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TL 15.2.indd The Teaching Librarian volume 15, no. 2 41 Talk to Think or Think to Talk As with any theory that attempts to pigeonhole or label our students, we must be cognizant of the breadth of factors, both temporally and spatially, that will affect their preferences for learning environments and style. Moreover, we know that extroversion-introversion is not a dichotomy, but rather a continuum. Considering the various intelligence and learning style theories (e.g., Gardiner, 1983), and teaching- learning models (e.g., differentiated instruction), there are numerous considerations for meeting our learners' needs. Nonetheless, every attempt to discover and address these needs should be considered good teaching practice. Given the diversity of students in today's classes, no single method works best. It is therefore important that teacher-librarians and other educators are cognizant of connecting students' learning behaviours with the appropriate teaching techniques most likely to be effective. Table 3 describes how different Helen Kubiw instructional strategies can accommodate the preferences of both introverts and extroverts. Allow students to examine their own preferences with the aim of promoting greater self-awareness and tolerance among students, particularly with respect to understanding why they prefer some tasks to others (e.g., The IntrovertZ Coach, 2004), as well as the value of differences in their peers' abilities (Jaouen, 1990). Finally, since most teachers are more introverted than their students, mostly by virtue of their age (Schmeck and Lockhart, 1983), we need to recognize that our perceptions of our students are very much the construct of our own extroversion-introversion. By learning more about our own learning styles, we may be better able to program for meeting the needs of all our learners, extroverts and introverts alike. Major Differences Extroverts Introverts Energy Creation • energized by external stimuli, e.g., activities, people • internal stimuli drain energy • energized by internal stimuli, e.g., solitude, ideas, emotions • external stimuli drain energy Response to Stimulation • require strong stimulation to perceive a stimulus • require very little stimulation to perceive a stimulus, hence easily over-stimulated Depth vs. breadth preference (in their experiences) • prefer breadth (e.g., many friends; many experiences; knowing a little about a lot) • prefer depth (e.g., fewer but more intimate friends; know a lot about a particular subject) Table 1 Comparison of introverts and extroverts based on energy creation, response to stimulation, and depth vs. breadth preference. To enhance their learning, extroverts and introverts generally differ in following ways: Extroverts prefer: Introverts prefer: • a stimulating environment; • opportunities to seek out extra stimulation, to help with concentration; • inductive modes of instruction (teaching from specific facts or examples to a general rule or principle); • discussion and interaction. • a highly-structured learning environment; • a quiet environment, free from intense stimulation; • deductive modes of instruction (teaching from general rules to specific cases); • time to think (even write) before contributing to discussions.