Learning Styles and Concepts of Learning: How the way we learn may affect how we teach

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Learning Styles and Concepts of LearningHow
the way we learn may affect how we teach

• Part I

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Three-part Presentation

• Part I - why recognizing how we learn is
  important
• Part II - what are learning styles and concepts
  of learning and how to determine styles and
  concepts
• Part III - strategies to integrate the knowledge
  to improve teaching methods

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Part I Why recognizing how we learn is important
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Mismatch?

• We already have a substantial body of knowledge
  that could be used to improve post secondary
  instruction, but very little of this information
  is ever used in college classrooms, even by the
  researchers who study human cognition,
  motivation, and social systems. The problem is
  the mismatch between how we teach and how we
  learn.
• From the article titled Theory to Practice
  Applying the Science of Learning to the
  University and Beyond, edited by Diane F. Halpern
  and Milton D. Hakel http//psyc.memphis.edu/learni
  ng/ndtl/index.shtml

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How We Learn is How We Teach

• It has been suggested that how we learn is how we
  most likely teach. The general educational world
  does so as well - the majority of the day is
  sequential the textbooks are sequential the
  workbooks are sequential the teaching methods
  are sequential and most of the teachers are
  sequential learners and generally the way we
  teach is the way we learn best. Time is important
  in school - being on time, turning in work on
  time, finishing activities in a timely fashion,
  and moving on to new activities in a set
  schedule In other words we accommodate mainly
  the sequential learner in education.
  http//www.gifteddevelopment.com/Articles/vsl/v100
  .pdf
• http//adulted.about.com/od/learningstyles/Learnin
  g_Styles_Universal_Design_for_Learning.htm
  Learning Styles - Universal Design for Learning
  About.com Continuing Education, 2009
• In 1933, John Dewey in How We Think. A
  restatement of the relation of reflective
  thinking to the educative process, regards
  experience and models of thinking as relative to
  how individuals learn
• Boston D. C. Heath. http//www.infed.org/thinkers
  /et-dewey.htm (Revised edn.),

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Good Teaching

• If we want to improve the quality of college
  teaching, a million workshops on methodology will
  not be enough. Good teaching does not come from
  technique. It comes from the identity and
  integrity of the teacher. http//www.ntlf.com/htm
  l/pi/9708/palmer2.htm Parker J. Palmer, Teaching
  in the Face of Fear
• To be a successful instructor, a teacher should
  know how he/she learns best and that knowledge
  will transfer to the classroom, ensuring that
  all student needs are met.

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Learning Differently

• Adults, like children and adolescents, have
  different personalities, and different
  intelligences, and therefore learn differently.
• Some learners are auditory, some kinesthetic or
  hands-on, and some are visual-spatial learners -
  some are a combination of two or more.
• http//www.education.com/topic/child-learning-styl
  es/ Learning Styles and Differences,
  education.com, 2009

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What Adults Need to Learn

• Malcolm Knowles, a pioneer in the study of adult
  learning, observed that adults learn best when
• They understand why something is important to
  know or do.
• They have the freedom to learn in their own way.
• Learning is experiential experiential.
• The time is right for them to learn.
• The process is positive and encouraging.
• From 5 Principles for the Teacher of Adults
  Teaching Adult Learners By Deb Peterson,
  http//adulted.about.com/od/teachers/a/teachingadu
  lts.htm

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What Does All This Mean?

• Since multiple learners are usually in the same
  class at the same time, how can you as a teacher
  use a variety of strategies to teach the same
  content?
• Part II will guide you through a series of
  quizzes and surveys to help you determine your
  learning style and concept of learning.

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Bibliography

• Theory to Practice Applying the Science of
  Learning to the University and Beyond, edited by
  Diane F. Halpern and Milton D. Hakel
  http//psyc.memphis.edu/learning/ndtl/index.shtml
  
• Smith, Mark K. (2002, 2008) 'Howard Gardner and
  multiple intelligences', the encyclopedia of
  informal education, http//www.infed.org/thinkers/
  gardner.htm.
• Learning Styles - Universal Design for Learning
  About.com Continuing Education,
  2009http//adulted.about.com/od/learningstyles/Lea
  rning_Styles_Universal_Design_for_Learning.htm
• Boston D. C. Heath. http//www.infed.org/thinkers
  /et-dewey.htm (Revised edn.),
• Parker J. Palmer, Teaching in the Face of Fear
  http//www.ntlf.com/html/pi/9708/palmer2.htm
• Learning Styles and Differences, education.com,
  2009http//www.education.com/topic/child-learning-
  styles/
• From 5 Principles for the Teacher of Adults
  Teaching Adult Learners By Deb Peterson,
  http//adulted.about.com/od/teachers/a/teachingadu
  lts.htm
• http//www.visualspatial.org/Articles/memorize.p
  df
• Illustrations by Golon, Alexandra Shires, and B.
  Jones
• http//www.gifteddevelopment.com/Articles/vsl/v100
  .pdf