| Style | Motivation | Process |
| Surface | Completion of the course | Rote learning of facts and ideas |
| Fear of failure | Focusing on task components in isolation | |
| Deep | Little real interest in content | |
| Interest in the subject | Relate ideas to evidence | |
| Strategic | Vocational relevance | Integration of material across courses |
| Personal understanding | Identifying general principles | |
| Achieving high grades | Use techniques that achieve highest grades | |
| Competing with others | Level of understanding patchy and variable | |
| To be successful | ||