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What My Teacher Should Know About My Learning Style: RISA Conference Presentation: Rome, Italy (2011)

A review by cognitive psychologists Pashler, McDaniel, Rohrer and Bjork (Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence 2008) of all major studies promoting learning style found that the literature fails to provide adequate support for applying learning-style assessments in school settings. Does this mean using learning style information is not valid for teachers? No, it does not.

Learning styles is a useful tool for metacognition. Learning styles, like its forebear the Myers-Briggs assessment (C. Jung 1964), is a useful tool for identifying preferences and understanding how an individual learns best. Knowing the 'best' modality for acquiring information (cognitive processes) allows students to make decisions about how to best study, listen to lectures, plan and complete long-term projects.

What teachers should know about learning style is that it has the utility for motivating students. Brunner, Majewski, and Quinn (1993) found that when students recognize that they can succeed academically, their self-esteem increases and their behavior improves. Thus, the learning style data can be adopted to helping students understand themselves as learners and helping them use that information to succeed.

While the study by Pashler et. al. does not provide sufficient evidence to design educational grouping by learning styles, it does provide information useful for understanding how learning profiles can be used to help students understand how to code information (metacognitive processes) according to their best modality (learning-to-learn). In addition, teachers can use learning style information to develop instruction with elements for all learning styles (auditory, visual, kinesthetic). One such mode of instruction is the Universal Design Learning (UDL)model. The Universal Design Learning model is based on principles that promote lessons infused with the elements necessary for all learners (auditory, visual and kinesthetic) to transfer information from sensory memory to long-term memory.

Universal design learning (UDL) uses multiple, accessible instructional methods that are accessible to all learners. Example: Use multiple modes to deliver content; when possible allow students to choose from multiple options for learning; and motivate and engage students-consider lectures, collaborative learning options, hands-on activities, Internet-based communications, educational software, field work, and so forth. In addition, UDL provides specific feedback on a regular basis. Example: Allow students to turn in parts of large projects for feedback before the final project is due. UDL is about regularl assessments of student progress using multiple accessible methods and tools, and adjust instruction accordingly. Example: Assess group and cooperative performance, as well as individual achievement. Finally universal design learning is planning for accommodations for students whose needs are not met by the instructional design. Example: Know campus protocols for getting materials in alternate formats, rescheduling classroom locations, and arranging for other accommodations for students with disabilities.

Some strategies for ensuring lesson plans include all learners are: highly structured lessons, explicit instructions, use of "Essential Question," Maps of the Lesson Plan (LEARN); Frontloading ELL learners with the vocabulary; Temporal spacing, Interleaving, Graphic Organizers to go along with lectures, Cornell Note taking, turn textbook heading into questions, etc.






For more brain based teaching ideas go to

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev156b.shtml

To view or copy the RISA presentation slide:
http://prezi.com/vmlei5jlvo9y/what-my-teacher-should-know-about-my-learning-style/