What are Learning Styles?

The term refers to individuals’ characteristics

and preferred ways of gathering, interpreting,
organizing, and thinking about information.
 Styles and Strategies

• “Learning strategies are responses and

attitudes that can be unlearned or relearned
• . . . . They also can be used strategically—that
is, truly flexible students can learn an array of
strategies that allow them to cope with all the
different kinds of situations they encounter.”
(Svinicki, 2004, p.193)
What Kinds Are There?
And these are the only ones?
 Perceptual
• Perceptual learning style theories look at the
physical and sensory elements used to
interpret external stimuli. 
• It include such learning dimensions as the
visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic. 
• Perceptual learning style theorists use the
Multi-Model Paired Associates Learning Test
(MMPALT) (James and Gardner 1995).
Gardner’s Learning Styles
 Affective
• Use personality traits as the basis for how leaner
interprets and absorbs information. 
• Use research in social and cultural experiences,
environmental influences, and interpersonal
experiences. 
• The MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) assesses
learning styles based on “the relative strength of the
processes of introversion versus extraversion, sensing
versus intuition, thinking versus feeling, and judging
versus perception.” (Brown 1998)
Most prominent affective learning style theories
are the Wikin’s Bipolar Construct of Field
Dependence and Field Independence and the
(MBTI). 
Myers-Briggs Learning Styles
 Cognitive
• Look at ways learners process information. 
• Cognitive learning styles relate to brain
physiology and function. 
• David A. Kolb’ identifies different types of
learners: concrete, abstract, reflective, and active.
• Different types of learners process information
differently--divergers and assimilators--and
experience things differently--convergers and
accommodators (Brown 1998).
Kolb’s Learning Styles
What’s so important about that?
 Exposure
“Many students have never been exposed to
. . . different ways to approach studying or
even the idea that there are different ways to
study. We can help students learn about
different strategies and when to use them”
(Svinicki, 2004, p.24)
 Improvements
• Students can change the way they study and
change the outcome of their grades
• “[U]nderstanding learning styles will help . . .
Students cope with teachers whom they see
as difficult” (Wankat, 2002, p. 183)
 Responsibility
• Students begin to analyze the way they study;
• They gain greater awareness and knowledge
of effective study techniques;
• They accept responsibility for their own
learning;
You Mean There Are More?
 A Few Principles of Learning
• What or how much is learned in any situation
depends on prior knowledge and experience;
• Learning takes place when someone is asked
to take information presented in one format
and represent that information in alternative
format;
• Varying conditions under which learning takes
place makes learning harder but results in
better learning
 Surface Learning
• Memorizes facts
• Focuses on discrete elements
• Fails to differentiate between evidence and
information
• Unreflective
• Sees task as an external imposition
 Deep Learning in Reading
• Focuses on what the author meant
• Relates new information to what s/he already
knows or experiences
• Works to organize and structure the content
• Sees the reading as an important source of
learning
 Promoting Deeper Learning
• Have students create concept maps or outlines
where parts of a concept relate to another part
• Have students organize new information into
meaningful patterns that reflect the underlying
structure of the concepts being used
• Have students elaborate on concepts by having
them connect new information to prior
knowledge
 Deep Processing
• Svinicki (2004) finds that “students with a
surface processing approach to learning tend
to use learning strategies that emphasize,
repetition and practice” (p. 201)
• When they are taught to focus on the “big
picture,” such as relationships among ideas,
they process information at a deeper level.
• Deep processing will lead to longer retention
and better understanding.
So What Am I to Do about It?
 Offer Alternatives
• “In order for learners to control their learning,
they need to be aware of available
alternatives. Too many students come to
college knowing only one or two strategies,
which they use regardless of the task’s
demands. When those strategies don’t work,
the students simply try to do them harder
rather than changing tactics” (Svinicki 2004, p.
129)
 Mix It Up
• Increase learning power of at-risk students by
introducing learning styles and learning
approaches;
• An awareness of learning styles widens and
improves instructor’s pedagogical methods;
• In the words of Chickering and Gamson (1987),
instructors must “respect diverse talents and
ways of learning” and must give students the
“opportunity to show their talents and learn in
ways that work for them” (pp. 1 and 6)
 Research on Learning Styles
• Use instructional approaches that
complement preferred learning styles of
students
• Give advice about how to study based on
knowledge of learning styles
• Use specific information on learning styles to
help them master material in meaningful ways
(Bourner 1997; Kuh, Kinzie,
Buckley, Bridges & Hayek 2006;
McKeachie, 2002)
 Retention
• Low expectations can cause instructors not to
offer specific directions to low performing
students
• Trial and error way of learning is not beneficial
for at-risk students
• Students need effective and efficient ways to
study before to help them avoid academic
dismissal
How Can I Learn More?
 Learning Style Inventories
• At-risk students need to be “independent,
autonomous learners” (Weimer, 2002).
• Students can become involved in this process
by taking formal learning style inventories
• They can write about the results of their
inventory and the different kinds of study
techniques that might work best for them
based on their learning styles
 Assign as Homework
• Students can take these inventories outside of class
as homework assignments
• Let them investigate different kinds of study
techniques that match their preferred style of
learning
• Allow this activity to become a platform for them to
learn a repertoire of study strategies
• A small amount of class time can be used to
reinforce the importance of discovering and
analyzing different learning and study strategies
 Example 1
• Richard Felder and Barbara Solomon’s Index of Learning
Styles Questionnaire (1991)--
www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.htm

