For many years, educators — including myself — believed that most individuals have a preferred way of learning (learning preference or style), and that matching how students are taught to their learning preferences enhances their learning. However, the latest research has cast doubt on these beliefs.
When you have completed this module, you will:
Numerous personality theories and questionnaires claim to categorise individuals into distinct types. Many of these are based on the work of Jung, who identified four basic classifications:
Each approach has its own names for the four types, but usually the types fall into the following categories:
Given an understanding of how people are different, it was believed that we can make better choices of which methods and media to use. We will be exploring different learning strategies in the next module.
Logical people
Lecture, reading, case studies, underlying theory, debate, programmed instruction.
People people
Case studies, discussions, role-playing, games, coaching, and simulations.
Task-oriented people
Practice, experimenting, simulation, demonstration, coaching, and self-directed learning.
Intuitive/entrepreneurial people
Practice, experimenting, simulation, demonstration, coaching and self-directed learning.
Another popular model of learning preference is the VARK model:
Visual
These learners prefer to see information, such as through diagrams, charts, and pictures.
Auditory
These learners prefer to hear information through lectures and discussions.
Reading/Writing
These learners prefer to learn through reading and writing, such as through text-based materials. Kinesthetic/Tactile
These learners prefer to learn through hands-on experiences and activities.
In the paper Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence by Pashler, McDaniel, Rohrer, and Bjork, published in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest, the authors’ research concludes that there is little empirical evidence to support the notion that teaching according to learning styles improves learning outcomes.
There is also a YouTube video, The Biggest Myth in Education, by Veritasium, that explores the concept of learning styles and the idea that individuals have unique learning preferences. The video also discusses the need for more scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of learning styles and suggests that the concept may be counterproductive in some cases.
This research doesn’t say that students don’t have a learning preference — it’s just that matching preference and learning doesn’t improve learning.
Matching the teaching method to the subject makes far more sense. For example, if you were teaching a child to ride a bike, wouldn’t it be better to use ‘Kinesthetic/Tactile’ rather than ‘Visual/Auditory/Reading/Writing’?
This is a good time to reflect on your own learning preferences. Think about the times when you had good and bad learning experiences and consider whether there were any common factors in terms of the methods and media.
If you are considering your own learning preferences, or if you are supporting a homogeneous group of learners, you will have a good idea of which types of methods and media you should use. If you have a varied group of people, the chances are that there will be a fairly even spread of the four different types. In this case, it would probably be advisable to have a wide range of differing methods and media so that you can reach as many different types of people as possible.
Have you ever wondered why the Bible has four gospels telling essentially the same story?
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