What does it mean that my learning style is balanced across all four learning modes? Is that profile better than one that falls in one of the four quadrants?
A balanced learning profile means that you tend to emphasize all four modes equally. However, it is important to understand that even a totally balanced profile is not necessarily the “best” of all learning styles. The key to effective learning and adaptive coping is the ability to be flexibly competent in each mode when it is called for, not to use all modes in every situation. This is a subtle, important difference. According to a recent study conducted by Mainemelis, Boyatzis and Kolb on balanced learning style, people with balanced profiles tend to demonstrate more flexibility in adapting toward different learning styles. However, in occupations that call for a specialized expertise, a balanced learning style may not be always the best. This study can be accessed through research library on this website.
