Overview of Learning Styles

Careful introspection and a quick overview of papers such as that by Felder and Silvermann ("Learning and Teaching Styles in Engineering Education", Engineering Education 78:674-681, 1988) should cause any instructor, regardless of discipline, to consider student learning styles. With large class sizes, individualization is probably not possible. However, it is possible to modify content and delivery to better suit the learning styles of the majority of students within a particular course.

General Learning Styles

Felder and Silvermann (1988) use the following schema to categorize learning styles. The schema is binary in that for each category, you select one of the two options depending on the primary mechanism used by a particular student (eg, Information is best received in Visual or Auditory format). While all of us use each of the mechanisms listed below to varying degrees, we are more likely to rely on one more than the other.

How information is best received:

  • Visual
  • Auditory

Form in which information is best perceived:

  • Sensory (External stimuli; eg, sight, sound, touch, etc.)
  • Intuitive (Internal stimuli; eg, a hunch, something is "intuitively obvious")

Organization of information:

  • Inductive (Examples provide foundation necessary to discern general rules)
  • Deductive (Rules provide foundation necessary to discern linkages among specific events)

Information best processed:

  • Actively (Personal engagement--discussion, physical manipulation)
  • Reflective (Introspection)

How understanding is acquired:

  • Linear (Sequential)
  • Non-linear (Punctuated)

Learning Styles Charted

Below is a visually-oriented chart summarizing the general categorization of learning styles.

Learning Styles

Recieving Information
Percieving Information
Organizing Information
Processing Information
Assimilation Information

Reference: Felder, RM, and Silvermann, LK. 1988. Learning and Teaching Styles in Engineering Education. Engineering Education 78:674-681

Teaching vs. Learning

Below is a visually-oriented summary contrasting the more common learning styles (ie, "Learning" describes those learning styles preferred by a majority of humans) compared to how classes are typically taught (ie, "Teaching" describes how the majority of faculty teach in resident classroom situations, and the learning styles preferred by use of such teaching methodologies). Note the lack of overlap in preferred learning styles vs teaching styles. Comparison of Typical Learning vs Teaching Styles Learning Teaching.

 

Learning

Teaching
Recieving Information
Percieving Information
Organizing Information
Processing Information
Assimilation Information

Summary

It would behoove any faculty member to (a) consider how their students learn, and (b) use the variety of media available in the online environment to meet the variety of learning styles manifest in your students. For example, a faculty member might decide to offer animated examples that support information in the text of the web page to support visual learners. This entails more work, but provides a very rich environment within which to learn.

Textbook and multimedia publishers are beginning to offer a number of professionally designed and produced course material sets that incorporate a multiplicity of media (ie, that better support a variety of learning styles). These materials can be used in support of, or in lieu of, textbooks. These can be excellent supplements to, or integrated into, your online course materials.

Examples of courses where the faculty member assesses the learning styles of students, and structures the online environment to meet the learning needs of students.

Computer Information Systems (CS383)
US Military Academy
MAJ Curtis A. Carver, Jr.
http://www.eecs.usma.edu/cs/

Examples of textbook and multimedia publishers selling multimedia products (stand-alone or supplemental to textbooks). This is obviously a partial list....

Simon and Schuster
Thompson Publishing
Macmillian Publishing