Learning

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Learning
Styles, Strategies Outcomes
Jane Maringer-Cantu
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Learning Styles Definition

• Learning styles refer to an individuals
  preferred manner of processing material, or
  characteristic style of acquiring and using
  information when learning. -Adult Learning From
  Theory to Practice, L. Herod
• The characteristic ways that learners perceive,
  interact with, and respond to their environment.
  -Randy Burke Hensley from the University of
  Hawaii

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Learning Styles Definition

• Learning styles are the preferred ways by which
  people learn.
• Common learning styles include visual, auditory,
  and tactile (hands-on). -ADE Glossary,
  University of Maryland University College
  (UMUC)

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Types of Learning Styles

• Visual
• Learn through seeing
• Auditory
• Learn through listening
• Tactile/Kinesthetic
• Learn through moving, doing touching

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Assessment of Learning Styles

• Everybody has a preferred learning style.
• Knowing and understanding our learning style
  helps us to learn more effectively.

Lets find out your style now!
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Assessment of Learning Styles

• Learning Styles Self-Assessment -from
  LdPride.net
• Learning Styles Chart-Adapted from Colin Rose
  1987, Accelerated Learning
• The VARK Questionnaire-Honolulu Community
  College Intranet
• Learning Styles Inventory-handout-Honolulu
  Community College

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Strategies-Visual Learner

• Use visual materials such as pictures, charts,
  maps, graphs, etc.
• Have a clear view of your teachers when they are
  speaking so you can see their body language and
  facial expression
• Use color to highlight important points in text
• Take notes or ask your teacher to provide
  handouts
• Illustrate your ideas as a picture or
  brainstorming bubble before writing them down

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Strategies-Visual Learner

• Write a story and illustrate it
• Use multi-media (e.g. computers, videos, and
  filmstrips)
• Study in a quiet place away from verbal
  disturbances
• Read illustrated books
• Visualize information as a picture to aid
  memorization

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Strategies-Auditory Learner

• Participate in class discussions/debates
• Make speeches and presentations
• Use a tape recorder during lectures instead of
  taking notes
• Read text out aloud
• Create musical jingles to aid memorization

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Strategies-Auditory Learner

• Create mnemonics to aid memorization
• Discuss your ideas verbally
• Dictate to someone while they write down your
  thoughts
• Use verbal analogies, and story telling to
  demonstrate your point

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Strategies-Tactile Learner

• Take frequent study breaks
• Move around to learn new things
• (e.g. read while on an exercise bike, mold a
  piece of clay to learn a new concept)
• Work at a standing position
• Chew gum while studying
• Use bright colors to highlight reading material

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Strategies-Tactile Learner

• Dress up your work space with posters
• Skim through reading material to get a rough idea
  what it is about before settling down to read it
  in detail
• If you wish, listen to music while you study

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Learning Styles Definition
Another

• Students preferentially take in and process
  information in different ways
• by seeing and hearing, reflecting and acting,
  reasoning logically and intuitively, analyzing
  and visualizing, steadily and in fits and
  starts. -Dr. Richard Felder Dr. Linda Silverman

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Types of Learning Styles

• Felder Solomans model for individual learning
  style preferences includes
• Active and Reflective Learners
• Sensing and Intuitive Learners
• Visual and Verbal Learners
• Sequential and Global Learners
• Index of Learning Styles-developed by Richard M.
  Felder and Barbara Soloman of North Carolina
  State University

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Active vs. Reflective

• Active Learners Phrase
• Lets try it out and see how it works
• Reflective Learners Phrase
• Lets think it through first
• Use what you learn by your inventory scores to
  better develop learning strategies that are best
  suited to your particular style.

Felder Soloman
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Student Strategies

• Active Learner
• Study in a group, taking turns explaining
  different topics to each other
• You will retain information better if you find
  ways to do something with it
• Reflective Learner
• Stop periodically to review what you have read
• Write short summaries of readings or class notes
  in your own words

Felder Soloman
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Sensing vs. Intuitive

• Sensing Learners
• Tend to like learning facts
• Resent being tested on material that has not been
  explicitly covered in class
• Intuitive Learners
• Prefer discovering possibilities
• Intuitors dont like courses that involve a lot
  of memorization and routine calculations

Felder Soloman
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Student Strategies

• Sensing Learner
• Sensors remember and understand information best
  if they can see how it connects to the real
  world.
• Ask your instructor for specific examples of
  concepts and procedures, and find out how the
  concepts apply in practice.
• Intuitive Learner
• Ask your instructor for interpretations or
  theories that link the facts, or try to find the
  connections yourself.
• You may also be prone to careless mistakes on
  test because you are impatient with details and
  dont like repetition.

Felder Soloman
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Visual vs. Verbal

• Visual Learners
• Remember best what they see--pictures, diagrams,
  flow charts, timelines, films, and demonstrations
• Verbal Learners
• Get more out of words--written and spoken
  explanations

Felder Soloman
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Student Strategies

• Visual Learner
• Try to find diagrams, sketches, schematics,
  photographs, flow charts, or any other visual
  representation of course material
• Verbal Learner
• Write summaries or outlines of course material in
  your own words
• Working in groups can be effective

Felder Soloman
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Sequential vs. Global

• Sequential Learners
• Tend to gain understanding in linear steps, with
  each step following logically from the previous
  one
• Global Learners
• Tend to learn in large jumps, absorbing material
  almost randomly without seeing connections, and
  then suddenly getting it.

