EDFD452: Assessment Task 1
Individual Teaching Philosophy and Essay
Evidence for focus standard 1
Samantha Griffin
S00122322
Essay:
Learning styles and Assessment
Teaching within the 21st century brings many new and old challenges into the classroom.
One of the biggest challenges facing teachers is the ability to cater to each individual, their
needs and their learning style. The ability to be able to present the curriculum to students in
such a way that is both relevant and engaging, in order for them to learn best. In
understanding each individual’s particular learning style, adjustments can be made to
accommodate the students varied needs (Abidin, Abdullah, Rezaee and Singh, 2011).
Learning styles are a concept describing the different ways in which individuals learn.
Individual people generally have a natural preference to a particular learning style or
learning styles (Kolb, 1984). These learning styles and an understanding of them is
highly important for teachers within their lesson planning and assessment, in order
for them to effectively plan and adapt the curriculum to suit needs. Each individual
student has their own needs within learning and the best way to effectively teach
them is to present the content to them in such a way that children are not only
enjoying this learning but can also relate knowledge to real life, or transfer this
Focus area 1.2
Gaining knowledge
about how students
learn based on
research.
This also includes
an understanding
of teaching
implications.
learning into other content areas (Kolb, 1984). One’s learning style is identified to determine
one’s strengths for academic achievement (Abidin, et al. 2011), this supports the idea that
teachers need to be able to adapt lessons in order for them to incorporate learning styles for
student to achieve their academic potential. All learners have individual attributes relating
to the learning process (Reiff, 1992), in considering the different learners that contribute to
EDFD452: Assessment Task 1
Individual Teaching Philosophy and Essay
Samantha Griffin
S00122322
each class group, adaptable lesson plans to cater for these attributes are essential
for teachers.
Over the years there has been much research and many different theories
on learning styles. Gardner’s (1983) multiple intelligences theory describes 8
different
Focus area 1.1
Student
characteristics
and learning
types according
to research, how
these may affect
learning.
types
verbal/linguistic,
of
intelligences;
mathematical/logical,
visual/spatial,
Focus area 1.2
An
understanding,
due to
research, on
implications
for teaching.
auditory,
bodily/kinesthetic,
multiple,
interpersonal and intrapersonal. These multiple intelligences help us to determine
the different learning styles students may have, as usually students can relate
better to one or more of these intelligences, and use these as a learning strategy.
For example; a visual intelligence person learns best through ‘visual aid’, such as;
drawing, painting and/or images (Gardner, 1983). It is highly important for teachers to
consider these learning styles when selecting activities within lessons, these activities need
to be able to teach the content matter to each learning intelligence/style, but are not teaching
the learning style. Therefore, teachers must remember that this theory of multiple
intelligences should only enhance learning and not take away from the content being taught.
Other models for learning styles include Fleming’s (2001) Visual Auditory Kinesthetic (VAK).
Using this model, some people possess a preferred learning style, and some have a mixed or
balanced blend of the three. This relates to Gardner’s (1983) multiple intelligences theory as
all three of Fleming’s (2001) learning styles are included within the intelligences. The Kolb
(1984) learning style theory is also similar, and still applies to today’s learning. These
theories support the above notion of the importance of learning styles to teachers as these
styles are characterised by the diversity of individuality. Teachers that know their students,
EDFD452: Assessment Task 1
Individual Teaching Philosophy and Essay
Samantha Griffin
S00122322
know that each child in their class not only has their own personality but also
their own diverse learning style.
Understanding the learning styles and multiple intelligences theory is
vital to teaching in order to approach lesson planning and learning with a
Focus area 1.1
Understanding of
different student
characteristics
and how these
may affect
learning.
consideration to student individuality and how they may learn best. “Learning is
the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (Kolb,
1984, p. 38), these experiences can be created to adapt with individual learning
styles or to specifically cater to them. For example; students may be given the
choice when completing work, to either; create a song, write a story, make a
video diary, a painting, group collaboration or create a physical activity game.
The possibilities are determined by the classroom teacher, and again reiterates
the importance for teachers to understand these learning styles in order to use
Focus area 1.5
Understanding of using
different activities to
cater to different
learning needs and
ability range.
Differentiate teaching
to meet needs.
them as a teaching and learning strategy. Felder and Spurlin (2005) believe that since
learners differ in their choice of learning styles, it is important for teachers to analyse the
variations in their students within these features, because information about this choice of
style can help teacher awareness of differences within the class. These differences are what
Focus area 1.2
Demonstrating
understanding
of research
into how
students learn
and important
implications for
effective
teaching.
teachers cater to, it’s what they need to understand in order to help students learn the
curriculum content effectively. Teachers cater the curriculum to these learning styles
by creating lesson plans that are adaptable, creative and incorporate components for
each child and their preferred learning style. Fairhurst and Fairhurst (1995) believe
that when teachers are able to analyse the differences and needs of students, the
educational process is likely to become optimised for both students and teachers. In
order for this process to become optimised, teachers must support the idea of learning
EDFD452: Assessment Task 1
Individual Teaching Philosophy and Essay
Samantha Griffin
S00122322
styles and diversity. If incorporated into lessons properly, learning styles have the ability to
assist students in becoming more engaged in their learning because they are enjoying the
work they are completing.
