Comments on: Rethinking Learning Styles

By: CIVNET | Blog | Learnlets.com

CIVNET | Blog | Learnlets.com — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:38:43 +0000

[…] Rethinking Learning Styles […]

By: Clark

Clark — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:29:09 +0000

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, issue of match or mismatch, the problem is reconciling them into a bigger picture. I believe the additional factor will be their confidence and anxiety that will determine which to do when, but am waiting for the research to catch up. Read the UK study for a good analysis of why folks don’t have a vested interest in open research. Preferences matter, tho’ what a learner prefers may not be best (at least until we start explicitly addressing learner capabilities). And 4MAT is one I do not like: both for the basis (Kolb’s core model’s been questioned), and for her proprietary approach. Again, see the UK study (Learning and Skills Research Centre link above). And the new study led by Hal Pashler.

By: Leslie LeMaster

Leslie LeMaster — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:57:10 +0000

Check out the 4MAT Instructional Design System and the research that supports it by Dr. Bernice McCarthy and her perspective on Learning Styles. I believe you will find it interesting. See more at Aboutlearning.com

By: Ryan Tracey

Ryan Tracey — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 02:45:25 +0000

That’s an excellent suggestion, Nick, to consider learning “skills” rather than learning “styles”.

I think another perspective (though not mutually exclusive) is to consider so-called learning styles in terms of learner “preferences”. In the corporate sector, I see learner engagement as a serious challenge. If we can better accommodate the learner’s preferences, perhaps we can boost their enjoyment of the learning experience?

By: Robert Bacal

Robert Bacal — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:43:10 +0000

Just a very late thought, since I’ve just found “here”. There’s an assumption that matching instructional methods to learning style will result in greater learning, but there’s actually research on both sides — that learning is best when matched, and also when there’s a deliberate mismatch.

Different models predict and explain each finding.

By: Sasalak

Sasalak — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:47:06 +0000

Exactly, giving up “Learning Style” and think about “Learning Skill” instead. I found that it’s impossible to identified exactly individual learning style because it is changed overtime and depended on the several aspects. Moreover, it’s not the good idea to adjust the theme of learning pedagogy suit to individual learning style. The thing that we should do is to find the way of appropriate learning skill development.

By: Clark

Clark — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:20:55 +0000

Virginia, I’m trying to separate out using the right medium for the message (e.g. a diagram for static relationships, animation for dynamic) versus a flexible ordering of elements: example first for some, problem first for others, concept first for yet others. This is initially for typical learners; I’m not attempting to account for accessibility, e.g. processing deficits at this point, but I’m definitely sensitive and think there are interesting ways to consider providing such support. Have a look at John Sweller’s excellent work on Cognitive Load Theory and media for some great thoughts on differences in media and learning effects. Much of it is summarized in Clark, Nguyen, & Sweller’s Efficiency in Learning.

By: Virginia Yonkers

Virginia Yonkers — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:17:50 +0000

As someone who did not fit the teaching “style” in a traditional classroom, I can say that a change in instructional design does make a difference for a student. I like that you term them learning “abilities” rather than “style” as style seems to me to be something that is a preference that can be turned on and off. My daughter has auditory processing problems and as such is a “visual” learner which can be tested. This means she is able to take visual cues and convert that to “learning”. Oral stimulus, such as lecture, is difficult for her, especially when there are other noises as she converts all the sounds into one big message (not able to tease out one sentence from another from different speakers).

I was wondering how you have approached the differences in media. It seems that all of the current research on information overload, brain waves and parts of the brain that is being used for different types of thinking and stimulus would also help inform your system.

By: Clark

Clark — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:44:46 +0000

Nick, Joe's concept was helping learners understand themselves as learners, and I reckon that if we know things about them, we should share. Having them know themselves as a learner is a meta-cognitive thing that can help them look at their own learning and consequently, by having it visible, have them able to reflect and improve it. John, I like to think it's in an organization's interest to have learners improve, so the two should be coincident. To me it may be an issue of the organization saying, in effect: we'll invest our effort in improving you, and in return you'll invest your effort in our goals. Dan, yes, the unimodal came more from an abilities perspective, but I think there're reasons to decouple, or at least consider. And yes, in a longterm relationship in a system you do get some evidence. We were going to put our assessment in a 'game', where your decisions indicated your actual processing characteristics. More useful than self-report, certainly. But the ability to track and datamine is an interesting proposition, if you know what to track (just saw an announcement for an educational datamining conference). One of the opportunities of suitable meta-tagging and data-logging. Thanks for the feedback!

By: Dan Willingham

Dan Willingham — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:27:57 +0000

There are two ideas here that I find very interesting: first, thinking of styles as unimodal, rather than bimodal dimensions. As you point out, there is not reason that the endpoints for a dimension need to be inversely correlated. (Although I wouldn’t think of Gardner’s MI theory as an example of that principle, although it may have been the inspiration, as it is an abilities theory rather than a styles theory).
The other intriguing idea is using this principle in an adaptive system as a way of determining empirically what “learning styles” might mean. In other words, letting the data show you the extent to which there is consistency of style across tasks, occasions, etc., rather than starting with a theory and using a couple of one-shot tests to verify or disconfirm.
Really interesting stuff.