An Introduction to the Ways People Learn Learning Styles An Introduction to the Ways People Learn Instructor notes: Learning Styles...An introduction to the ways people learn. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Learning Styles: Topics Background Learning Style Models Teaching to All Types References Instructor notes: This module covers the different Learning Styles that students typically fall into. We will start by covering some background information about learning styles, followed by an introduction to the different learning style models. Finally we will look briefly at how to teach to all types of learning styles and include some references at the end. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Background Students have different “learning styles” Learning styles describe how students prefer to and are best able to receive and process information Instructor notes: Not all students have the same learning style. A learning style describes how students are best suited to receive and process information. Some students learn better under different conditions than others. While some students learn best in the standard lecture format, others are better suited to being actively involved and “trying things out”. Even among verbal learners, for whom the lecture format works well, some students learn best by starting with the big picture and working toward specifics while others prefer to see examples and extrapolate outward to more general cases. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Background Learning styles indicate preferences for: Facts and data Theories and models Visual presentation – pictures and diagrams Verbal presentation – written and spoken Active and interactive learning Introspective and individual learning Instructor notes: A student’s learning style indicates a preference for how they receive and process information. Some students may prefer facts and data in the form of concrete examples before moving to more general theories and models. Other students may prefer the opposite...to be given the general theory first and then to move to more specific applications. Some students may be visual learners...preferring pictures and diagrams to the written and spoken word preferred by verbal learners. While some students choose to think through information on their own and thinking through the material individually, some students may learn better through active learning by trying things out and experimenting or by interacting with others. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Background Teaching solely in a manner not well suited to a student’s learning style may cause enough discomfort to interfere with learning Instructor notes: If an instructor teaches only to a student’s less preferred learning style, it may cause enough discomfort to actually interfere with learning. In its extreme, that interference can lead to students leaving school. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Background However… Teaching only to the preferred modes may result in students lacking the mental agility to reach their potential academically and professionally In other words…they might not adapt well Instructor notes: However, teaching only to a student’s preferred learning style may result in students who lack the mental agility to adapt well to different learning environments. In the end this could interfere with their ability to reach their academic and/or professional potential. So, one goal might be to have students exercise various learning styles so that they have the mental agility to learn in different environments, while not emphasizing one style so much as to interfere with the learning process. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Learning Style Models Three common learning styles models include: Kolb’s Learning Style Model Felder-Silverman Learning Style Model Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Instructor notes: In this next section of the Learning Styles module, we’ll look at three common models of learning styles. They include the Kolb’s Learning Style model, the Felder-Silverman learning style model, and the Myers-Briggs type indicator. We’ll begin with the Kolb’s learning style model. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Kolb’s Learning Style Type 1 – Concrete, Reflective Type 2 – Abstract, Reflective Type 3 – Abstract, Active Type 4 – Concrete, Active Instructor notes: Kolb’s learning style model classifies students as to how they take information in: through concrete experience or through abstract conceptualization, and by how the internalize information: through active experimentation or through reflective observation. Thus, the four types of learners in Kolb’s learning style model are: Type 1 – concrete, reflective, Type 2 – abstract, reflective, Type 3 – abstract, active, and Type 4 – concrete, active. Engineering education traditionally makes nearly exclusive use of formal presentation of material via the lecture which is truly comfortable only for Type 2 – abstract, reflective learners. In order to reach Type 1 learners the instructor should discuss the relevance of each new topic. Type 2 learners in a formal presentation prefer to receive the basic information and methods associated with a topic. The instructor can reach Type 3 learners by making available opportunities to practice the methods described while encouraging experimentation with applications of the material will be most beneficial to Type 4 learners. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Kolb’s Learning Style Type 1 – Concrete, Reflective Typically asks “Why?” Responds well to explanations of how course material relates to their experience, their interests, and their future careers To be successful with Type 1, the instructor should motivate Instructor notes: Under Kolb’s model a Type 1 – concrete, reflective learner typically asks “why?”