Learning Styles

By Jennifer Bahn, Jacqueline Firestone, Kelsey Kasten, and Emilie Tilson

What are "Learning Styles"?

Definition: How we prefer to learn new or difficult information
VAK/VARK developed by Neil Fleming 71 different theories of learning styles

Multiple Intelligences: How we best demonstrate our intellectual ability

Developed by Howard Gardner

Take the Learning Style Quiz!

The Three Learning Styles (VAK) Visual

Pictures Video Body language

Auditory
Lecture Discussion Tone

Kinesthetic
Hands-on Activity Exploration

Multiple Intelligences
Visual/Spatial Verbal/Linguistic Logical/Mathematical Bodily/Kinesthetic Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal

Gender Differences in Learning

Boys typically have more developed left hemisphere While girls have more developed right Hemispheres

Example Middle School Math Test

Geoff Hannan Quote

"He does first and then (hopefully) thinks. She thinks first and then (hopefully) does. He has a trial and error, experiential learning style rooted in confidence, competence and interest in the manipulation of objects and systems. He is a speculative thinker (leading towards physics as a subject). She has a language-centered, sequential learning style, rooted in an interest in people and relationships. She is a reflective thinker (leading towards English)." Geoff Hannan

Social Factors For Gender Differences

Stereotypes influence how males and females are treated in a learning environment A boy is more likely to be called on in a math class English and arts are considered girlier resulting in boys being less interested A study from the UK found that: 67% of parents thought it was important for their daughters to go to university Only 62% of parents thought it was important for their sons to go to university

The Female Dominated Education

Boys Rely on: Girls Rely on: Nonverbal communication Verbal skills Use words as they Require space to spread out

and do work Require variety and stimulation

learn

Respond best to: Relate to others: Competition and leadership By talking

Schools today largely emphasize methodical working and attentiveness

School is largely a
language experience

Reasons Boys Underachieve

Peer Group Status: the desire to look cool in front of their peers If school is a largely feminine place, a boy may not want to participate. Resulting in boys: Messing around more Getting into more fights to prove their masculinity Female educators significantly outnumber male educators. Meaning: Females have more female guidance Males have less male guidance

Cultural Differences in Learning Style

Study in a classroom where 20 different nationalities were represented International students prefer visual mode of perception, as opposed to verbal.
Images transcend any cultural differences Students are exposed to television, media, computers, video games, etc. Even if there is a language barrier, power of media communication prevails.

How Teachers Help Students Learn

Not all students learn the same way Good teachers have many different methods Some include:
The use of pictures or games Group work between students

A good teacher should:

Know all the learning styles Be able to adjust their lesson

plans to meet all students' needs

What makes a good teacher?

Good teachers:
1. Exhibit a sense of purpose 2. Learn From a variety of models 3. Demonstrate a willingness to adapt or change 4. Enjoy their work and students video

What it means to Have a sense of Purpose?

A teacher knows what students expect from the class and with knowing this the teacher will achieve the expectations A teacher makes it clear to the students what is expected of them in the class and what goals will be achieved

What does it mean that teachers learn from a variety of models?

Good and Bad teachers learn from the teachers that they had when they were in school A good teacher can take the characteristics that they admired about their favorite teachers and try to model those same characteristics The characteristics that are learned can help teachers to be able to adapt and change different situations

What it means to demonstrate a willingness to adapt or change?

Sometimes students do not always understand what is being taught In these situations teachers need to be willing to change how a subject is being taught Teachers should be able to think in different ways to change the learning process

What does it mean for a teacher to enjoy their work and students?
Teachers are more motivated to help their students learn if they are motivated by their passion for teaching. A teacher that enjoys their work will have the following:
Motivation to help struggling students Creativity Energy

Should Teachers Match Learning styles?

Teachers are told that instruction should match the students' learning styles Four psychologists are arguing that this is wrong No strong scientific evidence to support the "matching" idea Very little research done on the theories of matching learning styles. Mr. Pashler's study does not dispute the existence of learning styles.

Traditional Ways of Thinking

It has never been proven that: A certain particular

instruction style helps students who have that learning style While also harming students who have a different learning style Example of traditional thinking: Kinesthetic learners absorb the concept best by building ball-and-stick models Visual learners do better reading or seeing diagrams

A New Way of Teaching

In a hands-on laboratory setting: Kinesthetic learners enjoy lessons much more and average 15% higher on tests Visual learners enjoy the lesson less and average 15 percent lower on tests In a text based laboratory setting: The verbal students enjoy the lessons much more than the kinesthetic learners Both the verbal and kinesthetic students test scores go down

What the New Theory Means for Teachers

Almost every study has discovered that one
style actually works best for both groups They should not try to determine the composition of learning styles in their classrooms Instead they should worry about matching their instruction to the content they are teaching

References
Gender Differences Impact Learning and Post-school Success Gender Differences in Learning Styles: A Narrative Review and
Quantitative Meta-Analysis Gender Related Differences in Self-Referenced Cognitions in Relation to Mathematics Howard Gardner, Multiple Intelligences and Education How teachers help students learn Learning Styles and Gender Learning Styles, Culture and Inclusive Instruction in the Multicultural Classroom Learning Styles vs. Multiple Intelligences Matching Teaching Style to Learning Style May Not Help Students Understanding the Learning Styles for Students: Implications for Educators What makes a good teacher?