1. Learning Styles: Fact, Fiction or Both?
Margaret Mellinger
OSU Libraries Instruction Roundup
August 15, 2013

2. Where we’re going today
1. Share what we know about learning styles
2. Consider assumptions re: learning styles
3. Take a simple learning style inventory
4. Look at claims and evidence
5. Talk about what we can do in IL instruction

3. 1 minute write
Side1: How do you define “learning styles”? Side 2: What is your learning style?

4. How do we learn?

5. Read this
“ Learners are different from each other, these differences affect their performance, and teachers should take these differences into account.”
Riener & Willingham p. 1

6. Learning Style Theories
How many are there? at least 70

7. Learning Style Theories - Types
Constitutionally-based Visual, auditory, kinesthetic Personality-based introvert, extrovert Information-processing

8. Learning Style Theories - Types
Environmentally-based Visual, auditory, kinesthetic

11. Learning Style Theories - Types
Constitutionally-based Visual, auditory, kinesthetic Personality-based introvert, extrovert Information processing

12. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
ISTJ
ISFJ
INFJ
INTJ
ISTP
ISFP
INFP
INTP
ESTP
ESFP
ENFP
ENTP
ESTJ
ESFJ
ENFJ
ENTJ

13. Learning Style Theories - Types
Constitutionally-based Visual, auditory, kinesthetic based Personality-based introvert, extrovert Information-processing

15. Take one of these . . . . What is Your Learning Style?
Assessment: Find Your Strengths!

16. Talk to your neighbor
Have you tried to mesh your instruction to student learning styles ?
How have you done it?
What was the result?

17. Now, for the controversy
There is no credible evidence that learning styles exist.

18. Listen to this
NPR report

19. Summary of issues
Too many models, terms, definitions, no unifying theory Context is missing Validity is unproven Costs outweigh benefits

20. Bottom line
“The contrast between the enormous popularity of the learning-styles approach within education and the lack of credible evidence for its utility, is in our opinion, striking and disturbing. If classification of students’ learning styles has practical utility, it remains to be demonstrated.”
(Paschler, et al., 2008)

21. “We therefore advise against pedagogical intervention based solely on any of the learning style instruments.”
Coffield, et al., 2004

22. What does this mean for our instruction?

23. Summing up (NPR report)
All students benefit from variety
it boosts attention and retention of learning
It helps to learn something twice
first in one modality, then in another
It helps to spread learning out
over time, rather than cramming it in

24. Summing up (Willingham)
Present information in the most appropriate manner for the content and for the level of prior knowledge, ability and interests of a particular set of students.

25. Summing up (Paschler, et al.)
Teachers should focus on good educational practices that have been tested and proven to work for (nearly) all learners.

26. Thanks!