Learning Styles

[Scheherazade]

Here is an online test you can take to find your learning style:

http://www.brainboxx.co.uk/a3_aspects/pages/VAK_quest.htm


It says I am an audio-visual learner (equal number of blocks).

Do you agree with your result?

What is your opinion on learning styles? Is it accurate? Or the latest psychological mambo-jumbo?

[skib]

It is as accurate as a generic test can be, I think. It said I am a kinesthetic (sp?) learner, and that seems right on.

[Scheherazade]

I didn't mean the results for this particular test but wanted to hear your opinion on "learning styles" in general. :)

[Niamh]

I came out as a visual which i think is very true.
Personally for me i learn better if i'm shown things or things are discussed as a group. I find it hard to just learn stuff from reading. I need to see it done, or get into an discussion to get it to work into my head.

[The Comedian]

My opinion on learning style is that they are very similar to other tastes and preferences: it's good to know what we prefer, but we should use that preference as a crutch or excuse when the learnin' gets challenging.

Of course, I think that while it's good to know that we can do well with one style, I usually like to practice more extensively on the style that I don't do well at. . . . I remember when I was learning to play basketball. . . . being right-handed I would always prefer to dribble the ball with that hand. It got me really upset with myself because I felt dependent. So I would practice dribbling the basketball while holding a can of Mountain Dew in my right hand, so that I had to dribble with my left exclusively. Now I can handle the ball with either hand.

I usually test as an audio/visual learner too.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Fun test. I scored visual= 8, Auditory=6, Kinaesthetic=4. I suppose that means I am mostly balanced in visual and auditory which is probably true. I actually think the best learning comes when there are mixed elements of each together.

[skib]

Oh. Gotcha! Let's see. Yeah, I think learning styles are legit. I'm sure there are more ways that people learn than those three, but I do know that different people learn differently. The more we understand about them the better we will be able to cater to the different needs. Is that any better, or am I just chasing the tail of my last post?

[Scheherazade]

Skib> Thanks for returning to the thread :)

I have mixed feelings about learning styles. I do agree that we all have different ways of learning/remembering things but, like Neely said, we all benefit from the variety of input styles. For example, an audio learner is not usually happy if s/he is only provided audio learning materials. All my learners enjoy kinaesthetic exercises and they all love it if there are visual props are involved.

So, in the light of all this, is it essential for teachers to find out the learning styles of each learner every term? Why can't we simply provide a range of activities to tickle learners' audio, visual and kinaesthetic bones and be done with it?

At the College where I am working, we are required to give an 8-pages quiz to the learners each term but I am done with it. I gathered some ideas from different resources and prepared an audio/visual/kinaesthetic activity for learners to complete in pairs to find out their own learning styles. And I can tick off another curriculum element off from my "to-do" list as well. :D

Also, do you agree that people in lower ability groups tend to be more "kinaesthetic"?

[The Comedian]

So, in the light of all this, is it essential for teachers to find out the learning styles of each learner every term?

I don't think so. Most classes, well, most of my classes, almost always present a distribution of students who represent a fair balance of the various learning styles.


Why can't we simply provide a range of activities to tickle learners' audio, visual and kinaesthetic bones and be done with it?

I'm sure this technique is effective sometimes. But how do you handle situations when you are teaching a skill that is, essentially, kinaesthetic (or something else). For example, if I were teaching cabinetry audio/visual lessons might be a useful supplement, but really I need to know how to build those wooden boxes with mine own two hands.

Conversely, when teaching communication skills or, heck, even biology when one simply needs to listen effectively or see and interpret visual stimuli effectively.


At the College where I am working, we are required to give an 8-pages quiz to the learners each term but I am done with it. I gathered some ideas from different resources and prepared an audio/visual/kinaesthetic activity for learners to complete in pairs to find out their own learning styles. And I can tick off another curriculum element off from my "to-do" list as well. :D

How as has this worked out for you? I admit that I am very hesitant to have my students do such a task in my classes. I have a sneaking suspicion that I would be forced to deal with learning style = crutch excuses throughout the semester. For example, "I didn't do well on this paper because I'm not audio/visual" or "I just can't write well because I'm not that kind of learner". . . . .Do you encounter this type of reaction?

Few types of behavior make me more frustrated than this above.

[Dark Lady]

We looked into this in one of my classes recently. I came out a 'linguistic learner' (there were more categories than the three in the link) which is probably right.

I think Scheh is right in that you need to provide pupils with a variety in any lesson. I recently went on my first placement, which was an observation based one, and I noticed that pupils often lost interest if the lesson wasn't varied.

How hard do people think it is to overcome your own learning style when teaching. I mean, do you think people have a tendency to teach in the way they would learn best?

[Sarasvati21]

I got 12 blue and 6 green, which says I am a mostly visual learner. I would definitely agree. I do learn predominantly through watching/seeing, but also through listening. I knew this already because of various tests I've had to take before, but it's always interesting to see how they compare. I think it's interesting I'm not at all kinesthetic.

