“I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn.” ~ Albert Einstein

Matching Environment to

Learning Style

Learning Styles

You are in a crowded movie theater and after some time into the movie you begin to smell smoke. Suddenly you notice smoke billowing up by the stage. What would you most likely do first?

Start running towards the exits, grabbing others while you run (Kinesthetic)

While you may do all three of these things at some point, your first reaction is most likely your preferred learning style.

Start yelling “Fire!” (Auditory)

Quickly look for the fire exits (Visual)

is an individual's unique approach to learning based on strengths, weaknesses, and preferences.

A student's consistent way of responding to and using stimuli in the context of learning.

Stewart and Felicetti (1992) define learning styles as those “educational conditions under which a student is most likely to learn.”

Thus, learning styles are not really concerned with what learners learn, but rather how they prefer to learn. -

Keefe (1979) defines learning styles as the “composite of characteristic cognitive, affective, and physiological factors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how a learner perceives, interacts with, and responds to the learning environment.”

Why they are important

Students who know their styles are better learners and better achievers.

Low satisfaction or poor performance can be misinterpreted as lack of knowledge or ability when there is difficulty with learning.

Teachers who understand learning styles are better able to adapt their teaching methods.

Varied teaching methods lead to more motivated and engaged learners.

• Three primary learning styles

Learning style

Auditory

Visual

Tactile or Kinesthetic

• Combination

Learn through seeing:

Visual Learners

Instructor’s body language and facial expressions help them understand

◦ Pictures ◦ Demonstrations◦ Diagrams

◦ Illustrated text books

◦ PowerPoint slides

◦ Videos◦ Flipcharts◦ Handouts

Sit at front of room

Remember by seeing

Like to take detailed notes to absorb information

Auditory Learners

Learn through listening

Lectures

Discussions

Talking things through

Listening to what others have to say

Written information has little meaning

Prefer to read text aloud

Like to use tape recorder

Learn by doing, moving, touching◦ Hands-on activities

Tactile Learners

Find it hard to sit still for very long

Want to actively explore physical world around them

Children differ in the way they learn.

Learning is a complicated, dynamic process and

aspects of the individual interact with aspects of

the environment in ways that assist or impede

learning.

To increase a child’s potential for learning; one

must understand the individual, the educational

environment, and the ways in which these two

factors interact.

LEARNING STYLES AND

ENVIRONMENT:

FINDING THE RIGHT MATCH

are valuable questions to ask about any child’s learning style. The answers to these questions can help to determine the most effective learning environment and procedures for a given child.

Who,

what,

where,

when,

why,

and how

While there are many things children learn on their own

through exploration and life’s experiences, a significant

portion of what children learn they learn from others. Some

people teach better than others; and some people have a

certain style that works better with some children than others.

It is not necessarily a reflection of good or poor teaching, but

rather it’s the fit between various characteristics of the child

and the teacher that counts.

Who: The Individuals Involved in Learning

Robert learns best when his teacheroutlines lessons in advance andreviews them afterwards. Alicia complains that her teacher pays

more attention to the boys than thegirls when they raise their hands.

What: The Content of Learning

Sylvia loves science since her teacher took the class on a trip to an aquarium.

Jake gets A’s in math without even studying.

What refers to the content a child is learning. Children are drawn to different subject matters and different activities.

Where: The Place to learn

Amanda has difficulty learning when

there’s a great deal of noise in the

classroom.Julian learns best when he works in a

small group.

Where a child learns is important as well. Characteristics

of the classroom can affect a child’s ability to learn.

Class size, activity level in the classroom, learning

resources available, and distractions present are some factors to consider.

Why: The Reasons to Learn

Mike practices his piano lessons because his family enjoys hearing him play.

Joann works on the multiplication tables in order to qualify for the math contest.

The motivation to learn can arise from a variety of sources. The reasons why children choose to learn can vary from child to child and situation to situation.

When: The Time to Learn

Adam gets up early in the morning to study for tests.

Martina waits until the night before a test to study, since she believes she remembers facts best that way.

When children learn can be examined on more than one level. There are certain times of day that children are likely to be more open to learning, given the normal variability that occurs in mental arousal throughout the day.

When in a child’s life is an extremely important factor to consider in terms of introducing him or her to new learning.

How: Modes of Learning

Marie learns best when her teacher writes the algebra formula on the board.

Glenn feels that saying instructions aloud to himself helps him understand them better.

Determining how a child learns best and how information is presented to a child can facilitate learning.

Providing the right environment conducive to learning

The best way for a person to learn depends on the person, of course. But the classroom

environment can also have a big effect on the amount of learning that occurs.

Some Environmental Factors to

Accommodate the Learning Styles

Noise

Some students find sound distracting and some find it calming. It may be beneficial to have several study areas established. One where the noise level is kept to a minimum and one where some background noise is present.

Many students prefer to work with less light, particularly to avoid the glare of fluorescent lighting.

Light

Separate switches control several banks of lights in the classroom.

Some banks have had all but one fluorescent tube removed.

Mental work is done most effectively in a cool environment.

Temperature.

Thermostats are set to 65 degrees. Students who prefer a warmer classroom are urged to wear sweaters, and those who prefer a cooler classroom are urged to wear layered clothing.

The walls are painted in pleasing pastel colors, and wall decorations show the work of serious students.

DesignThe aesthetics of the learning environment can affect students’ perceptions about learning negatively or positively.

A neat, clean, graffiti-free classroom is essential.

Students are engaged in learning activities emphasizing independent work. They work in pairs and in small groups.

Sociological stimuli

Those who need special supervision by the teacher (e.g., vision-impaired, hearing-impaired, and emotionally troubled students) are seated near the front of the room or near the teacher’s desk.

Provision is made for a limited number of snack times during scheduled classes. Only healthful foods are provided in school vending machines.

Intake

Breaking the Ice Think about how you currently incorporate

learning styles into your training and education programs.

Take a few minutes and reflect on the following. How do you currently:

1. Identify individual differences in learners (innate characteristics, tools used to measure a learner’s “style” etc.)?

2. Address those individual differences in your instructional designs?

3. Validate your instructional design to ensure it made a difference at the individual and group level?

“The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think—rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with the thoughts of other men.” ~John Dewey

“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.” ~Peter Drucker

Thank you!

Cherie Ann S. Rieta