1 Learning Styles

2 Students taught partly in a manner they prefer, leads to an increased comfort level and willingness to learn. Taught partly in a less preferred manner, provides practice and feedback in ways of thinking and solving problems which they may not initially be comfortable with but which they will have to use to be fully effective professionals.

Learning Styles – so why 3 Learners Objectives Evaluation Methods

Learning Styles – so why 4 Teaching to their learning styles and forcing them to learn outside their preferred styles will develop more effective professional. Understanding learning styles will allow us to understand how the students setting in our classes learn the best. The primary goal of an undergraduate education is to produce a student capable of thinking for themselves. As instructors we can tailor our teaching methods to match the learning styles that our students possess.

Learning Styles - Categories 5 Visual Verbal Sensory Intuitive Active Reflective Sequential Global Input into mind Perception of Information Processing to Retain Building Understanding

Learning Styles Visual - Verbal 6 Identify information People tend to prefer to take in information either visually or verbally Input

Learning Styles Visual-Verbal 7

8 Verbal 30% Prefer the spoken and written word Visual 70% Prefer charts, diagrams, and pictures

Learning Styles Visual - Verbal Visual LearnerVerbal Learner InstructionVideo Clips Diagrams & Images Maps Lecture Audio clips AssignmentsMind Mapping PowerPoint With Images Interviews Seminars Reports & Speeches AssessmentId on Maps Drawings and Sketches Read & response Sound Identification Verbal tests ReferenceReference maps Diagrams/Pictures Articles Video/Audio Clips CommunicationWhiteboard Chat Phone Audio Conferencing 9

Learning Styles Visual - Verbal 10 Helping the Visual Learner Try to find and use diagrams, sketches, flow charts… Use concept maps when appropriate… Color code notes if possible… Try to locate video clips related to your topics… Helping the Verbal Learner Prepare summaries of material… Allow for presentation of others explanations… Discussions of topics by the class…

Learning Styles Sensing-Intuitive 11 Perception of information Sensors like to work with real data and like details Intuitors like to work with theories and like concepts Making it fit in the real world or the world of ideas Concrete   Conceptual Facts and Data Concepts

Learning Styles Sensing- Intuitive 12

Learning Styles Sensing-Intuitive 13 Intuitive 42% - (innovators) Prefer theories and interpretations of factual information Want a connection to other ideas Sensing 58% - (Logical) Prefer data and facts Want a connection to real world

Learning Styles Sensing - Intuitive Sensing LearnerIntuitive Learner InstructionImages Sounds Demos Case Studies Hypothesis Setting AssignmentsCreation of Demos Images Case Studies Problem Solving Resolution Building AssessmentDetail Tests Audio Tests Outcome Projections ReferenceField Trips Virtual Field Trips Compare & Contrast CommunicationConferencing ToolsGroup Work 14

Learning Styles Sensing - Intuitive Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology 15 Helping the Sensing Learner Provide specific examples to material if possible… Try to frame material in how they apply in practice… Brainstorming on how the material presented works in practice… Helping the Intuitive Learner Connection exercises for theories being presented… Question development time… Provide time or exercises for building hypothesis…

Learning Styles Active-Reflective Processing to Retain Active learners need to interact with the material directly and/or talking with others Reflective learners need to think about where the new information fits 16

Learning Styles Active- Reflective 17

Learning Styles Active-Reflective 18 Reflective 32% Do the processing in their head Let’s think it through Active 68% Learn best by doing something physical with the information Let’s try it and see how it works out

Learning Styles Active - Reflective Active LearnerReflective Learner InstructionClass ParticipationCritical Thinking Reflection Time AssignmentsModel BuildingProblem Sets Journaling AssessmentProjects Reports Problem Solving Essays ReferenceField Trips Virtual Field trips Observations Readings CommunicationMeetingsWebcasts 19

Learning Styles Active - Reflective 20 Helping the Active Learner Allow time for problem-solving activities… Hypothesis development exercises… Group discussions on topics in the material… Helping the Reflective Learner Reflective time in a class… Question development time… Summaries of class materials… Blogging…

Learning Styles Sequential-Global 21 Building Understanding Sequentials want to follow a linear process Global learners want to work from the big picture

Learning Styles Sequential-Global 22

Learning Styles Sequential-Global 23 Global 28% Must see the big picture Before the individual pieces fall into place Sequential 72% Easily makes linear connections between individual steps

Learning Styles Sequential - Global Sequential LearnerGlobal Learner InstructionVideo Clips Diagrams & Images Maps Lecture Audio clips AssignmentsMind Mapping PowerPoint With Images Interviews Seminars Reports & Speeches AssessmentId on Maps Drawings and Sketches Read & response Sound Identification Verbal tests ReferenceReference maps Diagrams/Pictures Articles Vide/Audio Clips CommunicationWhiteboard Chat Phone Audio Conferencing 24

Learning Styles Sequential - Global 25 Helping the Sequential Learner Provide material in order of completing a task… Provide examples and material to fill in steps… Helping the Global Learner Organize material into more blocks than step by step approach… Relate material to existing material and theories…

Learning Styles - Helping Learners 26 Visual Verbal Sensory Intuitive Active Reflective Sequential Global Input - Presentation Perception - Content Processing - Participation Understanding - Perspective Visual Verbal Linear Sweeping Active Passive Concrete Abstract Learning StyleTeaching Style