Plan
Having assessed your learning needs, in the Plan stage of the CPD cycle you will:
- prioritise your learning needs and choose which to act on now
- plan activities to meet the learning needs you've chosen.
You can also log in to your account and view AAT CPD events you've attended on the My CPD events page.
Choose your learning activities
Learning styles - how do you learn best?
Choose your learning activities
Any learning, training or experience that helps you to do your job or develop your career counts as CPD.
It could be:
- workshops, courses or conferences
- AAT or other professional body branch meetings
- planned coaching from colleagues or specialists
- certain study for further qualifications
- audio, video, online or CD-ROM resources
- planned reading/research
- special project work
- a job secondment
- discussions with colleagues
- development of skills by ‘hands-on’ experience
When you’re selecting your activities, consider your preferred learning style and choose the opportunities that suit it.
Learning styles - how do you learn best?
"Trainers too often assume that learners are empty buckets waiting to be filled by whatever training method the trainer favours - the fact that the buckets are all different shapes and sizes is conveniently overlooked."
Honey & Mumford, The Learning Styles Questionnaire, Peter Honey Publications Ltd
Many people think CPD is simply attending courses. These are a valuable part of professional development, but there are many other ways to boost your knowledge and skills.
In fact, alternatives to formal training could often be more useful to your specific CPD needs.
Knowing about different learning styles, and working out which ones you prefer, will help you become a better all-round learner.
It means you can tailor your CPD programme exactly to your own needs and preferences.
Peter Honey and Alan Mumford are learning professionals who have researched and developed tools in this area for several decades. They have identified 4 key learning styles. These are:
- Activists - like to take direct action, welcome new challenges, and try things out and actively participate
- Reflectors - like to think long and hard first, listen carefully, and learn from reading and re-reading
- Theorists - like to put things into the broader context, approach problems logically and objectively, and analyse in great detail
- Pragmatists - like to see how things work in practice, experiment, and go away to try out what they have learnt
Once you have identified your preferred learning style(s), you can:
- choose learning activities to suit your preferred learning style
- become a more balanced learner by strengthening your underused learning styles
Peter Honey Publications Ltd offer a questionnaire that you can use to identify your own preferred learning style or styles, and AAT full and fellow members can now complete this questionnaire online and find out more about learning styles within an exclusive area of the company's website. If you'd like to complete the questionnaire online you can use the link below to access it. You'll also need a special access code to log in to the website, which you can obtain by e-mailing cpdinfo@aat.org.uk and quoting your name and AAT membership number.
Click here to access the learning styles website.
Alternatively, we have free hard copies available for distribution to AAT members. Please contact us
Helpful tools
The AAT has gathered together a number of resources to help you research, select and undertake your CPD.
Events
Branch Network
Accounting Technicians' TV
DPMS Scheme
CPD Providers List