1. Summary of learning styles using Felder’s survey
Biology of vision 2013

2. Learning styles

3. Processing: Active - reflective
44% % KC

4. Active vs Reflective
Learn by doing something active with new info - discuss, apply or explain
Learn by thinking quietly about new info
“Let’s try it out and see how it works”
“Let’s think it through first”
Like group work
Like to work alone

5. Perception: Sensing - intuiting
Myers Briggs survey says 73% of people are Sensing
78% % KC

6. Sensors vs Intuitors Like learning facts
Discover possibilities and relationships
Solve problems with well established methods - don’t like surprises
Like innovation - don’t like repetition
Patient with details, good at memorizing facts and hands-on work (lab work)
Good at grasping new concepts, abstract ideas
Practical and careful
Work faster and more innovatively
Want connection to real world
Don’t like plug and chug and rote memorization
Similar to one of axes on Myers Briggs
Sensing 73% Intuitive 27%

7. Modality: Visual - verbal
93% % KC

8. Visual vs Verbal
Like to see pictures, diagrams, flow charts, timelines, demonstrations
Like written or spoken explanations
More students are visual
I will try to present as much visual information as possible

9. Progress: Sequential - global
80% % KC

10. Sequential vs Global Learn in linear steps, each following the last
Learn in large jumps, gather material and then suddenly “get it”
Follow logical thinking
Solve problems in novel ways once grasp big picture - not always sure how solved it

11. Felder ILS web page

12. These results are from Felder and Bendt 2005 “Understanding Student Differences” J Engineering Education 94: This paper can be downloaded from Felder’s web site:

13. KC’s Biology classes ACT SEN VIS SEQ ’13 44 78 93 80 ‘11 43 60 75 48
‘10 46 77 82
‘09 50 63
‘08 76 74 61
These results are from Felder and Bendt 2005 “Understanding Student Differences” J Engineering Education 94: This paper can be downloaded from Felder’s web site:

14. Our class vs engineers More reflective More sensing More sequential
Stop and think about results
More sensing
Connect ideas to real world
More sequential
Though not this class