1.
Learning Styles

2. LEARNING STYLE OR WHAT?
Learning is the process by which people make sense of their environment. Certainly learning begins with ideas and theories, but a person also must actively confront experience and thereby learn to question and test theories and make connections between disparate and conflicting information and theories, Dewey (citing Markel, 1999) p.214.
Refers to a pattern of learning preference that is consistent across circumstances and learning situations. For example someone who is a visual learner will prefer visual input in all things (or nearly all ) they are interfacing with and with all they are learning to do OR will they?

3. FOUR LEARNING STYLES- VARK STYLE
Four learning styles; Visual, Auditory, Read and Write and Kinaesthetic-spelling the acronym VARK.
Visual learners: videos, pictures, diagrammes, PPTs and graphs
Aural: lectures, music, discussions, story telling & verbal instructions
Read & Write: text based material preferred such as manuals, PPTs, reports & essays
Kinaesthetic learners: hands on experience is most important; role play, touching, practicing, field trips and real life experience
Multimodal: Some people prefer a mix of two or more of these styles ( Mulimodal). They can easily switch between different modes of learning. But is this a switching OR multiple sensory learning?

4. But VARK- Type learning styles are seen as myths! Why?
Should not concentrate on learning styles for the following reasons:
The approach is said not to help learning and can be a waste of time and resources, contribute to under-achieving and mislabeling
Such (mis) labelling (having a learning style) can be misleading and even dangerous. For example someone might be so labelled or the person might label self, thus limiting opportunities for exploring alternatives to the variety of ways in which learning can occur
Learning failures could become self-perpetuating
Persons might have preferences for how they learn and, or a better memory for one approach, BUT this is not the same as a learning style which might become immutable and therefore self-limiting!
To be retained information needs to be organised by ourselves so that it makes sense and has some meaning to us; connect it to our experiences with our own examples
One example on you tube:

5. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory: Another perspective
Recognised as launching the modern learning style movement (Coffield et al., 2004)
Is by far the most cited author in the learning style literature (Desmedt and Valke, 2004).
"Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience"
Kolb (1984, 38)

6. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory

7. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory
Concrete Experience (CE) DO
Reflective Observation (RO)
REFLECT
Active Experimentation (AE)
PLAN
Abstract Conceptualisation (AC)
THINK

8. Taking it a step further – linking it to an inventory ( see handout)

10. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory
Divergers:these people view situations from many perspectives and rely heavily upon mind storming and generation of ideas perform better in situations that require ideas-generation, have broad cultural interests and like to gather information.
Acommadators:Learning style is 'hands-on', relies on intuition rather than logic. Use other people's analysis, preferring to take a practical, experiential approach. Attracted to new challenges and experiences, and to carrying out plans.
Commonly act on 'gut' instinct rather than logical analysis CE AE RO
Assimilators:Preference is for a concise, logical approach. Clear explanation rather than practical opportunity is important. Excel at understanding wide-ranging information and organizing it in a clear logical format. More interest shown in ideas and abstract concepts than people. 
Convergers:Persons will use their learning to find solutions to practical issues. Prefer technical tasks, and are best at finding practical uses for ideas and theories. Can make decisions by finding solutions to questions and problems. Like to experiment with new ideas, to simulate, and to work with practical applications. AC

11. Resources
Kolb's Learning Styles: kolb.html
 Kolb, D. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
The Learning Style Inventory ( for more on the inventory and for self assessment)- A handout
Kolb’s latest research- for professional training/ consulting m_details.aspx?itemid=118&type=2&t=2
Video clip on the VARK system in more detail
HOWER please also watch the counter to this below