[Scheherazade]

I don't think so. Most classes, well, most of my classes, almost always present a distribution of students who represent a fair balance of the various learning styles.Tru dat but I have come across the extreme notion (in my opinion) that learners should be offered material suitable to their preferred learning styles... in each session!


I'm sure this technique is effective sometimes. But how do you handle situations when you are teaching a skill that is, essentially, kinaesthetic (or something else). For example, if I were teaching cabinetry audio/visual lessons might be a useful supplement, but really I need to know how to build those wooden boxes with mine own two hands. Any learner taking a practical course agrees that they will be expected to perform some practical tasks so, to me, this is a not an issue... Like you said, texts, videos or "talk through" demos can be offered to enhance the learning but otherwise, learners cannot say that they won't demonstrate their capability because it is not "their learning style".
How as has this worked out for you?I used different approaches depending on learners' ability groups and it's been a lot of fun and very effective, followed by learner-initiated discussions on the subject (lots of past experiences remembered and retold).
I admit that I am very hesitant to have my students do such a task in my classes. I have a sneaking suspicion that I would be forced to deal with learning style = crutch excuses throughout the semester. For example, "I didn't do well on this paper because I'm not audio/visual" or "I just can't write well because I'm not that kind of learner". . . . .Do you encounter this type of reaction?I think we need to be aware of the fact that (and maybe remind our learners, too, whenever necessary), learning styles are just that: techniques, approaches or study aids that might enhance our learning. They are just little indicators for us to follow so that we understand the subject better. Learners are informed what they are expected to achieve to be able to pass a course at the beginning of a term so it shouldn't come as a surprise later on if they have to write a paper or do a presentation or assemble a book shelf.

How hard do people think it is to overcome your own learning style when teaching. I mean, do you think people have a tendency to teach in the way they would learn best?Very hard, in my opinion... So much so that conscious effort is necessary while planning to offer something for learners with different learning styles (one for each at least during every session).

[Gladys]

So sad to hear that such an egalitarian concept as multiple intelligences should be but myth.


Intelligence Reconsidered (http://www.abc.net.au/rn/counterpoint/stories/2009/2618066.htm)

[Paulclem]

We used to used to assess for learning styles when it came in vogue a few years ago, (I work for The Adult Education Service in Coventry as an English Teacher/ Programme Manager), and we attended lots of training which included differentiated activities that addressed different learning styles. It then seemed to slip off the radar, and was not promoted as part of our initial learner assessments.

I used to take learning styles into account, but as has been mentioned, found them a little unwieldy on an individual level. I just tried to include multisensory elements into the group teaching.

I was also never sure whether we should develop different learning styles to complement a learners predominant style. From what I remember, the learners tended to have a predominant one, whilst Tutors - or experienced learners - would have a greater one and a lesser one. This is anecdotal and not based on any study I have read. It seemed to make sense to try to develop a parallel style - auditory with visual perhaps to increase the learner's accessibility range. What do you think?

[Scheherazade]

I was also never sure whether we should develop different learning styles to complement a learners predominant style. From what I remember, the learners tended to have a predominant one, whilst Tutors - or experienced learners - would have a greater one and a lesser one. This is anecdotal and not based on any study I have read. It seemed to make sense to try to develop a parallel style - auditory with visual perhaps to increase the learner's accessibility range. What do you think?I would more or less agree with your observation (even though I have advanced learners who are well set in one particular learning style).

I also have this theory that (without any statistical evidence to prove it, needless to say :p) learners in lower ability groups usually turn out to be "kinaesthetic" because they mostly prefer playing with word-tiles, letters and so on.

[Paulclem]

That seems to make sense. They need to learn how to learn, which we do take for granted. I always maintain that lower level learners are much harder to teach. It's a good job they don't realise how long they will be learning when they come to classes. Hopefully they get the learning bug before they do.

[zoolane]

I am same as you Scheherazade, I am not teacher not school or privately more as parent guild my 3 children to do their best.

[Lacra]

Well, I liked the test online and it seems that I am khineto - audi... This topic is very important for me as a teacher.Learning styles refer to the variations in your ability to accumulate as well as assimilate information. Basically, your learning style is the method that best allows you to gather and use knowledge in a specific manner. that's why is very important to understand your students’ particular learning style. Once you have unlocked their learning style you can discover as a teacher the best methods for helping you to teach through that style.

[carleymarie]

I think that this quiz was accurate, I find myself to be a visual learner.

I do believe in the validity of the different learning styles. As an education student, I aim to appeal to each of the learning styles in my lesson plans. I think that we all learn best in different ways. I don't think that one is better than another, but they can all help us learn. In the classroom it seems that we are most often given a lecture and a textbook and we are expected to learn. I have spent time learning about how Kindergarten classrooms function and it is quite a drastic change from the activity-focused nature of the Kindergarten classroom to the first grade when students are expected to sit in a desk all day long. One of my aims as a teacher will be to try and appeal to the different ways people learn.

To go back to the original question, I think that learning styles are extremely valid. I'm not one for psychology, but I believe that learning styles are much more important in considering than they are given credit for.