Learning styles (M3)

I have worked in a team with Finn and Andy.
We were tasked to complete an exercise in which we had to use team work to complete a series of tasks.
The tasks lead us to create a circle out of an A4 piece of paper in which we had to fit all of us through.
Me and Finn are both Visual and Auditory and it allowed us to work well together in the team.
Andy on the other hand is a kinaesthetic learner and even though he has a different style, it benefited us as me and Finn were able to read out instructions, when Andy was doing the cutting.


Pragmatist, Activist, Reflector and Theorist:

Pragmatist

• Like to experiment with new approaches to see if they work in practice
• Often return from training courses keen to try new ideas out
• Prefer to act quickly and get things done - impatient with discussions, etc.
• Essentially practical
• Treat problems and opportunities as a challenge

Preferred learning activities

• Activities with clear link between subject matter and what happens on the job
• Project work
• Shown techniques with practical benefits, e.g. how to save time, how to deal with difficult people
• Opportunities to try out/practise learning
• Coaching/feedback from a credible expert in the job-related field
• Job-related examples/anecdotes
• Practical demonstrations
• Immediate opportunities to implement what is learned
• Simulations and role-plays

Summary: "Pragmatists develop their philosophy around the idea that the function of thought is as an instrument or tool for prediction, action, and problem solving." - Wikipedia

This means that people who are pragmatists tend stick to one idea of teaching, resolving problems etc.
Pragmatists will do anything to achieve their goal. They do not let their own emotions or feelings get in the way of their goal. These type of people will ignore their own ideals to get their job done and look for the quickest way to get things done.

Activist

• Enthusiastically seek new experiences - 'try anything once'
• Open-minded, rather than sceptical
• Enjoy fire-fighting/short-term crises
• Like brainstorming
• Short span of enthusiasm - bored by implementation and long-term planning
• Gregarious, self-centred and seek limelight

Preferred learning activities

• New experiences/problems opportunities
• Short 'here-and-now' activities such as role-playing
• Range of diverse activities
• 'Limelight' opportunities, such as presentations, chairing meetings, leading discussions
• Can generate ideas without constraints of structure, policy or feasibility
• Difficult tasks and challenges - 'thrown in at deep end'
• Team problem-solving, brainstorming
• Risk-taking encouraged, not punished

Passive, non-interactive, repetitive, detailed and precise activities would be unsuitable for this group.

Activists usually prefer to do practical tasks and learn on the job. Doing things practically such as building a table and learning how to build it on the go.

Reflector

• Like to observe events from a distance and evaluate from different perspective
• Collect data and do thorough research before making decisions
• Tend to 'put things off' - 'sleep on it'
• Cautious and take all possible implications into account - 'the big picture'
• Observe others and take back seat in meetings/discussions
• Good listeners

Preferred learning activities

• Encouraged to observe, listen and evaluate
• Background notes and prior reading
• 'Time to think' - no pressure/deadlines
• Research and review activities, e.g. producing reports
• 'Structured' methods for exchanging views
• This is the group best suited to e-learning and distance learning methods

'Limelight' roles, action without planning, seeking instant reactions, time pressures, expediency and 'cut-and-dried' instructions are all likely to produce negative reactions among this group.

Reflectors are people who prefer to learn by observation and watching others to see how they do it. They will spend a lot of time thinking about how to do the task before doing it themselves.


Theorist

• Adapt and integrate observations into theories
• Use logical, step-by-step approaches, like to analyse
• Perfectionists
• Embrace systems thinking and theory models
• Value rationality and logic - 'Does it make sense?' 'How does this fit with that?'
• Uncomfortable with subjective judgments, lateral thinking or trivia - prefer certainty

Preferred learning activities

• Time to explore relationships between ideas/events/situations
• Opportunities to question and probe assumptions/logic/method
• Activities that 'stretch' the learner intellectually
• Structured exercises with clear purposes
• Analytical exercises
• Interesting and challenging ideas/concepts, even if relevance not clear at first
• Complex activities

Theorists learn most efficiently by working methodically and also learn by experimenting. These type of people like to read instructions rather than jumping straight to the task.

'Touchy-feely' activities, those without structure or clear context, decision-making without reference criteria/information, and activities that lack depth and are 'gimmicky' or superficial are all likely to prove unsuitable for this group.

M2 - Reviewing documents

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3rvStNkXE4GbkJoSFFFNXlldXc/edit?usp=sharing

I have changed the original game design document. Specifically, the headings, title, paragraphs etc.

The original document was hard to read and was unorganized.
The title was the same size as the headings and paragraphs and it didn't look very professional.
The document didn't have the contents table and the page numbers neither.

What I have done:

Firstly I edited the title by changing the colour to blue and changed the size of the font to 36 which in turn, I changed into italic. I have also created a border around, to make the whole title stand out.
I then edited the headings. I have made it Italic, Arial font and size of 20 and changed the colour to a lighter blue than a title so that it is clear to read and is easily recognized that it is a heading.

After that, I have started editing the paragraphs. I have changed the font to Verdana to a size of 12. The reason for that, is that it is easy to read. I have also "justified" the paragraphs so that it looks neater. Also, if a lecturer would want to mark the work, they have plenty of space to do so.

Another thing which I have changed or even added, was the page numbers. This is to keep the pages in order when they will get printed and to quickly find the page you are looking for/you are on.

The last little detail which I have added was the table of contents. This is making the document look organized and most importantly professional. Also, this is to guide and make the reader aware of what is featured in the document, so they can easily and quickly find what they are looking for.

GDD evaluation - Race 'n' chase (Grand Theft Auto) - D1

I have evaluated a game design document for the Race 'n' chase which later on, became known as Grand Theft Auto.

Some of the advantages/disadvantages:

• Table of contents is understandable and effective
• Clearly broken down into heading and subheadings
• Contains a lot of information and gives all the key points needed
• No images make it dull and boring to look at
• Looks professional

The table of contents is understandable and effective because it is well structured. It makes it easy to read and find the right content.
The document overall is clearly broken down into headings and sub-headings which clearly label what section you are on. It also contains a lot of information and gives all the key points needed therefore it makes all the sections clear and understandable.

It has no images therefore it makes the document look somewhat dull but it is still very professional and straight to the point.

Learning styles

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYpLi5LZhOCAMc5-4xVuuDhKRw7gF6kSYUoV7kNir8k/edit?usp=sharing