Learning Styles in the Classroom

Peter M. Delaney, EdD.

Objectives

To develop an awareness of the common learning styles To develop an awareness of our individual style(s) To understand how particular learning styles affect a students ability to process instruction To develop teaching strategies to facilitate learning within the various styles

Activity 1

List from your experience and in your opinion the characteristics of a successful student. Are there similarities in the responses?

Teaching Style

Learning Style

Learning Style Teaching Style

How do we learn? And Do we teach the way our students learn?

Activity 2

Break into subject groups and together choose another department in the school that you feel would be the most receptive to instruction. Please indicate the reasons for your choice. Report findings to total group.

How does knowing a students learning style help us as teachers?

Understanding why a student may be having difficulty

Creating activities which may aid learning

What is a learning style?

The particular way we process and retain information Visual Auditory Tactile Kinesthetic

Field independent (analytic)

Field dependent (global)

Sensing-Thinking Learners (Mastery) Intuitive-Thinking (Understanding) Sensing-Feeling (Interpersonal) Intuitive-Feeling (Self-Expressive)

Visual

Knowledge processed primarily through seeing Strongly predominant visual learners learn on own without additional stimuli Learning style best geared toward formal teaching/learning

Auditory

Knowledge processed through hearing Learning style taught to in straight lecture Not dominant style for most learners

Butquite dominant in teaching!

Tactile

Learning enhanced by feeling and tactile involvement Hands on reinforcement

Kinesthetic
Learning through the body Learning by doing-by physical involvement Effective with athletes, dancers, actors etc. Ex. Acting out Shakespeare rather than just reading

Field Independent (Analytic)

Processes information without external frame of reference Perceives information in component parts- particular to general Can work well alone Comfortable with abstractions Often visual and auditory

Field Dependent (Global)

Processes information best in external frame of reference Holistic- general to particular Works comfortably in groups Abstractions can be problematic Feedback essential

Mastery Style

Efficient/ results oriented Prefer actions to words Prefer involvement to theory Pragmatic, logical Appetite for work Require immediate feedback Need to know precisely what is expected

Understanding Style

Theoretical Curious about ideas Have a tolerance for theory Think things through themselves Complex problems Think about long-range consequences Organized and logical Plan before working Require little feedback until work is completed Cause and effect thinkers

Self Expressive Style

Curious, insightful, imaginative Committed to their values Open to new ideas Prefer activities that allow imagination Turned off by rote or routine Prefer open-ended questions Do not fear being different Intuitive

Interpersonal Style

Sociable, friendly Sensitive to others Prefer learning that affects people rather than theories and impersonal facts Work best when emotionally involved in learning Impulsive; act on what feels right Need personal attention and support Prefer cooperation to competition Influenced by the likes and dislikes of others

Activity 5

Can you think of how you could ensure that both styles (analytic and global) are accommodated as you introduce a unit or a lesson? In your group create a lesson (one lesson plan) which accommodates both the analytic and the global learner. Use a topic that is included in your course of study and is taught as part of the instructional program.

You will be asked to present your plan to the class or, if you wish, teach the lesson to the class.

Activity 4

Learning Styles Inventory

How do you learn best?

What is your predominant learning style? and

Do you teach the way you learn?

Do You Recognize any of Your Students?

I have no problem concentrating in noise or confusion I need a quiet environment in order to work well I can learn well from a book and lectures I think learning should be by doing

I feel I must understand every word I see or hear Catching the main idea is what is important Classroom study is the key to learning Realistic experiences are the key to science learning I work best alone I work best with others Feedback doesnt affect me at all I find feedback helpful in learning

Multiple Intelligence Theory Howard Gardner

*Verbal-linguistic *Logical-mathematical *Spatial *Interpersonal *Musical *Naturalist *Intrapersonal *Bodily-Kinesthetic

(hand-out)

Old View of Intelligence

Fixed Measurable by a number Exhibited in familiarly recognized ways Measured in isolation Used to sort students and predict success

Silver et al. So Each May Learn. ASCD, 2000

New View of Intelligence

Dynamic not fixed (developmental) Not numerically quantifiable Exhibited in diverse ways Measured in context (real life situations) Used to understand individual capacities and how an individual can best achieve

Learning Styles Video

The question is not:

Are you smart?

but
How are you smart?