ASSIGNMENT 1: MAKE A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION OF THE FOLLOWING TOPIC.
DEFINING “LEARNING
STYLE”: According
to MacKeracher (1996), learning styles may be thought of as the way in which
people:
- ¾take in information
- ¾select certain information for further processing
- ¾use meanings, values, skills, strategies to solve problems, make decisions, and create new meanings
- ¾change any or all of the processes or structures described in this list
CATEGORISING LEARNING
STYLES
There has been a growth of research into the
subject of learning styles in the last decade or so. The result has been
numerous ways of categorising learning styles. For the purposes of this course,
these have been broadly grouped into four categories:
- ¾physical domain – visual, auditory and motor styles
- ¾cognitive domain – concrete, abstract, sequential, random styles
- ¾affective domain – internal and external psychological and physiological factors that affect how we feel
- ¾culture and learning
Most of us have a preferred learning
domain and within that domain, a preferred learning style.
WHY LOOK AT LEARNING
STYLE?
Firstly, we need to be aware of learning styles
to avoid mismatches in style between instructors and learners. As the cartoon
below nicely illustrates, when we teach using our own preferred style not all
of our students will have the identical style. Inevitably learning will be
diminished for some.
Secondly, we need to assist our students to
identify their learning styles in order that they may build confidence and more
effectively manage their own learning.
Thirdly, in that our own preferred learning
style can influence our approach to planning, implementing and evaluating
instruction, it is equally important for us to be conscious of our style. We
need to become informed about alternate styles, and strengthen our ability to
work in these styles in order to develop instruction for students with a broad
range of styles.
Finally, although most of us have a preferred
learning domain, this does not mean that we don’t use or cannot develop
alternate domains. Similarly, within a domain we are likely to have a preferred
learning style. Becoming aware of other styles and working to strengthen weaker
ones can enhance learning by providing a variety of strategies for taking in
and processing information.
INTRODUCTION
When we speak of learning styles in the
physical domain, we are referring to people who feel most comfortable using
their physical senses – sight,hearing, touch, smell and taste when
learning. Although we use all or most our senses when learning, many of us have
a strong preference for one modality over another for taking in and processing
information. The predominant physical or sensory styles are described in the
following paragraphs.
VISUAL STYLE
Learners with a visual style prefer to use
their eyes to learn; that is, see something in writing, watch a
demonstration or video, and so on. In order to learn most effectively, these
learners need to “see” the information or material in one form or another, thus
the use of visual aids such will enhance learning. For example, when learning
to read, these learners are likely to prefer a whole word versus phonetic
approach.
AUDITORY STYLE
Learners with an auditory style will prefer
to use their hearing to learn; that is, listen to a lecture about a
certain topic rather than read about it, talk about the material with others or
through “self-talk” (talking to themselves “in their heads”). For
example, contrary to visual learners these students are likely to learn to read
best when a phonetic approach is used.
MOTOR STYLE
This style is also referred to as a
kinaesthetic or physical style. Learners who prefer this style can be thought
of as “hands on” learners. That is, they need to do an activity, practise
a skill or manipulate material physically in order to learn most effectively.
For example, when learning to spell these learners are likely to prefer writing
out words since muscle movement assists in their learning process.
IDENTIFYING PHYSICAL
LEARNING STYLE: Identifying
learners’ preferred physical learning style can be approached in either a formal
or informal way. Informally, learning sessions can be planned to incorporate
approaches and learning aids appropriate for each style. The practitioner would
then simply note what seems to work best with each learner. This will be easier
to accomplish with small rather than large groups, and in individual tutoring
situations.
With medium to larger groups, a more formal
approach in which learners complete a questionnaire may be more advantageous. A
“Physical Learning Styles Questionnaire” has been included at the end of this
module and may be reproduced for use by programs.
ADDRESSING PHYSICAL
STYLE IN INSTRUCTION:
Of the different types of learning styles discussed in this course, physical
style is perhaps the simplest and most straightforward to identify and
incorporate into instruction. Once you have identified your learners’ preferred
physical learning style, learning sessions can be easily structured to
specifically address each or all of the styles. Listed below are some
instructional techniques and learning aids for each style. Some techniques and
aids can be used effectively for more than one style.
¾TECHNIQUES AND
LEARNING AIDS FOR VISUAL STYLE - Maximum use of visual aids will greatly enhance learning for
individuals with a visual style. Some examples of visual aids include: videos
and films, written materials with lots of graphics (i.e., charts, tables,
pictures/clip art, photographs, etc.), overhead projectors, computers, and so
on. In general, any technique that allows these learners to use their eyes will
be effective, so instruction should include activities that involve watching,
reading and writing. For example, if a student is learning about pronouns
(e.g., “I,” “he,” “they,” etc), reading through a story and highlighting all
the pronouns together would be effective.
¾TECHNIQUES AND
LEARNING AIDS FOR AUDITORY STYLE - Providing maximum opportunities to “hear” the material to be
learned will prove most useful for individuals with an auditory style. In
general, any technique that involves listening and/or talking will be
effective. Some examples include: group discussions, lectures, guest speakers,
reading out loud, listening to cassettes/videos/films, and so on. Contrary to
the approach used with the visual learner above when looking at pronouns,
auditory learners need to hear the material. Thus, one approach might be to
read a story and have the learner stop you whenever he/she hears a pronoun.
¾TECHNIQUES AND
LEARNING AIDS FOR MOTOR STYLE - Individuals with a motor style need to be physically involved in
their learning, thus the key to enhancing their learning is lots of “hands on”
activities. Some effective approaches include: field trips, experiments, role
playing, puzzles and games, three dimensional learning aids, or more generally,
writing things out and reading out loud. In the case of learning about pronouns
for example, one approach might be to break a story into four parts, post the
parts around the room, and have the students go around to the “stations” and
write out the pronouns at each.