. These students respond well to explanations that establish links between current course material and their experiences, interests, and future careers. For an instructor to be most effective with a Type 1 – concrete, reflective learner, he or she should act as a motivator. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Kolb’s Learning Style Type 2 – Abstract, Reflective Typically asks “What?” Responds well to information that is presented in an organized, logical fashion and benefits from reflection Instructor should function as an expert Instructor notes: A Kolb’s model Type 2 – abstract, reflective learner characteristically asks “what?”. These students respond best to information that is presented in an organized, logical fashion. Type 2 students will benefit when given some time to reflect upon the material. To be most effective for a Type 2 learner, the instructor should act as an expert. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Kolb’s Learning Style Type 3 – Abstract, Active Typically asks “How?” Responds well to working actively on well-defined tasks and by trial-and-error in an environment that allows them to fail safely Instructor should function as a coach by providing guided practice and feedback. Instructor notes: The third category in Kolb’s learning style model – Type 3 – abstract, active – typically asks “how?”. Type 3 students prefer learning through trial and error by actively working on well defined tasks in a setting that allows them to make mistakes safely. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Kolb’s Learning Style Type 4 – Concrete, Active Typically asks “What if?” Prefers to apply course material in new situations to solve real problems. Instructor should stay out of the way to let students discover things on their own. Instructor notes: The fourth and final category of learning in Kolb’s model, the Type 4 – concrete, active learner typically asks “what if?”. Type 4 learners would rather use material they have learned in class to new situations in order to solve real problems. Unlike Types 1 through 3, an instructor for Type 4 learners should interfere as little as possible so that students can discover as much as possible for themselves. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Felder-Silverman Sensing/Intuitive Visual/Verbal Inductive/Deductive Active/Reflective Sequential/Global Instructor notes: The Felder-Silverman model classifies students as sensing or intuitive, visual or verbal, inductive or deductive, active or reflective, and sequential or global. For several decades most engineering education has been aimed at the intuitive, verbal, deductive, reflective, and sequential learners. However, this subset of students comprises a relatively small proportion of engineering students. As a result, most engineering students receive an education that does not match their learning styles. This mismatch could hurt students’ performance and attitudes toward courses and engineering as a curriculum and a career. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Felder-Silverman Sensing Intuitive Concrete, Practical Oriented toward facts and procedures Intuitive Conceptual, Innovative Oriented toward theories and meanings Instructor notes: The sensing learner is concrete and practical and inclined to facts and procedures. Alternatively, the intuitive learner is conceptual and innovative and oriented toward theories and meanings. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Felder-Silverman Visual Verbal Prefer visual representations of material Pictures, Diagrams, Flow charts Verbal Prefer written and spoken explanations Instructor notes: In the visual/verbal category, the visual learner is more comfortable with visual representations of information such as pictures, diagrams, and flow charts while the verbal learner prefers explanations that are written or spoken. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Felder-Silverman Inductive Deductive Prefer presentations that proceed from the specific to the general Deductive Prefer presentations that go from general to the specific Instructor notes: In the Felder-Silverman model the inductive learner prefers material presented from specific to general, while the deductive learner prefers the opposite...material that begins with the general and proceeds to the specific. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Felder-Silverman Active Reflective Learn by trying things out Prefer working with others Reflective Learn by thinking things through Prefer working alone Instructor notes: Active learners in the Felder-Silverman model learn by trying things out and prefer to do their work with others. Reflective learners, on the other hand, would rather think things through and do their work on their own. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Felder-Silverman Sequential Global Linear, Orderly Learn in small incremental steps Global Holistic, Systems thinkers Learn in large leaps Instructor notes: Finally, in the Felder-Silverman model we see sequential and global learners. Sequential learners operate in a linear fashion, learning in small incremental steps. Global learners, however, are more holistic. They think in terms of overall systems and tend to learn in large leaps. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Myers-Briggs Extraverts/Introverts Sensors/Intuitors Thinkers/Feelers Judgers/Perceivers Instructor notes: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator model classifies students according to their preferences on scales developed from Carl Jung’s psychological types theory. These classifications fall into extraverts or introverts, sensors or intuitors, thinkers or feelers, and judgers or perceivers. The Myers-Briggs type preferences can be combined to form 16 different learning style types. Engineering instructors normally orient their courses for INTJ’s…introverts, intuitors, thinkers, and judgers. