What’s Your Learning Style?

Paula Collins

Cognitive Style vs. Learning Style

• Cognitive Style – an individual’s preferences for ways of intellectually processing information

• Learning Style – an individual’s preferences for ways of learning

Kolb’s Theory of Learning Style

• Kolb’s (1984) Model of Learning Style represents one of the best known approaches.

Cranton-Working with Adult Learners

Kolb’s 4 Stages of Learning1) Concrete experience2) Reflective observation3) Abstract conceptualization4) Active experimentation

Stages form a learning cycle(individuals usually prefer one stage more than the others).

Jarvis (1987)

• Learning Styles are susceptible to change and not necessarily a permanent trait

• Experience may influence a learner’s behavior

• Learning Style is a preference, not a personality characteristic

Jarvis (1987)

Visual-Spatial Learning Style

•Visual - of, relating to, or used in vision, attained or maintained by sight

• Spatial - relating to, occupying, or having the character of space

• Visual style - prefer using images, pictures, colors and maps to communicate and organize information

• Spatial style – good sense of direction, good with maps

Characteristics ofVisual-Spatial Learners• Usually have difficulty with

written language and do better with charts, demonstrations, videos, and other visual materials.

• Easily visualize faces and

places by using their imagination and seldom get lost in new surroundings.

I Think in Pictures, you Teach in Words

The Gifted Visual Spatial Learner

Dr. Linda Silverman,Pioneer of the Visual Spatial Learner Concept

Dr. Silverman identified two types of gifted visual spatial

learners:

1)Children identified as gifted who score extremely high on an IQ test because of their great ability both with tasks using visual spatial processing and those requiring auditory sequential thinking processes.

2) Children who are brighter than their IQ scores, who have great ability in visual spatial processing and marked weaknesses in auditory sequential processing.

These children are often not identified as gifted and they struggle at school because their intelligence is not recognised and neither is their unique learning style.

Hereditary Link• The visual spatial style

appears to be hereditary.• Always at least one parent

who shares this learning style with the child.

• However, it can also originate as compensation for auditory sequential processing difficulties associated with multiple ear nose and throat infections in early childhood

(Silverman, 1998).

Summary

• Everyone learns and interprets information differently

• Instruction should be diversified and appeal to multiple learning styles

• Most individuals share some characteristics of multiple learning styles

In Howard Gardner’s words,

“Do not pigeon-hole

people… we are all capable of

learning under any style or

intelligence, no matter

what our preference is”.

Bibliography• Cranton, Patricia. (1992). Working with Adult

Learners • Emerging Technologies. Learning Styles.

February 5, 2005, fromhttp://www.emtech.net/learning_styles.html

• Gardner, Howard. (1993). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intellegences (10th anniversary edition). New York: Basic Books.

• Learnativity.com. Learning Styles. from http://www.learnativity.com/learningstyles.html

• NSW Assn for Gifted & Talented Children Inc. I Think in Pictures, You Teach in Words, Silverman, Linda. online article by Lesley Sword, Retrieved November 2, 2005, from http://www.nswagtc.org.au/ozgifted/conferences/SwordVisualSpatial.html