as Idealists, pragmatics,
average motivated students, fundamental oriented students, minimalists and everything but
pleasure learners.
3

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Dolnicar, S, 2004. What makes students attend lectures? The shift towards pragmatism
inundergraduate lecture attendance, Conference Proceedings of the Australian and New
Zealand Marketing Academy, Wellington, New Zealand, 29 November-1 December 2.
Rebelo, M. F., Santos, G. and Silva, R., 2016. Integration of management systems: towards a
sustained success and development of organizations. Journal of Cleaner Production.
127. pp.96-111.
Yamin, M. and Sim, A. K., 2016. Critical success factors for international development projects
in Maldives. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business.
4