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Understanding Learning Styles
Corey Young
College 100
American Public University
Heidi McNally Understanding Learning Styles
The twenty-first century the exponential increase in technology has allowed people to have unprecedented access to seemingly limitless information unlike any other time in human history. Today people from all corners of the globe now have the ability to harness a vast sea of resources at their very fingertips. One of the byproducts of the technological revolution has been the dramatic increase in online, or distance learning, from perspective students looking for a more flexible option to pursue higher education. And although online learning does present a tremendous opportunity for students who may not otherwise
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Gardner’s theory suggested that there are eight learning styles, or forms of intelligence possessed by each individual – all to varying degrees. Gardner postulated that by determining which style was learning was best suited to a particular student, curriculum could then be tailored to fit individual academic needs on a person-to-person basis as opposed to the age old practice of issuing the curriculum, and forcing students to adapt (2009). And although Gardner’s theory identified eight different intelligences, many students find themselves falling into either one of three categories: visual leaners, auditory learners, and kinesthetic …show more content…
(2013). Helping Auditory Learners Succeed.
Retrieved From: http://www.education.com/magazine/article/auditory_learners/
Hutton. S (2013). Helping Kinesthetic Learners Succeed. Retrieved From: http://www.education.com/magazine/article/kinesthetic_learner/
Redefining Smart: Multiple Intelligences. (2009). Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-introduction
Kelly. M. (2014b). Auditory Learners. Retrieved from: http://712educators.about.com/od/learningstyles/p/auditory_learn.htm
Kelly. M. (2014a) Visual Learners. Retrieved from: http://712educators.about.com/od/learningstyles/p/visual_learner.htm
Kydiam, S. (2012). Statistics on Visual Learners. Retrieved from: http://www.studymode.com/essays/Statistics-On-Visual-Learners-1211593.html
(2010). Studying-Style Auditory Learners. Retrieved from: http://www.studyingstyle.com/auditory-learners.html
(2010). Tactile – Kinesthetic Learners. Retrieved from: http://studyingstyle.com/tactile-kinesthetic-learners.html
Wu, D. C. (2014). Learning Styles and Satisfaction in Distance Education. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 15(4), Article
Howard Gardner’s theory contains eight main multiple intelligence. As the years have progressed there have taken one out and is left with the main seven. These seven are: Linguistic, Mathematical, Spatial, bodily, Musical, Interpersonal, and Intrapersonal. These are found in everyone; however, each person will excel in one or two. Once teachers can determine what intelligence the students will exceed on and teach to their strengths the student will learn much more.
In his article, “Can You Be Education from a Distance?”, James Barszcz effectively weighs the pros and cons of online education compared to the traditional method, while effectively supporting his position with factual information and statistics. While distance education proves to be convenient for students, Barszcz asserts that it eliminates valuable experiences necessary in order to get the most out of the material being learned.
The term learning styles is based on the assumption that individuals differ in regards to what mode of instruction is most effective for them. Educational practitioners have long stressed that optimal instruction requires diagnosing these individual styles and designing instruction accordingly. It is based on two fundamental flaws that I give the following rebuttal: 1) there appears to be no credible scientific evidence establishing learning styles exist (Riener & Willingham, 2010), and 2) assuming [1], it must be therefore true that people can learn in a variety of ways outside of one particular learning style. However, before abandoning the learning style paradigm completely, I will still contend that the research in this area has not
Howard Gardner is the “John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Adjunct Professor of Neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine, and Senior Director of Harvard Project Zero” (Gardner bio, Multiple Intelligences and Education, MI Theory, and Project Zero). As director of Project Zero, it provided and environment that Gardner could begin the exploration of human cognition (Multiple Intelligences and Education). Project Zero colleagues have been designing assessment and the use of multiple intelligences (MI) to realize more personalized curriculum, instruction, and teaching methods; and the quality of crossing traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought in education (Gardner bio). MI theories offer tools to educators that will allow more people to master learning in an effective way and to help people “achieve their potential at the workplace, in occupations, and in the service of the wider world” (Gardner papers).
Howard Gardner’s theory has emerged from recent cognitive research, cognitive research meaning by which is the act or mental process of perception, knowing, memory, judgement, reasoning, as contrasted with emotional and a deliberated intention process, and “documents the extent to which student’s possess different kinds of minds and learn, remember, perform, and understand in different ways.” Howard Gardner’s seven distinct intelligences that he has identified are Visual-Spatial, Bodily-kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Linguistic, and Logical-Mathematical. If you are someone who is visual-spatial intelligence they are probably sensitive to the relationship between line, color, shape, space, and form, an ability to manipulate and mentally rotate objects, they are very aware of their environments. Also they like to draw, do jigsaw puzzles, daydream, they can be taught through verb...
