Can You Give It
So They Get It?
Attending to Different Learning
Styles in the Classroom
The College of the Albemarle
Professional Development
March, 2007
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
1
Topics
•
•
•
•
•
Learning Style Defined
Factors Affecting Learning Styles
Different Learning Styles Models
Teaching to Styles
Developing MY Plan
Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Define learning style.
Determine your preferred learning style.
Discuss benefits of attending to different learning styles.
Identify different learning style models.
Select learning style activities appropriate for your style of
teaching and your students’ needs.
Design learning strategies to create a learning environment
in which all can possibly succeed.
Your Expectations
1.
2.
3.
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
2
What Are Learning Styles?
Way in which a person perceives, organizes, uses and
retains new and /or difficult information.
What Factors Influence Learning Styles?




___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________
___________________________________




______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
______________________________________
Learning Styles Models
Learning styles are determined by how students take in information
and how students process information.

VARK : Perceptual Modality Preference

Hemispheric Models ( e.g. Left Brain / Right Brain)

Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

McCarthy’s 4MAT System
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
3
VARK Learning Styles Model
Refers to the way learners take in information
Visual
Auditory
V
Visual
Learn by observing
and picturing
A
Auditory
Learn by talking
and hearing
R
Reading &
Writing
Learn by reading and
writing
K
Kinesthetic
Learn by moving
and doing
Reading/Writing
Kinesthetic
How Do You Prefer to Learn?
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
4
Characteristics of the VARK Learners
Auditory Learners

Like verbal instructions

Enjoy dialogue, plays

Remember names, forget faces

Rehearse information orally

Use mnemonics, rhymes, jingles, and auditory repetition through tape recording to
improve memory.

Use tape recorders to document lectures and for reading materials

Are easily distracted by noise
Visual Learners

Watch demonstrations

Sit in the front of the room to avoid distraction

Use visual association, visual imagery, written repetition, flash cards, and
clustering strategies for improved memory

Use note pads, Post-Its, to-do lists, and other forms of reminders.

Remember faces, forget names

Have a vivid imagination
Read and Write Learners





Write many drafts
Take notes and outline their reading assignments
Turn charts and diagrams into words
Make lists and organize them into categories.
Make use of extra information such as manuals, dictionaries, and glossaries.
Kinesthetic Learners







Learn by doing
Actively participate in discussions.
Use all of the senses - sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing.
Remember best what was done, not heard
Organize information into the steps that were used to physically complete a task
Need movement and seek out courses that have laboratories, field trips, etc. and
lecturers who give real life examples.
Enjoy teaching the material to someone else
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
5
Strategies for Applying the VARK
Strategies for Teaching Auditory Learners
•
•
•
•
•
Provide tapes of previous lectures
Utilize group discussion
Ask students to verbally state the main ideas
Give oral instructions
Allow soft music in classroom
Encourage Auditory Students to . . .




Listen to tapes
Discuss topics with classmates
Recite the main ideas
Use memory rhymes or songs to remember fact
Strategies for Teaching Visual Learners
•
•
•
•
Add pictures, illustrations, and comics to handouts and charts
Write problems on blackboard, overhead or worksheet
Organize new terms into columns by category
Use different colors for emphasis in presentations
Encourage Visual Students to...





Use highlighters
Write instructions on paper
Take notes as they listen
Create outlines of new material
Sit away from doors and windows
Strategies for Teaching Kinesthetic Learners
•
•
•
•
•
Create task cards
Have students role play
Provide puzzles for new terms
Have students design and play games to review material
Incorporate hands-on projects
Encourage Kinesthetic Students to. . .




