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Introduction

• The issue of learning styles is becoming increasingly important in the last two decades.

• learning styles provide insight into the ways learners perceive, interact with and respond to the environment in which learning activities occur.

• Teaching styles reflect the beliefs and values that teachers hold about the learners’ role in learning

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Literature Survey

• Various theory of learning styles have been proposed over the last three decades.– Multiple Intelligence: seven separate

intelligences are described: linguistic, logical mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.

– Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): measures the dimension of learning. Sixteen personalities are categorized

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Literature Survey (Con.)

– Field Dependence and Field Independence: measures the extent to which a learner is influenced by a surrounding field.

– Dunn and Dunn model: incorporates a wider range of dimensions. Five separate categories are derived according to this model: Environmental, emotional, sociological, physiological, psychological.

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Literature Survey (Con.)

– Modality Preference (Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic) model: focuses on the modes or senses through which people take in and process information. Several instruments have been developed for this perceptual model.

• Multi-Modal Paired Associates Learning Test (MMPALT) – Assess sensory preference;

• VARK Learning Styles Inventory – provide learning style profile for each student.

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Literature Survey (Con.)

– MAVIS Model • Match – When grouping for instruction the more

style match the better;• Adaptability – The willingness to shift from one

style into others;• Versatility – The ability to shift from one style into

others; • Interaction – Different learning styles interact with

each other;• Stretch – All students should experience learning

in a non-dominant style area.

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Research problems

• Challenge – Many learn how to teach in the way they were taught. The challenge is that once a teaching style is formed it is quite difficult for an instructor to change his/her teaching style.

• The research problem -- will exposure to Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs) that have been tailored to specific learning styles result in deeper understanding of core concepts?

If so, an instructor can change his/her teaching style by delivering RLOs in different learning styles!

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Our Research Methodology

• Reusable Learning Objects– Concepts of RLOs– Identifying Learning Styles– Developing RLOs– Delivering RLOs

• Experiment Design

• Data and Analysis

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Reusable Learning Objects

• Learning objects [are] self-standing, reusable, discrete pieces of content that meet an instructional objective. Learning objects may be tagged with meta-data so that users can easily identify and locate specific learning objects in a Web-based environment. -ADL Co-Lab

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Experimental Design

• Sample– Students from ARTE310 at Northern State

University– Total 41 students participated experiment– Control group consisted of 8 students– Experimental group consisted of 23 students

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Experimental Design (cont.)

• Experiment Procedure– Pretest was be given at the initial class

session, along with the VARK assessment;– Post-test was given after the class lecture.

Post-test consisted of the same questions as the pre-test but in scrambled order;

– Final test was given on the core concepts, consisting of the same questions but scrambled again, after students studied the materials for one week.

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Data and Analysis

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Data and Analysis (Cont.)

Improvement Comparison in Two Groups

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Experimental Group Control Group

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Conclusion

• Due to the small number of students who participated experiment, no statistically meaningful result has been obtained from the experiment;

• The data, however, do indicate that the students in the experimental group performed better than the control group;

• Students agreed that the learning materials presented in various learning styles can be helpful.