What are they and why do they matter?

ž For discussion: What was your favorite class/

worst class in high school or college? Why
was that?
ž What do you think is/are your own preferred
style(s) of learning?
ž How would you describe your preferred
teaching methods?
ž Average number of graduate level courses on
teaching methodology at the post-secondary
level taken by U.S. faculty: Studies indicate that
85% of faculty have had no training courses!
ž But, according to Derek Bok, in Our
Underachieving Colleges, 90% of college
professors believe their teaching is above
average!
ž Premise #1: students learn better when they
recognize their preferred learning style and
can make use of a variety of strategies
ž Premise #2: Faculty can enhance student
learning by incorporating multiple paths to
learning in their classes
ž Learning Style theory has developed over the
last 40 years, representing a shift away from
behavioral learning theory in educational
psychology
ž Approximately 70 theories have been
identified; none is complete in itself; each
focuses on some aspects of learning theory to
the omission of others
ž These theories draw from research in
psychology, education, etc. but often are
more intuitive than validated by hard
research
ž Some theories have achieved significant
commercial success because of marketing
efforts (but don’t have consistent research
validation)
ž However, some generalizations based on
work with these theories can be appropriated
by faculty in higher education settings
ž Cognitive learning theory provides more
objective/researched evidence (some
aspects to be presented today)
ž We
receive information through 4 primary
modalities:
¡ Visual (what do I see?)
¡ Auditory (what do I hear?)
¡ Tactile (What can I touch?)
¡ Kinesthetic (What can I manipulate or move?)
ž We
process information through 2 primary
approaches (cognitive style):
¡ Abstract (objective data management)
¡ Relational (personalized, connectedness)
ž Visual learners = 30% of students
ž Auditory learners = 25% of students
ž Tactile-kinesthetic learners = 15% of students
ž Mixed modalities = 30% of students
ž Modality = combination of perception and
memory or how the mind receives and stores
information
ž Visual: learner prefers images (30%)
ž Auditory: learner prefers words (25%)

ž Tactile/Kinesthetic: learner prefers doing,

touching, physical manipulation of objects
(15%)
ž Mixed modalities (30%)
ž Faculty should try to match their
instructional approach to the learning task
and if possible use multiple approaches (ex:
learning tennis by listening to a lecture is not
a good match—no pun intended!)
ž Multimodality instruction ≠ modality
matching for individual students
ž Matching can help lower-ability students
temporarily; mismatching can help higher-ability
students (because the system already ‘works’ for
them)
ž using only modality matching eventually puts all
students at a disadvantage because they need to
be able to use a variety of modalities(but it can
help a student who gets stuck and needs another
way to perceive the information)
ž Multimodality teaching = incorporating a variety of
approaches that eventually connect with all styles
ž Field sensitivity refers to the extent to which
an individual uses context in order to
understand and make sense of new
information
ž Field sensitivity is a facet of personality that
is relatively stable over time
ž this topic has been extensively researched
and shown to have validity regarding its
impact on learning
ž Autonomous learners, task- ž Socialized learners,
oriented, internally relationship-oriented,
motivated externally motivated
ž Deal well with discrete ž Deal well with information
items of information related to ‘the big picture’
ž Not affected by context; and/or personally
impose their own structure meaningful
on content ž Affected by context;
ž Can perform well in large require structure
classes and on open-ended ž Can perform well in small,
tests structured classes and on
ž Enjoy competition objective tests
ž Enjoy collaboration
ž Higher education tends to favor:
¡ field independent learners over field sensitive
learners
¡ Academic knowledge over experiential
¡ Verbal communication over visual
¡ information organized in linear fashion and
discrete point presentations over information
presented holistically

ž Students who tend to be field independent

learners are white European-American and Asian
males; students who tend to be field sensitive
include females, Native Americans, Afro-Americans
and Latinos (obviously with individual differences)
 Teaching Styles

Assessment Learning
strategies styles
ž Since every individual has a preferred
learning style, the teacher who depends
exclusively on one preferred teaching style
puts up to 75% of his/her students at a
disadvantage
ž Students learn better when we select
content, activities and assessments with a
variety of learners in mind
ž expert/formal authority: imparts information,
concerned with correct way of doing things
ž personal model: encourages students to observe
then emulate instructor’s approach
ž Facilitator: emphasizes personal interaction with
students; guides and directs students by asking
questions, prompts, etc.
ž Delegator: resource person; develops students as
independent learners
For my Latin American Civ/Lit course, I had these scores:
Expert = 4.8
Formal authority = 3.7
Personal model = 3.1
Facilitator = 4.5
Delegator = 4.2
= the “delegator/facilitator/expert” cluster puts the burden of learning
on the students by emphasizing independent learning activities for
groups and individuals
ž uses a variety of modalities to deliver
content
ž uses a variety of instructional approaches,
matching the approach to the learning task
ž encourages students to be aware of their
preferred learning styles and to develop
flexibility (a variety of learning strategies)
ž Offers a variety of assessment measures so
that all students can work from their
strengths at various points during the course
ž For identifying your preferred learning style:
http://www.vark-learn.com/english/
page.asp?p=questionnaire
ž Take the Teaching Styles Inventory
http://fcrcweb.ftr.indstate.edu/
tstyles3.html