The Nexus Explored: A Generalised Model of Learning Styles

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The Nexus Explored A Generalised Model of
Learning Styles
How Students Learn

• Damian Gordon, Gordon Bull
• e-Learning Research Group,
• School of Computing,
• Dublin Institute of Technology,
• Kevin Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.

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(No Transcript)
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Universities
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Behaviourism

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Cognitivism

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Constructivism

Lev Semenovich Vygotsky
John Dewey
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POP QUIZ
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POP QUIZ

• 1. On average do students prefer to work alone or
  in groups?
• a) in groups
• b) alone
• c) dunno

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POP QUIZ

• 1. On average do students prefer to work alone or
  in groups?
• a) in groups 1
• b) alone -1
• c) dunno 0

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POP QUIZ

• 2. Is it better for students to work
  collaboratively or competitively?
• a) collaboratively
• b) competitively
• c) Equally good for their learning

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POP QUIZ

• 2. Is it better for students to work
  collaboratively or competitively?
• a) collaboratively 1
• b) competitively -1
• c) Equally good for their learning 0

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POP QUIZ

• 3. Do students learn better if you offer a small
  reward?
• a) Yes
• b) No
• c) dunno

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POP QUIZ

• 3. Do students learn better if you offer a small
  reward?
• a) Yes -1
• b) No 1
• c) dunno 0

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POP QUIZ

• 4. Which is better, detailed feedback 3 weeks
  after an assignment in handed up, or a result
  one week later?
• a) Feedback
• b) Percentage
• c) dunno

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POP QUIZ

• 4. Which is better, detailed feedback 3 weeks
  after an assignment in handed up, or a result
  one week later?
• a) Feedback -1
• b) Percentage 1
• c) dunno 0

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POP QUIZ

• 5. How soon after a lecture starts will a
  students attention tend to drift?
• a) 10 mins
• b) 20 mins
• c) 40 mins

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POP QUIZ

• 5. How soon after a lecture starts will a
  students attention tend to drift?
• a) 10 mins 1
• b) 20 mins 0
• c) 40 mins -1

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WhyLecture???

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Reasons

• 1. To Enthuse Students

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Reasons

• 1. To Enthuse Students
• How? Put yourself in their shoes,
• Consider, if youve taught the topic for years...
• Consider, if new to you to do...

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Reasons

• 1. To Enthuse Students
• How? Put yourself in their shoes,
• Consider, if youve taught the topic for years...
• Consider, if new to you to do...
• 2. To give students the info they need

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Reasons

• 1. To Enthuse Students
• How? Put yourself in their shoes,
• Consider, if youve taught the topic for years...
• Consider, if new to you to do...
• 2. To give students the info they need
• How? Handouts can give 10 times more material,
  but must mix info with other materials (Make sure
  handout has lots of free space)

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Reasons

• 3. To cover the syllabus

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Reasons

• 3. To cover the syllabus
• How? In a meaningfully manner. Give the students
  time to reflect and revise. So stop teaching for
  the last 3 weeks and get students to reflect and
  revise.

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Reasons

• 3. To cover the syllabus
• How? In a meaningfully manner. Give the students
  time to reflect and revise. So stop teaching for
  the last 3 weeks and get students to reflect and
  revise.
• 4. Give the student group a sense of identity

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Reasons

• 3. To cover the syllabus
• How? In a meaningfully manner. Give the students
  time to reflect and revise. So stop teaching for
  the last 3 weeks and get students to reflect and
  revise.
• 4. Give the student group a sense of identity
• How? Group work is vital

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Reasons

• 5. Because its cost-effective - large groups

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Reasons

• 5. Because its cost-effective - large groups
• How? Instead of throwing out questions to
  students (as some may be intimidated) ask student
  to spend next 3 minutes writing down 3 most
  important ideas weve been talking about, and
  spend a minute comparing youve with your
  neighbourlook for 5 volunteers.
• Rather than getting student to asks questions at
  end of class collect on slips of paper and answer
  at start of next class or on-line on discussion
  board.

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Reasons

• 6. To help map curriculum

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Reasons

• 6. To help map curriculum
• How? Signpost the course. Show the students the
  syllabus, included learning outcomes. Number the
  topics instead of bullet pointing them

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Reasons

• 6. To help map curriculum
• How? Signpost the course. Show the students the
  syllabus, included learning outcomes. Number the
  topics instead of bullet pointing them
• 7. To see how the students are doing

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Reasons

• 6. To help map curriculum
• How? Signpost the course. Show the students the
  syllabus, included learning outcomes. Number the
  topics instead of bullet pointing them
• 7. To see how the students are doing
• How? Look at their faces
• How? Handout your slides, with first slide having
  questions about previous lecture - spend 5
  minutes of lecture getting student to answer.

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Reasons

• 8. To change student beliefs

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Reasons

• 8. To change student beliefs
• How? By sharing your experience Expert views
  Existing Theories Other students ideas.
• Make the students learning active, when students
  apply their ideas, it becomes their knowledge.

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Reasons

• 9. To help students learn

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Reasons

• 9. To help students learn
• How? For a few minutes ask the students to
  reflect on HOW they are learning. Share with
  others their approaches, their triumphs and
  disasters.
• How? Stop class for a few minutes and discuss
  their note-making techniques.
• How? Ask student to write down 3 things they
  dont yet know about a topic and want to
  learnamalgamate lists and hand to lecturer

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Reasons

• 10. To help students figure out what the lecturer
  is going to ask in the exam

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Reasons

• 10. To help students figure out what the lecturer
  is going to ask in the exam
• How? Students need to be more strategic about
  assessment, it is an intelligent response to
  their situation. But you just need to help them
  figure out your culture of assessment, not every
  little facet of it.

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How can I improve my lectures?

• Get a notebook per course.
• Include attendance sheets, handouts, slides, etc.
• After each lecture
• Note down errors in slides and handouts
• Write down key points of lecture
• Tricky issues
• Good examples

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How can I improve my lectures?

• Include questions after each lecture
• What did I do best?
• What should I avoid?
• What surprised me?
• What were the good student questions?
• What couldnt the students answer?

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What is Learning Style ?

• 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 Keefe (1979)
• a consistent pattern of behaviour within a range
  of individual variability (Cornet, 1983)
• a student's consistent way of responding to and
  using stimuli in a learning environment (Claxton
  Ralston, 1978)
• how individuals process information and prefer to
  learn (Garity, 1985)
• the way individuals organise information and
  experiences (Laschinger Boss, 1984) and
• an expression of psychological differentiation
  within characteristic modes of information
  processing (Witkin Goodenough, 1971, 1981).

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Learning Styles Models
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Perception
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Sensing
Perception
Intuiting
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Judgement
Perception
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Feeling
Thinking
Judgement
Perception
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Gordon-Bull Learning Styles Model

• Style a Structured Practical
• Style ß Intrapersonal Discussion
• Style ? Imaginative Holistic
• Style d Logical Analytical

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Whats the Added Value ?
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Resistant Learners

• (Like the Avoidant dimension in the
  Grasha-Riechmann Model)
• 1. they may lack the ICT skills to interact
  effectively with e-Learning materials,
• 2. they may lack the self-confidence to use ICTs
  effectively, or
• 3. they may not wish to participate in the
  learning experience because they are apathetic,
  frustrated, unable, discouraged or disobedient.

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What Else ?
Evolutionary Learning Style Models
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New Work (1)

• LEARNING STYLES RESEARCH

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New Work (2)

• 50 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT COMPUTING LECTURES

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???Questions???