Learning+Styles+and+Motivation

=**Learning Styles and Motivation**=

====There is no good understanding of learning styles as it stands. But it certainly does not follow that we all learn the same way - the senses may well work in concert, but (as someone with thick glasses, I can attest) some senses work more or less well, meaning that each individual may combine the senses differently. - Stephen Downes====



==I’d like to use this space to explore two major theories on learning styles, then discuss how they impact student motivation. == == ** David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory ** == ==Kolb postulates that learners go through an experiential learning cycle containing four phases of thought (concrete experience, observation and reflection, formation of abstract concepts and generalizations, and testing concepts in new situations). The stages are cyclical, not linear, and every student will spend some time in each stage, returning to them again and again as they continue to learn. Although successful students learn to make use of each style, Kolb believes that most people have particular learning preferences that can be discovered through taking his learning styles assessment inventory. Once a student has taken the assessment and plotted their results, they are assigned one of four learning styles: == ==//1. Converger// == == -good at applying abstract theories to real life situations and solving problems through deductive reasoning == == -hands on learners who are very pragmatic, orderly and organized == -would learn well in a trades setting, for example

//2. Diverger//  -imaginative, reflective, and good at seeing ideas from multiple perspectives  -look at how and why things work rather than immediately striving for practical approaches or actions -would learn well with role playing scenarios, for example

 //3. Assimilator//  -build theories through logic and science  -very analytical, factual, and idea (rather than feeling) based -would learn well through science lab experiements

 //4. Accommodator// <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> -very social and engaged with people, work well in groups <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> -intuitive, imaginative, look to human resources (rather than scientific method) to solve problems <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-would learn well in a group/team setting



<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> **Fleming’s VAK/VARK Model**

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> Fleming’s neurolinguistic model sorts students based on how they learn most effectively. Fleming postulates that different ways of learning can be understood by thinking of information as being processed through the senses. This model divides learners into three categories:

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 1. Visual learners // <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-people who think in pictures and prefer visual aids

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 2. Auditory learners // <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-people who learn best from listening, such as from a lecture

//<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> 3. Kinesthetic or tactile learners // <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">-hands-on learners who prefer to learn by doing

There are various other theories on learning styles, most of which are variations on these two: essentially, learners are grouped into discrete categories based on how they learn best. These types of theories have been widely critiqued as being overly simplistic and unrealistic. Most current thinking seems to suggest that although some learners may favour a particular style or learn slightly more effectively in certain ways, that everyone is capable of learning using a wide variety of tactics. To suggest otherwise is to limit opportunities for students to learn.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">M. David Merrill has also weighed in on the issue of learning styles, suggesting quite pragmatically that instruction style should be determined first by keeping in mind the material to be taught and goals of the instruction (for example, you can't safely and effectively teach someone to use a tablesaw through brainstorming or role-play). After this has determined the shape and methods of the lessons, learning styles can be taken into account to customize the lesson to suit different learners.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> The bottom line seems to be that it is important to keep in mind that some people gain knowledge in different ways than others. This can vary from person to person, but also from day to day. It’s a good reminder to us as instructors to use a diverse set of instructional techniques to ensure that we are reaching all learners. It’s also important to ensure that we are not limited by the idea that there is only one learning style per person, and that we don’t allow our students to limit themselves this way either. To be an effective student as well as an effective lifelong learner, it is important for all of us to stretch our both our abilities and our preconceived notions about our abilities. We cannot always learn the way we prefer (an assimilator will have to brainstorm sometimes, a visual learner will not always have a visual aid on hand), nor should we. I would suggest that as an instructor, the best way to use this information on learning styles is to look through our instructional techniques and ensure that we are using aspects of each learning style. This will not only help to engage all students, but it will ensure that students stay interested and that the learning stays fresh.

//__References:__//

Learning Styles on Wikipedia, retrieved from: []

3106 Course Reference Material: Recognizing Differences in Learning Styles, retrieved from: []

Merrill, M. David. (2000). Instructional Strategies and Learning Styles: Which Takes Preference?", retrieved from []