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Evaluating Learning Styles

  • research: evaluating learning styles

    • hypothesis: presentation of material should match learner’s style

      • rejected - no evidence to prove this

    • learners have style preferences, but outcomes are the same regardless of style

  • why are learning styles so popular?

    • people like to fit a type - identity

    • people want to be seen as individuals

      • not like everyone else, just like a set of people

      • ‘i’d learn better if this was tailored to me’

  • individual differences and assessment

    • people have study preferences

      • predict the choices students make when choices are given

    • desirable differences

    • need to distinguish preferences from aptitudes (academic ability to learn)

    • we have differences in prior knowledge that can make using different methods more / less effective

  • related research

    • aptitude-by-treatment interactions

      • hypothesis: high aptitude students do better in loosely structured activities than low aptitude students (not conclusive results)

    • personality-by-treatment interactions

      • hypothesis: students w an internal locus of control benefit more from less structured lessons than those w external loc

        • not clear why / which aspects of the lesson

  • alternatives to iq

    • multiple intelligences - howard gardner

      • studied savants

      • instead of general intelligence, we have different strengths and weaknesses

    • robert sternburg - triarchic theory

      • analytical: academic, problem solving

      • practical: everyday tasks

      • creative: generating new ideas

Evaluating Learning Styles

  • research: evaluating learning styles

    • hypothesis: presentation of material should match learner’s style

      • rejected - no evidence to prove this

    • learners have style preferences, but outcomes are the same regardless of style

  • why are learning styles so popular?

    • people like to fit a type - identity

    • people want to be seen as individuals

      • not like everyone else, just like a set of people

      • ‘i’d learn better if this was tailored to me’

  • individual differences and assessment

    • people have study preferences

      • predict the choices students make when choices are given

    • desirable differences

    • need to distinguish preferences from aptitudes (academic ability to learn)

    • we have differences in prior knowledge that can make using different methods more / less effective

  • related research

    • aptitude-by-treatment interactions

      • hypothesis: high aptitude students do better in loosely structured activities than low aptitude students (not conclusive results)

    • personality-by-treatment interactions

      • hypothesis: students w an internal locus of control benefit more from less structured lessons than those w external loc

        • not clear why / which aspects of the lesson

  • alternatives to iq

    • multiple intelligences - howard gardner

      • studied savants

      • instead of general intelligence, we have different strengths and weaknesses

    • robert sternburg - triarchic theory

      • analytical: academic, problem solving

      • practical: everyday tasks

      • creative: generating new ideas

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