Dunn and Dunn Model

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Learning Style c

THE DUNN

What is a Learning Style?

Learning styles research has beehave come out of this research eindividual has a way of learning

Therefore a simple definition of

the way in which each learner

That interaction is different for eor worse than any other and eac

Ken and Rita Dunn began develoand expanded the model througbeen done at St Johns Universitother institutions of higher learn

Every piece of research has shoindividual learning style their acdiscipline and outlook towards tlearning environment will have

This is exciting data. It heralds ato learn and become successful.education system, a welcome restyle needs of approximately 28

anges over time. It is not static. It c

AND DUNN LEARNING STYLES MOD

n carried out since 1894. While many differentvery researcher agrees on one thing: that everyhat is unique to that individual.

learning style is,

begins to concentrate on, process, use and retainformation

veryone. We also need to remember that no leh style encompasses similar intelligence ranges.

ping their model in 1970 and since this time theh extensive research in the field. While much of , New York (the largest Catholic university in th

ing have also carried out research on this model

n consistently that when anyone is taught accodemic achievement increases, as does their attie future. Even introducing one or two elementbeneficial effect on the individuals affected by

new era in education, one in which all childrenThe Dunns model can be seen as a stepping st

placement for the present system that is only mof its users.

anges.

L

odels

in new and difficult

rning style is better

have developedthat research hasUSA), over 100

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ding to theirtude, self-esteem,s of the model into ahose elements.

re able and willingne towards such aneting the learning


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The Dunn and Dunn Learning Style Model

There are 21 elements or components of the model. The model is divided into five strands:

environmental emotional sociological physiological psychological

The Environmental Strand

The environmental strand looks at,

Whether you like to have sound present while you work or whether you prefer silence,

How much light you need. The younger we are the less light we need, so young children canoften read in very dim light and will find reading with too much light difficult because the lighthurts their eyes.

What temperature needs you have we tend to dress our children according to our ownneeds.

And finally the design element - whether you like to sit on a formal/hard chair at a desk orwhether you prefer to study more informally on the floor with cushions, a sofa or on your bed.We know that 40% of school students need informal design to be able to learn and this is oftennot readily available in our schools at present.


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The Emotional Strand

The emotional strand looks at,

Motivation , which can fluctuate according to many factors

Persistence - whether you like to concentrate on and finish one task at a time or whether youare gifted with the ability to do several things simultaneously and are unable to limit yourself to single task focus

The responsibility element refers to whether you are conforming or non-conforming

o We go through three periods of non-conformity in our lives: the terrible twos; theteenage years; the middle age crisis. However some of us are non-conformist for lifeand there are ways of relating to us without offending or upsetting us.

Structure is the final element in this strand. It refers to whether you need precise informationon exactly how to do something or not. In general as we grow older we have less need forstructure

The Sociological Strand

The sociological strand examines how we like to learn,

Alone With a friend In a group or a team learning situation With an adult or expert in the field present Or perhaps we have a need for variety, doing it a different way everyday!

Many of us do not like to have a teacher or supervisor nearby when we are studying and thats OK.


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The Physiological Strand

In the physiological strand we find the elements of

Mobility - 50% of students need to move in order to be able to learn, only 25% like to sit andbe passive),

Intake the need for food and drink, often needed as frequently as every 45 mins in smallchildren to keep the blood sugar levels up and the brain alert and able to learn new anddifficult information. On the other hand there are others who prefer not to eat while theystudy.

The time of day is another important element in learning. The best time for each of us to sitdown and study can vary from early morning to those night owls who only come alive at nightand we need to take that into account in deciding/knowing when it is best for us to learn.

Finally there is the matter of perceptual modes . This refers to the way in which we are able totake in information.

We all start off as kinaesthetic learners, we need to be doing it to learn about it, later theability to learn through tactual means develops and we like to manipulate things in order tolearn.

Only 40% of the population goes on to develop the facility to learn visually, i.e. remembers75% of what they see, and a mere 18% of the population (and dropping) like to learnauditorily, i.e. remembers 75% or more of what they hear in a 90 minute period.

And of course, those who are tactual and kinaesthetic learners are not dumb, they simply needto have information presented in a different way. The problem is that for many the presentsystem locks them out.


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The Psychological Strand

The final strand in the model looks at different processing styles.

Do you like to build things up bit by bit from facts and figures, or do you prefer to get the bigpicture first, find out why its relevant to you to learn about this and the slot the small bits in?This is the difference between analytic and global processing styles, unfortunately ourtraditional school system is designed for analytics and the majority of the population areglobalswhoops!

Do you prefer to use the left side of your brain (analytical) or use the right side of your brain(creative, the arts)?

Are you impulsive (calling out answers, talking to make sense of things) or are you reflective(need time to assess and determine what it is you want to say)?

Do we need all 21 elements to learn?

Of course, not everyone is affected by all 21 elements. In general we are affected by 6 to 14elements. You can see how wide the possibilities become.

Something else we need to keep in mind is that three fifths of the elements in this model arebiologically determined, which means that it is difficult for us to work against our learning styleneeds. Much the same as if we were to say at the beginning of the year only green and brown eyedstudents can study in this class, and therefore all blue eyed children need to change their eye colourto stay here.


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How can we incorporate these elements into learning environments?

The good news for teachers is that it is very easy to change their teaching style so that all studentsneeds can be met.

Workshops will give teachers the skills they need to introduce and maintain a learning styles programin their classrooms. As well as identifying the elements in the model, the Dunns have developed aninstrument that will identify the learning style needs of students and adults. It is easy to fill in andcomputer processed to give a clear and easy to read indication of an individuals learning style andhow they might modify their learning environment to cater to their needs.

One of them most important things to come out of an understanding of the Dunns learning styles isknowing why and for which students the myriad of different educational techniques and tools willwork. An understanding of learning styles enables us to choose the best approach to learning foreach of our students, so no student misses out on the opportunity to learn and succeed.

For more information about the Dunn & Dunn Learning Styles Model, seewww.learningstyles.net

Margaret Underwood, 17 George Street, New Plymouth 4601, New Zealand


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Successful or SlowWhat might it have to do with Learning Styles?

Set out below is a typical learning style profile of the students who are recognised as successful inthe traditional school system. As you can see, these students needs are met by the traditionalschool system and learning will be easier for them because those needs are being met.

Here we see the learning style profile that is typical of students who are failing at school. They areoften described as slow or poor achievers. In fact there may be very little difference in theintelligence of the student with a profile like the one above and a student with a profile like the onebelow. However, as you can see just from looking at the environmental strand, these students willfind it very difficult to function in the traditional classroom. As a result they will have greaterdifficulty in achieving their true potential.


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Margaret Underwood, 17 George Street, New Plymouth 460 1, New Zealand


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Dunn and Dunn Model

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