LEARNING STYLES Discussion 3 Heather Ivey

LEARNING STYLES Many people believe that they will learn best if they are presented information that carters to their preferred learning style. Ideally, you can identify the method in which you will absorb information most efficiently by answering a few questions on a quiz. Neil Flemings suggest thru his VAK model that three main learning styles exist, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Visual learners prefer maps and diagrams, auditory learners would rather listen to group discussions or read aloud, and those who fall into the kinesthetic group learn best when doing hands on activities such as creating a project. But, a study done in 2006 by Kratzig and Arobutnott suggest that on one person is really confined to just one particular learning style. During this study, several students were learning styles were accessed and then they were tested. Each method was covered by the test questions to see if the students would score better when using their preferred style. The results showed that performance did not increase at all in their preferred styles. In fact, in a separate study conducted by Salmon in 1984 showed that students actually scored worse in there learning styles when tested in that way. This result was possibly due to false sense of ease during testing causing participates into putting less effort into learning.

Learning styles may appear like the best way to assess ourselves and be more successful at retaining information, but thus far there is no solid scientific evidence that matching teaching methods to a specific learning style has any positive effects on ones performance. Although I believe that teachers should implement each style into their teaching because everyone minds do not grasp information in the same way, I do not believe that one certain style will always be best for one person. Learning simply is not that black and white. We each fall into a spectrum that encompasses many ways of absorbing and retaining information. Kratzig, G., & Arbutnott, K., (2006). Perceptual Learning Styles and Learning Proficiency: Testing the Hypothesis. International Journal of Psychology, 98, 238–246.

RESPONSE ONE Original Post: Elyssa Holland Discussion- Learning Styles Visual - you prefer to use pictures, diagrams, images, and spatial understandings to help you learn Musical/Auditory - you prefer using sounds, music, or rhyming to help you learn Physical/Kinesthetic Visual - you prefer to use pictures, diagrams, images, and spatial understandings to help you learn Musical/Auditory - you prefer using sounds, music, or rhyming to help you learn Physical/Kinesthetic - you use your hands body, and sense of touch to help you learn; also known to "act things out" Verbal - words are your strongpoint, you prefer to use words in both speech and writing Logical/Mathematical - learning is easier for you if you use logic, reasoning systems, and sequences Social - you like to learn new things as part of a group, explaining your understanding to a group helps you learn Solitary - you like to work alone, you use self-study and prefer your own company when learning Combination - any combination of two or more of the above learning styles Last semester I took Educational Psychology (PSY 300), and we went over the different types of learning styles. There are eight typically accepted learning styles including: Visual, Musical/Auditory, Physical/Kinesthetic, Verbal, Logical/Mathematical, Social, Solitary, and Combination. Each learning style is a different way that students learn and every student is different. We took a quiz to tell us what type of learning styles best fit us based on our answers to the provided questions. My results were Physical/Kinesthetic, Social, Verbal, and Musical/Auditory. When I got my results a lot of things made sense, especially with me being an Art (education) major, all of my classes involve me working with my hands and making things, I just hadn't realized that it had transferred itself into my other courses. When I take notes in a class, typing on a laptop doesn't work for me, I have to physically write it out on paper and the more times I write it I am more likely to remember it, kind of like muscle memory.

Response: I have also been required to take quizzes in certain classes to find out what learning style supposedly suits me best. Most times in come out to be Kinesthetic. I have always found it to be a bit naïve to believe that we can all narrow our learning styles into just one particular group and will be limited in our potential if we primarily rely on this method for learning. Learning is just not that simple. I feel that if you are convinced only one way is best for you, you will not absorb, process, and retain the amount of information that you potentially could if you were open to other styles. The test may give us the result that we prefer, but not necessarily what is best for us in every situation. I do think the concept of different styles is important because in teaching you can implement each one so the material is being presented in different ways. I know that one explanation of something doesn't always "click" with everyone so multiple explanations should be used. But, I simply refuse to believe that each of us are confined to just one particular style.

RESPONSE TWO Original Post: Anfernee Johnson Learning Style While researching learning styles, I learned that Learning styles are simply different approaches or ways of learning. I found 3 different effective learning styles which are visual learners, auditory learners, and tactile/kinesthetic learners. Each learning style is important to a student's success in academic. Visual learners think in pictures, auditory learners use sounds, and Tactile learners use hands-on activities. Learning styles are important to the success in the classroom. As a student, I felt the need to understand my learning style to better my success. Figuring out my learning style, It has been easier to retain important information. When becoming a teacher, I will be aware of my students learning styles. Ultimately. this will help me regulate students who have trouble learning faster.

Response: In a perfect world everyone would be capable of fully understanding the material, making good grades, and being successful all around just by correctly identifying their learning style. It is such a novel little clear cut answer to all our students learning problems. Identify their learning style, present all material in this manner, and every child succeeds. Sadly, it is not that simplistic. I view all the learning style assessment quizzes as more of a fun activity opposed to a useful tool to help students learn more efficiently. No quiz is required to know which way you would prefer to have information presented to you and just because it is what you prefer does not mean it is the best way for you. To believe that is truly naïve and both you and your students will be shortchanged if instructional strategies are based solely upon this method. If you convince a person, especially a child, that they will only grasp the concept if it is presented visually, then that child is potentially set up for failure when that option is not available. I believe that whole idea of learning styles should be abandoned and shifted to teaching styles. I would never give my student these quizzes. I do not want to be responsible for anyone feeling as if they are limited to just one particular way of learning.