Felder Soloman
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Student Strategies

• Sequential Learner
• If you have an instructor who jumps around from
  topic to topic or skips steps, you may have
  difficulty following and remembering.
• When you are studying, take the time to outline
  the lecture material for yourself in logical
  order.
• Global Learner
• It can be helpful for you to realize that you
  need the big picture of a subject before you can
  master details.
• Try to relate the subject to things you already
  know.

Felder Soloman
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What are Learning Outcomes?

• Learning outcomes are statements that specify
  what learners will know or be able to do as a
  result of a learning activity or learning
  experience.
• Outcomes are usually expressed as knowledge,
  skills, or attitudes.

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Three Characteristics

• Learning outcomes have three distinguishing
  characteristics.
• The specified action by the learners must be
  observable.
• The specified action by the learners must be
  measurable.
• The specified action must be completed by the
  learners.

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Ultimate Test

• The Ultimate Test when writing a learning outcome
  is whether or not the action taken by the student
  can be assessed.
• If not, the outcome probably does not meet all 3
  of the characteristics.
• Who is to perform
• What action they are to take
• Some result that must come from their action.

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Learning Outcomes

• They help to
• Focus on the student's behavior that is to be
  changed
• Serve as guidelines for content,instruction, and
  evaluation
• Identify specifically what should be learned
• Convey to learners exactly what is to be
  accomplished

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Learning Outcomes

• Learning outcomes should flow from a needs
  assessment.
• The needs assessment should determine the gap
  between an existing condition and a desired
  condition.
• Learning outcomes represent the solution to the
  identified need or issue.

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Assessment Principles

• Knowing what you are doing
• Knowing why you are doing it
• Knowing what students are learning as a result
• Changing because of the information

Rhenley, University of Hawaii
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5 Questions for Assessment

• What do your want the student to be able to do?
• What does the student need to know in order to do
  this well?
• What activity will facilitate the learning?
• How will the student demonstrate the learning?
• How will I know the student has done this well?

Rhenley, University of Hawaii
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Assessment Process
Outcomes
Indicators
Evidence
Criteria and/or Standards
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OUTCOMES

• What indicates that a student has achieved this?
• What do students need to do?
• What do you need to see happening?
• For example
• Successful Transfer
• Send an e-mail message

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INDICATORS

• Completion of courses with final
• i.e. department-wide final
• Confidence in and outside of classes
• Conduct Research
• GPA
• Number of Units
• Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving

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EVIDENCE

• Hard Evidence
• Easier to collect (i.e. transfer count)
• Soft Evidence
• Harder to collect
• Affective domain (needs to be systematic)
• Qualitative vs. Quantitative
• Qualitative
• Problem Solving Critical Thinking
• Quantitative
• Organized Documentation Descriptive

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EVIDENCE (examples)

• Conduct Research
• Research Paper Assignment Completion
• Log of Library Use
• Internet Use-Bibliography Sources
• Research Portfolio
• Student Confidence
• Presentation in Class (with Peer Self Feedback)
• Self - Evaluation, Journal Writing
• Group Involvement (Participation/Facilitator
  Role)
• Volunteering

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CRITERIA and/or STANDARDS

• You have to have criteria to judge outcomes
• Depends upon what you are looking for
• Get input from students/advisory boards
• We need to demonstrate
• For example
• How do we demonstrate caring for nurses?

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What Can We Do?

• Let students assess their Learning Styles
• Once identified, a student will be able to
  capitalize on his or her strengths and improve
  his or her self-advocacy skills
• Rethink our expectations about our assignments
• Teach the students the strategies that work with
  their learning preference.
• Teach to all Learning Styles, so no student is
  left behind

And remember
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Dont get caught up in this irrational belief!
One way is best!
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Any Questions?
http//hhh.gavilan.edu/jmaringer/learningstyles.ht
ml
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Additional Resources

• - Learning / Study Strategies

By Jane Maringer-Cantu
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Learning/Study Strategies

• Break up big projects into small parts
• Study in a clear workplace and keep materials
  organized
• Have a study partner
• Use a daily planner with a prioritized to do
  list
• Complete projects and assignments before starting
  new ones
• Review lecture material within 24 hours of the
  lecture

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Learning/Study Strategies

• Know when your best times are for studying
• Schedule 2 hours of study time for each hour of
  lecture time
• Study each subject every day at least for a
  short time
• Study most difficult materials and subjects
  first
• Plan ahead and schedule your work

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Learning/Study Strategies

• Use waiting time to study
• Walk around while memorizing
• Link new information with your own life
• Practice relaxation exercises to avoid anxiety
• Take short breaks every hour
• Realize that you cannot do it all

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Learning/Study Strategies

• When reading, take notes
• Use a Spelling Checker
• Ask for help when needed
• Investigate prospective instructors teaching
  styles
• Take a light load of classes, if possible