• Includes 44 phrases or dependent clauses, with two possible

answers to complete the sentence
• Examples:

I understand something better after I

(a) try it out.
(b) think it through.

When I am learning something new, it helps me to

(a) talk about it.
(b) think about it.
 Cont.
• Student submit answers for automatic scoring
• A profile sheet of learning style preferences will be made
available
• It will give a description and explanation of results
• Four scales
– (a) active or reflective, (b) sensing or intuiting, (c) visual or
verbal, (d) sequential or global
• Scoring indicates
– Fairly well balanced
– Moderate preference for one division
– Strong preference for one division
• Provides a list of study strategies that work for each
preference
 Cont.
• Write an essay
– Describe their inventory results
– Identify strategies that are suggested for their
preferred style
– Explain whether they agree about their results
– Explain which strategies they have tried or are
willing to use
– Discuss in class
 Example 2
The Learning Style Assessment (Mencke and Hartman,
2000)-- http://studentaffairs.arizona.edu/programs/
thinktank/resources/selfassesment/learning_style
• Questionnaire of 27 statements with three response
choices for each statement—often, sometimes, seldom
– Submit answers for immediate scoring
– Scores for three learning modes—visual, auditory, and
kinesthetic
– Study strategies for each mode is given for note taking,
reading, , exam preparation, and test taking
– Student receives an in-depth profile
 VARK Questionnaire
VARK Questionnaire (Fleming, 2001-2006)—
http://www.vark-learn.com/english/index.asp
• Five categories for different learning styles—
visual, aural, read-write, kinesthetic, and
multimodal
• Submit answers and scores are reported
• Provides a link to a list of strategies for various
learning preferences under different
conditions.
• Begin by asking students what circumstances
might add or detract from their efforts or
concentration when you are gathering or
processing information
• Ask them what factors they have control of in
class and what actions they can take to
increase their learning focus or to avoid things
that take away from their learning
 Valuing Different Learning Styles
• Students must be encouraged to value
different learning styles and to study with
students who have different learning styles
• They will enrich their learning experiences and
develop new strengths by working with a
variety of learners (Davis, 1993, p. 190)
• The concept, learning styles, has its roots in
the early pragmatist philosopher Williams
James and the psychology of Carl Jung. 
• Learning styles draw upon research in
cognitive styles, epistemology, brain
physiology, cultural study, and learning
theory.
Bunnell, David P. (2009). Adult learning styles: A resource
guide. Retrieved from http://library.griftec.org/lsc/learning
style.htm
Chickering, A. & Gamson Z. (1987). Seven Principles of
good practice in undergraduate education. Washington
Center News. Retrieved from http://learningcommons.
evergreen.edu/pdf/fall1987.pdf
Kuh, G., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J., Bridges, B., and Hayek, J.
(2006, July) What matters to student success: A review of
the literature. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/npec/
pdf/Kuh_Team_Report.pdf
McKeachie, W. (2002). Teaching tips: Strategies, research,
and theory for college and university teachers (11th ed.)
Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Svinicki, M. (2004). Learning and motivation in the
postsecondary classroom. Bolton, MA: Anker.