What are Learning Styles?

The term refers to individuals’ characteristics and preferred ways of gathering, interpreting, organizing, and thinking about information.

Styles and Strategies

• “Learning strategies are responses and attitudes that can be unlearned or relearned

• . . . . They also can be used strategically—that is, truly flexible students can learn an array of strategies that allow them to cope with all the different kinds of situations they encounter.” (Svinicki, 2004, p.193)

What Kinds Are There?

And these are the only ones?

Perceptual

• Perceptual learning style theories look at the physical and sensory elements used to interpret external stimuli.

• It include such learning dimensions as the visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic.

• Perceptual learning style theorists use the Multi-Model Paired Associates Learning Test (MMPALT) (James and Gardner 1995).

Gardner’s Learning Styles

Affective • Use personality traits as the basis for how leaner

interprets and absorbs information. • Use research in social and cultural experiences,

environmental influences, and interpersonal experiences.

• The MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) assesses learning styles based on “the relative strength of the processes of introversion versus extraversion, sensing versus intuition, thinking versus feeling, and judging versus perception.” (Brown 1998)

Most prominent affective learning style theories are the Wikin’s Bipolar Construct of Field Dependence and Field Independence and the (MBTI).

Myers-Briggs Learning Styles

Cognitive

• Look at ways learners process information.  • Cognitive learning styles relate to brain

physiology and function. • David A. Kolb’ identifies different types of

learners: concrete, abstract, reflective, and active.

• Different types of learners process information differently--divergers and assimilators--and experience things differently--convergers and accommodators (Brown 1998).

Kolb’s Learning Styles

What’s so important about that?

Exposure

“Many students have never been exposed to . . . different ways to approach studying or

even the idea that there are different ways to study. We can help students learn about different strategies and when to use them” (Svinicki, 2004, p.24)

Improvements

• Students can change the way they study and change the outcome of their grades

• “[U]nderstanding learning styles will help . . . Students cope with teachers whom they see as difficult” (Wankat, 2002, p. 183)

Responsibility

• Students begin to analyze the way they study;• They gain greater awareness and knowledge

of effective study techniques;• They accept responsibility for their own

learning;

You Mean There Are More?

A Few Principles of Learning

• What or how much is learned in any situation depends on prior knowledge and experience;

• Learning takes place when someone is asked to take information presented in one format and represent that information in alternative format;

• Varying conditions under which learning takes place makes learning harder but results in better learning

Surface Learning

• Memorizes facts• Focuses on discrete elements• Fails to differentiate between evidence and

information• Unreflective• Sees task as an external imposition

Deep Learning in Reading

• Focuses on what the author meant• Relates new information to what s/he already

knows or experiences• Works to organize and structure the content• Sees the reading as an important source of

learning

Promoting Deeper Learning

• Have students create concept maps or outlines where parts of a concept relate to another part

• Have students organize new information into meaningful patterns that reflect the underlying structure of the concepts being used

• Have students elaborate on concepts by having them connect new information to prior knowledge

Deep Processing

• Svinicki (2004) finds that “students with a surface processing approach to learning tend to use learning strategies that emphasize, repetition and practice” (p. 201)

• When they are taught to focus on the “big picture,” such as relationships among ideas, they process information at a deeper level.

• Deep processing will lead to longer retention and better understanding.

So What Am I to Do about It?

Offer Alternatives

• “In order for learners to control their learning, they need to be aware of available alternatives. Too many students come to college knowing only one or two strategies, which they use regardless of the task’s demands. When those strategies don’t work, the students simply try to do them harder rather than changing tactics” (Svinicki 2004, p. 129)

Mix It Up

• Increase learning power of at-risk students by introducing learning styles and learning approaches;

• An awareness of learning styles widens and improves instructor’s pedagogical methods;

• In the words of Chickering and Gamson (1987), instructors must “respect diverse talents and ways of learning” and must give students the “opportunity to show their talents and learn in ways that work for them” (pp. 1 and 6)

Research on Learning Styles• Use instructional approaches that

complement preferred learning styles of students

• Give advice about how to study based on knowledge of learning styles

• Use specific information on learning styles to help them master material in meaningful ways

(Bourner 1997; Kuh, Kinzie, Buckley, Bridges & Hayek 2006; McKeachie, 2002)

Retention

• Low expectations can cause instructors not to offer specific directions to low performing students

• Trial and error way of learning is not beneficial for at-risk students

• Students need effective and efficient ways to study before to help them avoid academic dismissal

How Can I Learn More?

