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Other Preferences
occurs during a lively discussion. Social learners may find that they feel restless and have difficulty staying focused when they try to study alone. They need to seek out opportunities to study with one or more additional people.
Solitary Learning Many people learn effectively when they are able to study alone without distraction from others. Solitary learners may feel frustrated when trying to study with a part- ner or a group. They may feel like others are wasting their time and believe they would do better alone. They focus and concentrate best on their own. They may be self-starters who don’t need anyone else to prompt them or provide structure. In addition to the sensory and social strategies just described, most people tend to initially grasp information either as a whole, looking at the big picture, or in a more sequential fashion in which the individual parts are studied first to compre- hend the whole (Figure 1-7). If you are in the first group, you have a preference for global learning. If you are in the second group, you prefer analytical learning. Global Learning Global learners, sometimes called holistic learners, generally see the big picture first and later pay more attention to details. For example, when studying the human body, global learners first see the body as a whole and complete organ- ism. With that picture in mind, they are then able to begin studying the parts. This is true even when studying individual body systems, such as the cardiovas- cular system. Global learners first grasp the big picture of the entire system as it circulates blood throughout the body. With further study and thought, they
FIGURE 1-7 Global learners first think about the whole concept to help themselves under- stand the details. Analytical learners generally need to see the parts before they can fully comprehend the whole.
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