Use highlighters when taking notes
Listen to a tape as they jog
Use exercise bike when studying
Play games to learn content
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
6
Left Brain
Right Brain
The two sides of the brain, right and left hemispheres, control two different "modes" of
thinking. Each of us prefers one mode over the other. Recognizing oneself in the categories
helps to identify both our teaching and learning practices. The following table illustrates the
differences between left-brain and right-brain thinking:
LEFT (Analytic)
RIGHT (Global)
1. Verbal
1. Visual
2. Responds to word meaning
2. Responds to tone of voice
3. Sequential
3. Random
4. Processes information linearly
4. Processes information in random order
5. Responds to logic
5. Responds to emotion
6. Plans ahead
6. Impulsive
7. Recalls people's names
7. Recalls people's faces
8. Speaks with few gestures
8. Gestures when speaking
9. Punctual
9. Less punctual
10. Prefers formal study design
10. Prefers sound/music background
11. Detail oriented
11. Big Picture Oriented
12. Prefers bright lights
12. Prefers dim light and moving around.
13.Likes to make lists, use planners, and
schedules
13. Benefits from overviews of new material to
be learned; doesn’t like lists
14. Good verbal skills, writing is easy
14. May have difficulty writing and finding words
Implications for Teaching
Left-brain dominated
• prefers verbal instructions and explanations
• prefers closed tasks where one can discover the "right" answer
Right-brained dominated
• prefers written instructions as well as verbal
• understands best when viewing demonstrations
• enjoys and learns from open-ended tasks for which there is no "right" answer
• comprehends better when manipulating real objects and models while learning
• often communicates and “thinks” by drawing and doodling
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
7
Howard Garner’s Multiple Intelligences
Intelligences
Definition
Bodily- Kinesthetic
•the ability to use one's body in a skilled way, for self-expression or
toward a goal.
Interpersonal
•an ability to perceive and understand other individuals -- their
moods, desires, and motivations.
Intrapersonal
•an understanding of one's own emotions.
Math-Logic
•ability in mathematics and other complex logical systems.
Musical
•the ability to understand and create music.
Spatial
•the ability to "think in pictures," to perceive the visual world
accurately, and recreate it in the mind or on paper.
Verbal-Linguistic
•a sensitivity to the meaning and order of words.
Your Turn
A Topic You Teach
How would you use these to teach your topic?
Bodily- Kinesthetic
Interpersonal
Intrapersonal
Math-Logic
Musical
Spatial
Verbal-Linguistic
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
8
Learning Tools for the Multiple Intelligences
Intelligence:
Connect What
Student is
Trying to
Learn With:
Use Learning Tools Such As:
BodilyKinesthetic
Physical
Experiences
Toolbox and carpentry materials, materials to build structures,
sports equipment, tactile materials, costumes, machines to take
apart and put back together
Interpersonal
Social
Experiences
Board games, cooperative learning activities, party supplies
Intrapersonal
Self-Reflection
Self-directed hobbies, independent projects, journal keeping,
individualized or self-paced games
Mathematical
Logic
Numbers or
Logic
Musical
Music
Spatial
Pictures
Verbal
Linguistic
Words
Brain teasers, calculator, science kits, math games, logic games,
money games, sorting or classifying games, card games
CDs, tapes, tape recorder, karaoke machine, radio, musical
memory games
Jigsaw puzzles, globe, maps, video games, Lego kits,
drawing/painting/coloring materials, chalkboard and colored
chalk, pictures, camera, video camera, collage materials, mazes
Writing materials, tape recorder, diary or journal, books,
typewriter, word processor, crossword puzzles, anagrams,
Scrabble, search-a-word puzzles
Sample of How to Use the 7 Intelligences in a Lesson:
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
9
The 4MAT Model
McCarthy is interested in “educating the whole brain”. She proposes that teachers design curriculum
using all styles, in order that all student learning styles are addressed. This means that students not
only find the mode of greatest comfort for themselves, but are challenged to adapt to other, less
comfortable but equally valuable modes. According to Bernice McCarthy, developer of the 4MAT
system, there are four major learning styles, each of which asks different questions and displays
different strengths during the learning process.
Citation: Huitt, W. (2000). Individual differences: The 4MAT system. Educational Psychology
Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University.
Innovative Learners
Types of Learners
• need to have reasons for learning that connect new information. They like to connect learning
with personal experience and establish that information's usefulness in daily life.
 enjoy cooperative learning, brainstorming, and integration of content areas (e.g., math with
economics, writing with engineering, etc.)
Analytic Learners
• are interested in acquiring facts to deepen their understanding of concepts and processes.
 are capable of learning effectively from lectures, and enjoy independent research, analysis of
data, and hearing what "the experts" have to say.
Common Sense Learners
• are primarily interested in how things work; they want to "get in and try it".
 like approaches such as experiential learning activities, labs, and manipulating objects or tools
Dynamic Learners
• are interested in self-directed discovery, rely heavily on their own intuition, and seek to teach
both themselves and others.