Learning Style Inventories

• At-risk students need to be “independent, autonomous learners” (Weimer, 2002).

• Students can become involved in this process by taking formal learning style inventories

• They can write about the results of their inventory and the different kinds of study techniques that might work best for them based on their learning styles

Assign as Homework• Students can take these inventories outside of class

as homework assignments• Let them investigate different kinds of study

techniques that match their preferred style of learning

• Allow this activity to become a platform for them to learn a repertoire of study strategies

• A small amount of class time can be used to reinforce the importance of discovering and analyzing different learning and study strategies

Example 1• Richard Felder and Barbara Solomon’s Index of Learning

Styles Questionnaire (1991)-- www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.htm

• Includes 44 phrases or dependent clauses, with two possible answers to complete the sentence

• Examples:

I understand something better after I(a) try it out.(b) think it through.

When I am learning something new, it helps me to(a) talk about it.(b) think about it.

Cont.• Student submit answers for automatic scoring• A profile sheet of learning style preferences will be made

available• It will give a description and explanation of results• Four scales

– (a) active or reflective, (b) sensing or intuiting, (c) visual or verbal, (d) sequential or global

• Scoring indicates– Fairly well balanced– Moderate preference for one division– Strong preference for one division

• Provides a list of study strategies that work for each preference

Cont.

• Write an essay– Describe their inventory results– Identify strategies that are suggested for their

preferred style– Explain whether they agree about their results– Explain which strategies they have tried or are

willing to use– Discuss in class

Example 2

The Learning Style Assessment (Mencke and Hartman, 2000)-- http://studentaffairs.arizona.edu/programs/

thinktank/resources/selfassesment/learning_style• Questionnaire of 27 statements with three response

choices for each statement—often, sometimes, seldom– Submit answers for immediate scoring– Scores for three learning modes—visual, auditory, and

kinesthetic– Study strategies for each mode is given for note taking,

reading, , exam preparation, and test taking– Student receives an in-depth profile

VARK Questionnaire

VARK Questionnaire (Fleming, 2001-2006)—http://www.vark-learn.com/english/index.asp

• Five categories for different learning styles—visual, aural, read-write, kinesthetic, and multimodal

• Submit answers and scores are reported• Provides a link to a list of strategies for various

learning preferences under different conditions.

• Begin by asking students what circumstances might add or detract from their efforts or concentration when you are gathering or processing information

• Ask them what factors they have control of in class and what actions they can take to increase their learning focus or to avoid things that take away from their learning

Valuing Different Learning Styles• Students must be encouraged to value

different learning styles and to study with students who have different learning styles

• They will enrich their learning experiences and develop new strengths by working with a variety of learners (Davis, 1993, p. 190)

• The concept, learning styles, has its roots in the early pragmatist philosopher Williams James and the psychology of Carl Jung.

• Learning styles draw upon research in cognitive styles, epistemology, brain physiology, cultural study, and learning theory.

Bunnell, David P. (2009). Adult learning styles: A resource guide. Retrieved from http://library.griftec.org/lsc/learning style.htmChickering, A. & Gamson Z. (1987). Seven Principles of good practice in undergraduate education. Washington Center News. Retrieved from http://learningcommons. evergreen.edu/pdf/fall1987.pdfKuh, G., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J., Bridges, B., and Hayek, J. (2006, July) What matters to student success: A review of the literature. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/npec/ pdf/Kuh_Team_Report.pdfMcKeachie, W. (2002). Teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for college and university teachers (11th ed.) Boston: Houghton Mifflin.Svinicki, M. (2004). Learning and motivation in the postsecondary classroom. Bolton, MA: Anker.