Theoritical ideas - Learning Styles

Tikila Welch                                     I commented on Lianne Lockhart and Megan Diblo Blog entries.

Learning Styles

As humans we are all capable of learning but the question is do we all learn the say way?  According to numerous studies the answer to this question is simply no.  People learn differently; by feeling, by

watching,  by thinking, and others by doing (McCarthy, 1990).  This simple statement is very profound to me,  considering the simple theory leads me to explore how one’s learning style is developed.  For purposes of this assignment I will discuss a few key factors related to learning styles. 

Learning Style-

According to Mackeracher (2008), learning styles are determined by the way a person responds to learning tasks or learning environment typical in one or more of the following forms, cognitive, affective, social or physiology.  Learning style simply refers to the way in which a person prefers to learn new information.  Learning styles are not necessary an unchangeable way of learning, they are often link to personal, cultural and contextual influences.  One’s learning style may change as they grow, develop and experience life situations.   Over the years there have been several models of learning styles developed by various authors based off of their perceptions what is important   typically they are broken down into groups with preferred learning strategies assigned to each group.  In the text Making since of Adult Learning, Mackeracher describes Kholb’s model as one in which various authors have referenced and summarized.  The Four types of learners from Kholb’s model are outlined for reference:

Divergent learners- these are the collaborators

Assimilative learners- these are the intrapersonal learners

Convergent – these are the hands on learners

Accommodative learners- these are the critical thinkers

I think it is very important for educators to study various models because there are likes in difference in the models.  Many may ask how and why learning styles are relevant.  From my experience I have found that many teachers teach how they learn and when they do think about how many students they may be left out.  For instance me being a hands on learning if I only taught using hands on technique’s, I am not meeting the needs of the students that learn in other ways.  This alone is important enough for use to really look at learning styles.  We have to find ways to meet the needs of all our learners. 

Examples of how to use in practice

Having intense knowledge and understanding of learning styles is highly recommended for educators.  Research has shown that there is a need for teachers to shift from teacher centered instruction to an approach that fosters the interest and needs of student learners ( Kyprianidou, Demetriadis, Tsiatos  and Pombortis, 2011). When teachers understand the diverse needs of their individual students they can use various teaching strategies to help meet the needs of each student based off of their learning styles.  As a preschool teacher it is a great idea to observe your students in an effort to pin point their preferred learning style, the easiest way to do this is to teach the same concept using various methods.  Once you have identified your preschoolers learning style you should design lesson plans that would accommodate all learners.

In higher level classes you could also give out learning style assessments and based on the results you could work with students to identify their preferred style of learning.  Once they are noted it is imperative to create opportunities and activates that would accommodate all learners.  This may not be an easy task and may cause teachers to think outside the box and step outside their confront zone but you should have mix of activities that will meet the needs of all learners.  For instance, one activity may be collaboration within small groups and the next activity may be an individual written essay (focused on the same topic).   There are many examples in which I could discuss on how teachers could incorporate learning styles into their program,  the overall theme is that teachers are aware of the individual learner styles of their students and that they meet the students where they are.  Teaching has to become more about the learner and less about the instructor.

Summary

“All of us feel, reflect, think, and do but we linger at different places along the way and these lingering’s form our learning style preference” (McCarthy, 1990).  As a teacher it is imperative to know this about students, there are many factors that contributes to one’s preferred method of learning. Once the students preferred learning style is discovered important for the teacher to provide and environment in which students are taught and learn in the ways that is most suitable for them.  It is a simple as this; the ultimate goal of the teacher should be to provide learning opportunities and an environment that will meet the needs of all learners in an effort to extend their knowledge.  When teachers providers opportunities that accommodate the needs of all leaners regardless of teacher preferences they are making strides towards the goal.

Reflection:

When I began this assignment I must admit I was very confused in which direction to go, I started out looking for articles on relationship based learning because I do believe relationships are very important in learning.  I changed my focus to learning styles after having a conversation with a college the other day about one of her trainings and the feedback she received from the survey at the end.  A few of the trainees felt like she was not diverse enough in her teaching style.  This got me thinking of how important it is as a trainer to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our participants and if it’s important for trainers then it is equally important for teachers.  This led me to look deeper at the learning style section from the book and journal articles.  I used Ball State database because it is one I am most familiar with navigating.  Once in the data based I tried several different search options to come up with appropriate topics related to learning styles.  I realized quickly we I kept the title too broad I had to many articles to sift through.  Once I searched specific topics I was able to narrow the search to more relevant articles.  Another key tip I learned that I honestly say I didn’t pay much attention to previous was to search for full text articles only.  After coming across a few good articles they only listed the abstract I quickly made the switch to full text articles only.  I spent a lot of time reading articles related to learning styles to find specific information to summarize for this assignment.  For me the biggest take away is time management and not over thinking things, I spent so much time reading articles that I am not sure that I answered the questions appropriately. 

The main theoretical ideas	Summary of how to apply the main theoretical ideas in practice
Learning Styles	·        Become knowledgeable of various learning style theories ·        Understand that learning styles are developed based on ones experiences and therefore they could change ·        Identify the learning styles of learners when possible (through observation or learning style assessment ·        Step out of your comfort zone- teachers typically teach the way they learn. ·        Create lessons that will meet the needs of the learners in which you are teaching

References:

Akça, F. (2013). An Investigation into the Academic Success of Prospective Teachers in Terms of Learning Strategies, Learning Styles and the Locus of Control. Journal of Education and Learning JEL, 2(1). doi:10.5539/jel.v2n1p134

Kyprianidou, M., Demetriadis, S., Tsiatsos, T., & Pombortsis, A. (2011). Group formation based on learning styles: Can it improve students’ teamwork? Education Tech Research Dev Educational Technology Research and Development, 60(1), 83-110. doi:10.1007/s11423-011-9215-4

MacKeracher, D. (2004). Making sense of adult learning. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

McCarthy, B. (1990). Using the 4MAT system to bring learning styles to schools. Educational Leadership,48(32), 31-37. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el_199010_mccarthy.pdf

Wilson, M. (2012). Students’ Learning Style Preferences and Teachers’ Instructional Strategies: Correlations Between Matched Styles and Academic Achievement. SRATE Journal, 22(1), 36-44. Retrieved from Eric