 like independent study, simulations, role play, and games.
Center for Teaching and Learning- Georgian College
http://staff.georgianc.on.ca/ctl/teaching/learningstyles_learning.htm
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
10
The 4 MAT Model
YOUR Turn
What if?
Why?
How?
What?
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
11
4MAT Model: Implication for Teaching
Applying Knowledge
Do Something Personal
With New Knowledge
Drawings
Skits
Cartoons
Ads
Write Story, Poem and Journals
Real Life Applications
Using Knowledge
Learn By Practice
Worksheets
Puzzles
Fact Games
Readings
Test Theories
Experiment
Hands-on Activities Drills
Participate in Demonstrations
Activating Knowledge
Get Others Interested
Brainstorming Hook" Questions
Show Pictures Demonstrations
Mind Maps
Make A Logo
Gaining Knowledge
Teach Factual Information
Lecture
Pictures
Overheads
Time Lines
Examples
Charts
Graphs
Provide Patterns and Connections
Learning Styles and Online Learning
1.
Learning Styles and the Online Environment:
http://www.ion.illinois.edu/resources/tutorials/id/learningStyles.asp
2.
Learning Online: Models and Styles:
http://otis.scotcit.ac.uk/onlinebook/otisT102.htm
3.
Online Learning Styles:
http://www.fastrak-consulting.co.uk/tactix/Features/lngstyle/style04.htm
4.
Successful Online Learners are Active Learners:
http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/accdit/SSOlearn.htm
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
12
General Hints and Teaching Strategies
1.
First Present Problems: Describe the problems associated with the
content. Avoid jumping directly into diagrams, statistics, or formulas. For
example, have students exert pressure on a door at different distances from the
hinges before teaching the relations between torque, moments, and angular
motion.
2.
Balance Information: Blend conceptual information with concrete
information. (mix theories, models, or concepts with demonstrations or research
experiments). Students embrace theoretical knowledge when they see how it
makes sense in their world.
3.
Show Me: Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words! Make extensive use of
sketches, plots, schematics, diagrams, graphics, and physical demonstrations.
4.
Use Numbers: Break concepts and theories into manageable numerical
listings.
“While Freud has three (3) parts of the personality being developed over four (4)
psychosexual stages, Erikson develops eight (8) psychosocial stages . . .”
5.
Make it Relevant: Point out connections of current material to other
material in the course, in the same discipline, and in everyday life.
6.
Give Reflection Time: Provide time in class for students to think about
the material and for participation.
Used by permission from Dr. Terry Whisnant – Horizons Seminars
“L earning Styles and Teaching Strategies”
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
13
Tools for Assessing Teaching and Learning
Online Tests:
1.
Learning Style Tests Online
Go to www.cas.lsu.edu
Click on “Test Your Learning Style” on left of page
Click on the “Guest” button on the left of the page
Take the three tests, and list your results next to each test below.
Brain Dominance
Personality
Sensory Preference
2.
Index of Learning Styles, developed by Barabara Soloman and Richard
Felder at North Carolina State University. An online assessment tool that
will provide you with immediate feedback:
http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/ilsw
eb.html
3.
Indiana State University provides a brief overview of learning styles
models: http://web.indstate.edu/ctl/styles/model2.html.
4.
How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School
http://www.nap.edu/html/howpeople1/ The National Academy of
Science's research provides a deep understanding of complex reasoning and
performance on problem-solving tasks and how skill and understanding in
key subjects are acquired.
5.
Multiple Intelligences Tests:
a) The three sites below will give you feedback on your M. I.
http://www.careerccc.org/products/cp_99_e/section1/quiz.cfm
http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=56724
http://flexways.flexiblelearning.net.au/learning/multiple.asp
6.
VARK Style Questionnaire
http://www.vark-earn.com/english/page.asp?p=questionnaire
7.
“Teaching Perspectives Inventory”
http://www.teachingperspectives.com/html/tpi_frames.htm
developed by Daniel Pratt and John Collins.
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
14
Teaching with Styles
A wareness– The more you are aware of your teaching style the
better you can detect aspects of the styles of your students.
I ntervention --
If you recognize a student is having problems you
can intervene and steer him/her in a different direction or
implement
D esign – You can design courses and work interactively with
students to help them become more effective learners.
E mpowerment – awareness of, attention to and direct changes can
empower both the student and the teacher to a greater
understanding.
Consider the Brain and how students learn
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
15
Remember…
“Learning is not a spectator sport.
Students do not learn much just by
sitting in class listening to teachers,
memorizing pre-packaged
assignments, and spitting out
answers. They must talk about what
they are learning, write about it,
relate it to past experiences, apply it
to their daily lives. They must make
what they learn part of themselves.”
(Chickering and Gamson, 1987)
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
16
My Plan
As a result of this workshop I plan to:
To accomplish this I plan to …
One idea I can integrate immediately is:
P. A. Training Solutions
Dr. Pat. Akers-Facilitator
Page 6
17