Additional Facts of Learning Styles and Other Learning Styles Used in The Aviation Industry

 

According to Kumar (2014) modern organizations should be earning as well as learning organizations. People are regarded as the most valuable resource of the organization. Hence, the effectiveness of the organization has a direct impact on the competence of employees. He further suggests that, if learning is emphasized by organizations, innovation and creativity of their people could be encouraged, decision-making skills improved and objectives of the employees could be achieved. Khan, Khan and Khan (2011) in their study reveals that training and development, on the job training, training design and delivery style is important in organizational Learning and Development. They further discuss that, although Learning and Development seem disadvantageous in terms of cost, it has a positive impact on the performance level of the employees and also on reducing the cost and time of organization. Thus, it is evident that the overall performance of the organization is enhanced.

The need for learning arises with the advancement of technology, performance improvements and professional development. Safety and precautions strategy is also emphasized by most industries and organizations when providing learning and development (Kumar,2014).

Karp (2000) states that, when concerning the aviation industry, safety is a major concern and technology and airspace have become more complex. In order to be more effective, people working in the field of aviation requires high retention and application of information. Thereby, it is vital that airlines and related organizations initially, understand how people learn best and accordingly design and develop training programs to improve efficiency, effectiveness and safety. He further adds that learning style is a very important contributing factor to be considered.

In the research conducted by Kanske and Brewster (2001) Kolb’s Learning style had been used to identify the preferred learning style among college aviation students. The study had been used as a tool to design effective courses and also adapt them for students that had different learning styles. Further, Kolb’s Learning Inventory enabled to identify the aviation students as a separate group in the campus.

Moreover, individuals possess their own preferred way of learning and it is the role of the trainers to identify and understand various styles to effectively deliver knowledge and skills (Sarabdeen, 2013).

De Vita (2001) suggests that, understanding the relationship between learning styles and the learning process, will be helpful in improving the overall quality of learning and the learning environment.

Honey and Mumford (1986) used Kolb’s Learning Cycle model to create their own (Sarabdeen, 2013).

Honey and Mumford Learning Style

According to De Vita (2001) Honey and Mumford adopted Kolb’s Learning theory to develop a simpler version of their own. However, they were not satisfied with Kolb’s Learning inventory. As shown in fig (7). Variations were introduced to the original model and renamed the stages as ‘Having an experience’, ‘Reviewing the experience’, ‘concluding from experience’ and ‘Planning the next step’. The learning styles were renamed as Activists, Reflector, Theorist and Pragmatist (De Vita, 2001).

Figure 7: Honey-and-Mumford-learning-model

Source: (Abewardhana, 2019)

De Vita (2001) explains the learning styles as follows.

Activist: A person that is better equipped with the ability to learn from experience.

Reflector: One who is better at reflective observation.

Theorist: Someone that explores associations and interrelationships between ideas and events.

Pragmatist: Individuals comprising learning activities that are based on doing or trying things that allow practical advantages.

As shown in fig (8) an alternative instrument in the form of questionnaire was based on the learning style developed by Honey and Mumford. This tool acted in focusing on strengthening the styles of individuals that were minimally utilized.

Figure 8: Learning Styles Questionnaire

Source: (Sarabdeen, 2013)

Taking into account determining the preferred learning styles,  Gao et al. (2013) in their study refers that, McCall, Klein, Piterman and Lam (2005) conducted a study on Hong Kong general practitioners by employing the Honey and Mumford’s Model of Learning Style and that the results showed the predominant learning style as reflective.

The video given will provide a better understanding of the Honey and Mumford Learning style.

Video 3: Honey and Mumford Learning style.

Source: (Student Success Space, 2017)

A practical example of the Honey and Mumford Learning style could be demonstrated from the maintenance department of the airline which I work for. A License aircraft Engineer on his path to obtaining full authorization from the relevant maintenance organization goes through all the said learning styles. That is; The Activist, Reflector, Theorist and Pragmatist.

Activist: The Trainee Aircraft Maintenance Technician

·       In this style a person engages in the process and likes to learn new ways by participating and involving on the job. He wants his hands dirty and welcomes new experiences. (De Vita, 2001) Similarly, a trainee aircraft technician likes to work hard on a given task and wants to try out new ways. He also likes to work with others and find better solutions for problems.

Reflector: The Aircraft Maintenance Technician

·     In this style a person watches others at work and thinks thoroughly before reaching any conclusions.  They want themselves given time to think and investigate before acting (De Vita, 2001). With having a certain level of experience and maturity the aircraft maintenance technician thinks well before performing an assigned task. He observes his senior engineers at work and gets their feedback.

Theorist: The Trainee. (Students at the Aviation College)

·       Individuals belonging to this learning style tend to learn by understanding the theory behind something. They rely on models, concepts and facts for learning (Sarabdeen, 2013). The trainees at the Aviation college are mostly dependent on the theoretical knowledge and the practical observations they gain during their training course period. Thus, they analyze information and question and form their own opinions.

Pragmatist: The Licensed Aircraft Engineer

·       These types of learners try to find ways to put into practice what they learnt. They take in new ideas and translate theory into practice (De Vita, 2001). Likewise, the licensed aircraft engineer in a given situation whether it be a critical task or inspection or troubleshooting seeks practical incorporation of what they learn, always find a connection between what they learn and its use in practice.

List of References

Abewardhana, D. (2019) Learning styles of military learners. Learning Styles [Online]. Available at: < https://www.researchgate.net.>. [Accessed on 26th August 2021].

De Vita, G. (2001) Learning styles, culture and inclusive instruction in the multicultural classroom: a business and management perspective. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 38(2), pp. 165-174[Online]. Available at < https://www.researchgate.net.>. [Accessed on 26^th August 2021].

Gao, Y., Stephn, T.K., Known, H.J and Leong, E.W (2013) Learning styles of australian aviation students: an assessment of the impact of culture. Collegiate Aviation Review, 31(1), pp.17-26.

Kanske, C.A and Brewster, L.T (2001) The learning styles of college aviation students. Collegiate Aviation Review, 19(1), pp.62-70.

Karp, M.R. (2000) University aviation education: an integrated model. Collegiate Aviation Review, 18(1), pp.1-7 [Online]. Available at < https://trid.trb.org.>. [Accessed on 26^th August 2021].

Khan, R.A.G, Khan, F.A and Khan, M.A. (2011) Impact of training and development on organizational performance. Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 11(7), pp. 62-68.

Kumar, R. (2014) Importance of training in organization development. International Research Journal of Management Science & Technology, 5(1), pp.286-293.

Sarabdeen, J. (2013) Learning styles and training methods. Communications of the IBIMA 2, 2013, pp.1-9.

Student Success Space (2017) Honey-Mumford Learning Style [Online]. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izMEy-UiRKM.>. [Accessed on 26th August 2021].