The other aspect to consider is assessment. In order to cater for the knowledge of
each individual student, teachers have to appropriately assess these students. Assessment
enables teachers to identify any strengths and weaknesses students may have (Swearingen,
2002), and the content areas that may need to be revisited or addressed. Before addressing
the different types of assessment it is wise for teachers to decide why they are assessing in
the first place and what are they looking to gain from the testing. The three main types of
assessment; summative, formative and diagnostic, each have their own purpose. Formative
assessment draws on assessment information to identify learning needs, improvement and
information to adjust teaching, this is ongoing, frequent and interactive (OECD, 20111).
Summative assessment usually takes part at the end of the term, semester, or year and is
completely necessary in order for teachers to understand the knowledge students have from
previous learning and the knowledge they may need to work on, or gain. Without these forms
of assessment teachers would never understand how effective the curriculum teaching has
been, areas students have succeeded in, or any specific learning needs and misconceptions
students may have developed. Diagnostic assessment can be considered a form of
measurement (Kellough and Kellough, 1999). This form of assessment is used before
instruction, to define any student strengths, weaknesses, prior knowledge and skills and also
enables teachers to adjust the curriculum to meet the student needs (Sweringen, 2002)
before explicit teaching takes place. Assessment is the key to teaching, it defines learning
progress, and the reason behind teaching. These assessment types each have their own
EDFD452: Assessment Task 1
Individual Teaching Philosophy and Essay
Samantha Griffin
S00122322
distinctive purpose and reason to be used within teaching and learning. Assessment relates
to learning styles by showing teachers how effective teaching has been and whether
strategies or approaches may need to be changed.
In conclusion, it is highly important for teachers to understand the students within
their classrooms and the learning styles they may prefer. Learning styles can assist students
by relating to individual preferred learning strategies and engaging these students in the
curriculum content. Assessment enables teachers to understand student ability, level,
misconception and progress, which allows teachers insight into student needs. Learning
styles can support the knowledge learned from assessment as a strategy teachers can use to
teach the curriculum content. Learning styles and assessment are vital areas for teachers to
understand in order to use both appropriately within classes and planning.
Word count: 1255
EDFD452: Assessment Task 1
Individual Teaching Philosophy and Essay
Samantha Griffin
S00122322
References
1. Armstrong, T. (1994). Multiple Intelligences in the classroom. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
2. Abidin, M., Abdullah, H., Rezaee, A. and Singh, K. (2011). Learning styles and overall
academic achievement in a specific education system. International Journal of
Humanities and Social Science. Vol 1, no. 10. pp 143-153.
3. Dunn, R. (1983). Learning style and its relation to exceptionally at both ends of the
spectrum. Exceptional Children. pp 496-506.
4. Dunn, R., & Dunn, K. (1986). The Dunn and Dunn learning style model of instruction.
Retrieved from; http://www.unc.edu/depts/ncpts/publications/learnstyles.htm
(August 10, 2009)
5. Dunn, R., Beaudry, J. and Klavas, A. (1989). Survey of research on learning styles.
Educational Leadership March edition. pp 50-58
6. Fairhurst, A. M. and Fairhurst, L. L. (1995). Effective teaching, effective learning.
California: Davies-Black Publishing.
7. Felder, R.M. and Spurlin, J. E. (2005). Application, reliability, and validity of the index
of learning styles. Intl. J. Engr. Education, 21(1), pp 103-112.
8. Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: the theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York,
NY: Basic Books.
9. Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st
century. New York, NY: Basic Books.
10. Kellough, R.D. and Kellough, N.G. (1999). Secondary School Teaching: A Guide To
Methods And Resources; Planning For Competence. Copyright by Prentice Hill,
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
11. Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: experience as the source off learning and
development. Eaglewood cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. pp 20-38. Retrieved from;
http://academic.regis.edu/ed205/kolb.
12. Kolb, D. A. (1976). The Learning Style Inventory: Technical Manual. McBer & Co,
Boston, MA.
13. Kolb, D. A., & Fry, R. E. (1974). Toward an applied theory of experiential learning.
MIT Alfred P. Sloan School of Management.
14. OECD (2011), Education at a Glance 2011: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/eag-2011-en
15. Reiff, J. C. (1992). Learning styles. Monograph. Washington D.C.: National Education
Association of the U.S.
16. Swearingen, R. (2002). A Primer: Diagnostic, Formative and Summative Assessment.
Heritage University. Retrieved from;
www.ewcupdate.com/.../assessmentnetwork.../A%20Primer_%20Diagnostic