Learning Styles

1. Learning Styles Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

2. Students taught partly in a manner they prefer, leads to an increased comfort level and willingness to learn. Taught partly in a less preferred manner, provides practice and feedback in ways of thinking and solving problems which they may not initially be comfortable with but which they will have to use to be fully effective professionals. Learning Styles Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

3. Learning Styles – so why Methods Evaluation Learners Objectives Understanding learning styles will allow us to understand how the students setting in our classes learn the best. As instructors we can tailor our teaching methods to match the learning styles that our students possess. The primary goal of an undergraduate education is to produce a student capable of thinking for themselves. Teaching to their learning styles and forcing them to learn outside their preferred styles will develop more effective professional. Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

4. Learning Styles - Categories Learning Styles Visual Verbal Input into mind Sensory Intuitive Perception of Information Active Reflective Processing to Retain Sequential Global Building Understanding Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

5. Identify information People tend to prefer to take in information either visually or verbally Input Learning Styles Visual - Verbal Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

6. Learning Styles Visual-Verbal Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

7. Learning Styles Visual - Verbal Visual 70% Prefer charts, diagrams, and pictures Verbal 30% Prefer the spoken and written word Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

8. Learning Styles Visual - Verbal Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

9. Helping the Visual Learner Try to find and use diagrams, sketches, flow charts… Use concept maps when appropriate… Color code notes if possible… Try to locate video clips related to your topics… Helping the Verbal Learner Prepare summaries of material… Allow for presentation of others explanations… Discussions of topics by the class… Learning Styles Visual - Verbal Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

10. Perception of information Sensors like to work with real data and like details Intuitors like to work with theories and like concepts Making it fit in the real world or the world of ideas Concrete   Conceptual Learning Styles Sensing-Intuitive Concepts Facts and Data Concepts Concepts Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

11. Learning Styles Sensing-Intuitive Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

12. Learning Styles Sensing-Intuitive Sensing 58% - (Logical) Prefer data and facts Want a connection to real world Intuitive 42% - (innovators) Prefer theories and interpretations of factual information Want a connection to other ideas Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

13. Learning Styles Sensing - Intuitive Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

14. Helping the Sensing Learner Provide specific examples to material if possible… Try to frame material in how they apply in practice… Brainstorming on how the material presented works in practice… Helping the Intuitive Learner Connection exercises for theories being presented… Question development time… Provide time or exercises for building hypothesis… Learning Styles Sensing - Intuitive Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

15. Learning Styles Active-Reflective • Processing to Retain • Active learners need to interact with the material directly and/or talking with others • Reflective learners need to think about where the new information fits Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

16. Learning Styles Active-Reflective Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

17. Learning Styles Active-Reflective Active 68% Learn best by doing something physical with the information Let’s try it and see how it works out Reflective 32% Do the processing in their head Let’s think it through Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

18. Learning Styles Active - Reflective Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

19. Helping the Active Learner Allow time for problem-solving activities… Hypothesis development exercises… Group discussions on topics in the material… Helping the Reflective Learner Reflective time in a class… Question development time… Summaries of class materials… Blogging… Learning Styles Active - Reflective Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

20. Building Understanding Sequentials want to follow a linear process Global learners want to work from the big picture Learning Styles Sequential-Global Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

21. Learning Styles Sequential-Global Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

22. Learning Styles Sequential-Global Sequential 72% Easily makes linear connections between individual steps Global 28% Must see the big picture Before the individual pieces fall into place Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

23. Learning Styles Sequential - Global Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

24. Helping the Sequential Learner Provide material in order of completing a task… Provide examples and material to fill in steps… Helping the Global Learner Organize material into more blocks than step by step approach… Relate material to existing material and theories… Learning Styles Sequential - Global Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

25. Learning Styles - Helping Learners Learning Style Teaching Style Visual Verbal Visual Verbal Input - Presentation Sensory Intuitive Concrete Abstract Perception - Content Active Reflective Active Passive Processing - Participation Linear Sweeping Sequential Global Understanding - Perspective Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology

26. References • http://www.ncsu.edu/felder-public/learning_Styles.html • http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html • http://www.uncw.edu/cte/soloman_felder.htm Acadia Institute for Teaching and Technology