There are many thoughts and theories when it comes to learning styles. The Theory of Multiple Intelligences is one such idea that could potentially assist adult learners if fully understood and accurately utilized. It is important to note that the many theories out there about learning styles and multiple intelligences are just that, theories. That is to say, the very nature of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences cannot be fully tested and therefore cannot be proclaimed as a full proof teaching guide (McGreal, 2013). Regardless of the many critics in the scientific world, there are also a number if credible scholars who are strong proponents of Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Students and teachers alike have lauded
“A learning style is a way of learning and refers to the way that you learn new information” (2). Most people have one preferred learning style and perform to a lesser standard when learning in a different style than what they’re used to. Nowadays, children are told to take a quiz in school to determine what their preferred learning style is, but after a few years, not many of these children remember what their preferred learning style is, or even if they do, they don’t apply it to their learning.
One of the major advantages of an online degree program is the flexibility it provides to someone working a demanding job, living geographically removed from a college campus, or that simply finds it most convenient for a host of other reasons. These challenges of the modern workforce have in fact been the big driver behind the exponential rise in online degree programs over the past decade. Furthermore, the flexibility provided by an online degree program enables tailoring a program matched to personal learning style and pace.
O'Malley, John, and Harrison McCraw. "Students perceptions of distance learning, online learning and the traditional classroom." Online journal of distance learning administration [Online] 2.4 (1999). Web. 10 Jan. 2014
Distance learning is an alternative method of education in our society, which values time and convenience. Online learning, although not a tangible way to attend a university, allows those with families, people with busy lives, those with jobs, those with physical disabilities, and those who do not have access to universities or the right classes to learn the r skills they need, and attain the right degree, in order to work in our field of choice.
According to Sonlight Curriculum Ltd. (2014), learning styles are important to learn because facilitators will be better equipped to teach their pupils. The faster facilitators comprehend learning styles and which learning styles their pupils have, the quicker they will be able to bond with them on an intense and more significant level, and the earlier they will be able to teach them efficiently. Without facilitators knowing their pupils’ learning styles, they may select a curriculum that does not reach their pupils where they are; it may do a modest enough job of educating them, but it will not give them an ideal education. Pupils get aggravated just like grown-ups a lot of times, due to their failure to communicate efficiently with others; by comprehending the different learning styles themselves, facilitators will be able to help their pupils understand them too, which will help them relate to and communicate nobler with the numerous individuals in their life. In the end, it is vital for facilitators to know their pupils’ learning styles because if they do not, they might frequently experience irritation with their pupils, and that is no way to go through life. As facilitators, it is best to take the time now to recognize how our pupils learn, not only for their sakes but our sake as well. In reflecting in this journal, I will describe my learning style. What is more, I will describe the learning styles of most of the students I teach. In closing, I will discuss whether or not I teach primarily according to my learning style or adapt most lessons to my pupils’ learning styles.
Some students within society need to have online learning to complete college degrees due to their lifestyles. While it is good to have online learning as an option if one chooses, it should not be the only option available to some students. Some may argue that online education is not creating discrimination within the educational environment. Furthermore, some may suggest that online learning is benefiting our students in society. There has been a breakthrough in time and geographical limitations of education via online courses (Ho, 2009).
When students are deciding on where to go to college, they have the option of choosing between online classes and the traditional classroom classes. Today, some students are finding it much easier to maintain a job, family and start a college career, all by taking online classes. Although some students still prefer to stick with the traditional classroom classes, they still have the option to take online classes. Both online and the traditional classes will provide the educational requirements needed to obtain a college degree and opportunities in the work field. Although the online classes offer just as much as the traditional classes, they are completely different when it comes to teaching methods, course material and time.
Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard, introduced his theory of multiple intelligences in 1983. Multiple intelligence’s is a theory about the brain that says human beings are born with single intelligence that cannot be changed, and is measurable by a psychologist. Gardner believes that there are eight different intelligences in humans. The eight are verbal linguistic, visual spatial, bodily kinesthetic, mathematical logic, musical, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and naturalist. Understanding these intelligence’s will help us to design our classroom and curriculum in a way that will appeal to all of our students. We might also be able to curve discipline problems by reaching a student in a different way. One that will make more sense to them and more enjoyable. We can include all of the intelligences in lessons to accommodate all of the students’ different learning styles at once. By reaching each students intelligence we can assume that a student will perform better which, could mean students retaining more important information. A students learning style can also help lead them into a more appropriate career direction. As a teacher you can also learn your own personal learning style or intelligence to help improve the way you learn and teach.
Many people think online education can be more expensive than a traditional school setting. Previous generations did not have the option for online learning experience, so why should we start now? An interesting point about online education is that LeBaron (2010) states, “The largest school in the U.S. is the University of Phoenix Online, with a whopping 380,232 students. That’s over 5x more than the largest public school, Arizona State University, which has 68,064 students” (para. 7). Despite the cost effectiveness, distance education is becoming the educational model of the future.