(LEARNING TO LEARN) A delicate balance Tina Orel considers the best way to cater for all the students in a class. -eare all different and use different channels to perceive the world and to learn, Some prefer hearing, some seeing and some sensing in other ways. The ways in which students perceive, interact with and respond to the learning environment are cognitive, afective and psychological indicators called learning styles. They are, of course, a normal and desired part of earning, but they can raise difficulties in the classroom as the most suitable teaching methods for each type tend to diffe A range of models for determining ‘a person's learning style have been developed. One of the best known is ‘The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI., which classifies students according to their preferences on four scales derived from Jung's Theory of Psychological Types. Students may be: © extrovert (try things out) oF introverts (think things through); © sensors (practical) or intuitors ‘maginative); © thinkers (sceptical or feelers (appreciative); «© judgers (set and follow agendas) oF ‘perceivers (adapt to changing ‘ircumstances). Another model classifies students as having a preference for 1) concrete experience or abstract conceptualisation, and 2) active experimentation oF reflective observation. The four types in this model, based on experiential learning research done by David Kolb, are: Type I (conerete, reflective), Type 2 (abstract, reflective), Type 3 (abstract, active) and Type 4 (concrete, active). {5.4 « sue 79 aro 2011+ ENGUSH TEACHNG professional » www.otprofessional.com + Distinguishing learning styles ‘When examining these models in detail, some parallels can be drawn and Colin Rose (as eited by James Stie) perfectly encapsulated them by synthesising the work of many researchers into a series of accelerated learning techniques. One of these involves a questionnaire, used for determining a student’s learning style. It recognises three basic types of learners: auditory leamers, who need 10 listen to and hear what they need t0 learn; visual learners, who need to see and observe; and kinaesthetic learners, ‘who use practice and movement in ‘order to learn. Most people learn by using all of the three styles but one of them usually predominates, Nevertheless, there are exceptional individuals who are able to absorb new knowledge effectively by using two or ‘even all three styles in equal measure. © Auditory learners need to hear what they intend to learn, They absorb the pitch of their teacher's voice and make litte use of written text until it is heard. They benefit best from listening to exercises and discussions, ‘© Visual learners need to observe the teacher’s body language and facial expressions in order to fully understand the content of the lesson. They get the most out of visual presentations, such as diagrams, illustrations, pictures, charts, videos, ete. They tend to sit at the front of the classroom and take detailed notes bout the subject under discussion. ‘© Kinaesthetic learners benefit the most from exploring and practising. They enjoy learning through experiencing, ‘moving and active participation, Determining learning styles ‘What is a teacher to do when trying to satisfy the needs of all? The best way is to get to know your students thoroughly and to understand their requirements by tiving them a set of questions in order to determine the methods likely to be most appropriate for teaching them. 1 leaned on Colin Rose's knowledge and >