+ Learning Styles: Separating Fact from Fiction A Presentation for Educators Jessica Cockroft, Aphton Kostopanagiotis, & Allie Perrotta EDUC 711

+ Disclaimer We are NOT here to criticize or devalue your educational training or teaching methods Learning styles are a popular and influential concept encountered at levels K-12 & beyond We will be making a claim about the mind, NOT about a theory of instruction Please: Be open-minded Participate in discussions Ask questions Offer feedback

+ Agenda 1) What are Learning Styles?  Meshing Hypothesis 2) Counter-Arguments against Learning Styles 3) Implications for Educators 4) Workshop Activity

+ What are Learning Styles? Varying Definitions: The idea that people differ in regards to what mode of instruction or study is most effective for them Bjork, McDaniel, Pashler & Rohrer (2009) “ Educational conditions under which a student is most likely to learn” Stewart and Felicetti (1992) “…Cognitive, affective, and physiological factors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how a learner perceives, interacts with, and responds to the learning environment.” Keefe (1979)

+ Learning Styles Cont’d There are MANY differing types of learning styles Learning Style Assessments Purpose: To evaluate an individual’s presentation preference and/or mental activity preference Extremely diverse A thriving & lucrative industry

+ Learning Styles Cont’d. Meshing Hypothesis: People learn better when taught in a way that matches his/her learning style. Ex.) An identified “visual learner” will learn better when a visual presentation of information is emphasized (pictures, videos, etc.)

+ Learning Styles Cont’d. Our Main Argument: There is NO scientific evidence and/or benefit to adapting and designing education and instruction to learning styles. Let’s look deeper…

+ Counter-Arguments: 1. Evidence AGAINST Meshing Hypothesis Auditory/Visual Experiment Computer Programming Experiment 2. Issues With Learning Style Assessments People DON’T Fit One Particular Style Abundance of Styles Self-Reporting is DANGEROUS! An Overview

+ Evidence AGAINST the Meshing Hypothesis

+ Auditory/Visual Experiment Experiment: Participants asked to memorize 10 words Hypothesis: “Visual Learners” would memorize words by VIEWING slides (as opposed to hearing the words out loud) Vice-versa for “Auditory Learners” Results : Video: Daniel Willingham, Cognitive Psychologist Video Conclusion: We memorize words by attaching MEANING to them People learn visual information best through visuals because the MEANING is visual

+ Computer Programming Experiment Experiment: Participants asked to program a code for a computer Hypothesis: “Impulsive Learners” would work better utilizing the Generation Method “Reflective Learners” would work better utilizing the Completion Method Results: Completion Method was SUPERIOR to BOTH types of learners Conclusion: Type “A” learners DO NOT learn better with instructional method “A” Learning styles and instructional methods have NO practical or educational implications

+ Issues with Learning Style Assessments

+ People Don’t Fit One Particular Style Pigeonholing: The act of classifying people into ONE learning style How Does This Happen? Learning Style Inventories use arbitrary criterion to classify people Ex) Matching Familiar Figures Test Negative Effects of Pigeonholing: Fails to take individual differences into account Fails to consider within group differences Fails to recognize differences in cognition as gradual as opposed to nominal

+ Abundance of Learning Styles There are 70+ learning styles! Coffield, Moseley, Hall, & Ecclestone, 2004 There are 13 “Major Models” of learning styles Based on popularity, NOT evidence The number of learning styles and assessments are skeptical It is impractical and cumbersome for teachers to link students with learning styles

+ Self-Reporting is DANGEROUS! People are often not able to report on the styles they use to learn Reliability is low (.60/.70) for diagnostic measures such as The Myers-Briggs Type Inventory & Carbo’s Reading Style Inventory Low reliability = Inconsistent results on assessments What people prefer is NOT ALWAYS what is best for them!

+ Implications for Educators So what does this mean for me as a teacher?

+ Engage in a Multitude of Senses Students benefit from encountering material in a variety of forms A multimodal approach Student interest is kept alive through novelty and variety A “Universal Learning Style of the Human Mind”

+ Create Meaning for Students Most of what teachers want students to learn is based on meaning Ex.) Word = Opera Creating meaning-based knowledge helps students learn and remember material Willingham, 2009 How do we create meaning based-knowledge? Organize lessons around a conflict Use appropriate attention-grabbers Use a story structure to organize material

+ Treat Students as Unique Individuals Be cognizant that much more affects student learning You don’t have to believe in learning styles to appreciate differences among students Think of it this way: The lesson clicks, or does not click, because of the background knowledge, interest, and/or experiences that the child brings to the lesson!

+ Recognize Everybody’s Potential To Learn ALL humans are born with the capacity to learn! We must keep all avenues, options, and aspirations open for our students! It is important to identify the experiences, activities, and challenges that enhance learning Remove barriers to learning and appreciate learner variability

+ Let’s Review There is NO evidence that suggests we should tailor our lessons around learning styles As educators, we must appreciate the many aspects that contribute to student learning ***A multimodal, meaning-based approach is the best way for us to teach our students What have I learned today?

+ Workshop Activity Today, we talked about creating meaning-based learning in our classrooms. Daniel Willingham, author of Why Don’t Kids Like School? stated: “If the goal of a lesson plan is to get students to think about the meaning of some material, then it’s pretty clear that the best approach is one in which thinking about meaning is unavoidable. ” Example: “If you give people a simple task in which they must think of the meaning—for example, rating how much they like each word—they will remember the words quite well.” Willingham, 2009, p. 56 We want to hear from YOU!

+ Your Task: Essential Standard 8.E.2: Understand the history of Earth and its life forms based on evidence of change recorded in fossil records and landforms. Clarifying Objectives: Infer the age of Earth and relative age of rocks and fossils from index fossils and ordering of rock layers (relative dating and radioactive dating). Explain the use of fossils, ice cores, composition of sedimentary rocks, faults, and igneous rock formations found in rock layers as evidence of the history of the Earth and its changing life forms. TASK: Talk amongst your partners to discuss how you, as educators, would create meaning-based learning to deliver a lesson that aligns with this NC Essential Standard

+ Questions/Comments? Thank you for listening!

+ References Forget about learning styles. Here is something better. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from heres-something-better/# heres-something-better/# Kirschner, P. A. & Merienboer, J.J.G. (2013). Do learners know best? Urban legends in education. American Psychological Association, 48(3), 169–183 Matching teaching style to learning style may not help students. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Association of Psychological Science, 9(3), Willingham, D. T. (2009). Why don’t students like school? San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Please check out our references to learn more!