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Myers-Briggs Extraverts Introverts Like to try things out Focus on the outer world of people Introverts Think things through Focus on the inner world of ideas Instructor notes: In the Myers-Briggs type indicator model extraverts prefer to experiment by trying things out and tend to focus on the outer world of people. Introverts, on the other hand, would rather think things through rather than diving right in and experimenting. In addition, introverts focus on the inner world of ideas. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Myers-Briggs Sensors Intuitors Practical Detail-oriented Focus on facts and procedures Intuitors Imaginative Concept-oriented Focus on meanings and possibilities Instructor notes: Sensors and intuitors in the Myers-Briggs model differ in that sensors tend to be practical and detail oriented, focusing on facts and procedures while intuitors are more imaginative and concept oriented and prefer to concentrate on meanings and possibilities. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Myers-Briggs Thinkers Feelers Skeptical Tend to make decisions based on logic and rules Feelers Appreciative Tend to make decisions based on personal and humanistic considerations Instructor notes: Continuing with the Myers-Briggs model brings us to thinkers and feelers. Thinkers tend to be more skeptical. They base their decisions on rules and logic. However, feelers tend to be more appreciative. They make their decisions based on more personal considerations. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Myers-Briggs Judgers Perceivers Set and follow agendas Seek closure even with incomplete data Perceivers Adapt to changing circumstances Resist closure to obtain more data Instructor notes: The final two Myers-Briggs categories are judgers and perceivers. Judgers tend to have set agendas that they follow and desire to seek closure for issues even when the data they have is incomplete. Perceivers, however, tend to be more “flexible”...adapting to changes in circumstances. Rather than seeking closure, perceivers tend to resist closure in order to obtain the data needed to fully resolve an issue. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Teaching to All Types Appealing to a wide array of learning styles can be achieved, based on the Felder-Silverman model, by: Instructor notes: Because students have such varied learning styles, one approach is to “teach around the cycle” by using methods that take advantage of all students’ strengths at some point. The following slides present some suggestions on how to do this based on the Felder-Silverman model. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Teaching to All Types Using plots, graphics, and demonstrations along with oral and written explanations (visual/verbal) Balancing concrete information such as experimental results with conceptual information like theories and models (sensing/intuitive) Instructor notes: To strike a balance between the visual and verbal learners make good use of sketches, plots, computer graphics, and demonstrations in addition to oral and written explanations and derivations of lectures and readings. Balance the conceptual information preferred by intuitive students with the concrete information favored by sensing students. Intuitors favor conceptual information – such as theories and mathematical models – that emphasize fundamental understanding. Sensors prefer concrete information such as descriptions of physical phenomena, experimental results, and demonstrations. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Teaching to All Types Demonstrating the logical flow of material but also making connections to other classes, topics, and everyday experiences (sequential/global) Encouraging or requiring cooperative learning (all learning styles) Instructor notes: Sequential learners can be helped by demonstrating the flow of individual course topics while global learners can be aided by making connections between the material and other relevant material, as well as other courses and disciplines and even everyday experience. Establish the use of cooperative learning, on homework for example, because cooperative learning has been demonstrated to be beneficial to all learning styles. Numerous research studies show that students involved in cooperative learning get better grades, are more enthusiastic about their field, and have better chances of graduation in their field relative to their peers in more traditional competitive settings. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

Teaching to All Types Asking students to explain a general principle given only experimental observations (inductive) Providing in class time for students to consider the material presented as well as for active participation (reflective/active) Instructor notes: In order to provide opportunities for the inductive learners give students some experimental observations prior to presenting the general principle and ask the students to see how close they can get to inferring the general principle. Preferably do this in small groups. Take time in class to give opportunities for both the reflective and active learners. Pause during lecture to allow students to think about the material being presented and come up with questions. Additionally, take time for small group activities such as problem solving or “one minute papers” or asking students to write down the most important point of the lecture and an important unanswered question. Gateway Engineering Education Coalition

References Matters of Style, Felder, Richard, ASEE Prism, 6(4), 18-23, December 1996 http://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/ Gateway Engineering Education Coalition