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schwa
Joined: 12 Oct 2003
Posts: 164
Location: yap
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 Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 7:46 am Post subject: "learning styles": bogus theory? |
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This would suggest so: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED535732.pdf
Of course mixing it up keeps things engaging for everyone, but catering lessons to Minsu's or Akbar's "style" appears to be a waste of time. What do you think? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 11:03 am Post subject: |
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| schwa wrote: |
| Of course mixing it up keeps things engaging for everyone, but catering lessons to Minsu's or Akbar's "style" appears to be a waste of time. What do you think? |
It's not about catering to specific students' learning style; it's basically incorporating multiple learning styles into activities. For example, I once taught low-level ESL adults and had a lesson on differentiating between "there is..." and "there are..." (count/noncount nouns). Instead of having them sit in pairs and do a gap-fill worksheet, I turned the activity into a scavenger hunt using the entire floor of the school. (There was only one other class going on that night.) The worksheet directed them where to go with a prompt for what to look for (e.g., "How many hangers are in the closet?") and the response (i.e., "There is/are ___ hanger/hangers in the closet."). The students pairs were also given a supplemental page with the images they were to look for and name of each item. It was a hoot watching adults excitedly running around the halls and rooms of the school trying to meet the time limit, but they really enjoyed the challenge of the scavenger hunt and did quite well with their answers.
The point is, I touched upon the different learning styles in one activity: auditory (discussing responses with each other), visual (searching for X number of items/things in the rooms as indicated on the worksheet), and kinesthetic (moving around and counting items). By the way, if you ever do this type of activity, don't have all the groups start with the first question on the worksheet; otherwise, they'll all be climbing over each other. 
That said, incorporating learning styles is mostly relevant to teaching children, given how their growing minds and bodies are wired when processing information. Adults have had more "learning practice" and are able to adjust when presented with new material. However, it's still a good way to thoroughly engage them in learning. |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 11:35 am Post subject: |
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I dunno. I've never taught kids, but I think it's important to include a mix of activity types with adult learners, partly in response to learning style issues. Some of ours prefer collaborative learning (more auditory), and some prefer self-study (more visual). I usually build in some physical moving around in a long lesson as well.
Regardless of whether learning style theory is correct, bogus, or somewhere in between, it's impossible to tailor lessons to suit each learner involved in most cases (outside of one-on-one teaching, obviously). But I think it's clearly useful to mix input and task types for a number of reasons, including learner preferences. |
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ebooktrial0001
Joined: 02 Jan 2014
Posts: 156
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 11:27 am Post subject: |
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Look at some writings of master trainer Ruth Clark. She writes that the learning style is a myth.
Look at Cognitive Load Theory to see why it simply depends on finding appropriate levels for a student, and practicing at an "l + 1" level, in a daily and deliberate manner (K. Anders Ericsson). |
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santi84
Joined: 14 Mar 2008
Posts: 1317
Location: under da sea
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 12:40 pm Post subject: |
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Since I work in K-12, we use this concept a lot.
In practice, we apply it towards the exceptional learners - those with learning disabilities, cognitive delays, interrupted education, poverty/at-risk, and so on. It's a method of designing learning to include their interests. Some of us deal with 4-6 learners per class who would not be there prior to inclusive education.
Obviously, that can lead to a confusion ~ is it a "learning style" or merely an interest? Not sure. But early childhood education and K-12 education is quite comprehensive (if we want to get into neuron development), and I don't feel that a blanket "myth" is necessarily correct on a forum primarily focused on adult education. |
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gregory999
Joined: 29 Jul 2015
Posts: 372
Location: 999
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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What about using Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) in language teaching?
Anybody used NLP in his teaching for improving learning for children with autism? |
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santi84
Joined: 14 Mar 2008
Posts: 1317
Location: under da sea
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| Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 2:19 pm Post subject: |
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| gregory999 wrote: |
What about using Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) in language teaching?
Anybody used NLP in his teaching for improving learning for children with autism? |
Not NLP per se, but much of the ideas associated with it (and other theories) are currently applied to these students in the classroom. Many schools have moved towards full inclusion with paraprofessional support, so the extra hands/eyes/ears can help. Most separate SPED classes (which my district does not have) will have several paraprofessionals per room as well. When you've got a room of 30 kids and a few kids with Autism, but just one teacher, that's when it gets tricky.
Here in Canada, we don't call it NLP, but much of the principles overlap with the current concept of full inclusive education. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2016 10:06 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
Look at some writings of master trainer Ruth Clark. She writes that the learning style is a myth.
Look at Cognitive Load Theory to see why it simply depends on finding appropriate levels for a student, and practicing at an "l + 1" level, in a daily and deliberate manner (K. Anders Ericsson). |
However, Clark is coming from a training and elearning/multimedia design perspective and not from language acquisition and proficiency building in an instructor-led classroom. Training mainly focuses on improving performance; whereas, teaching is about building knowledge long term. Foreign language learning tends to overlap the two.
Cognitive load refers to the amount of mental energy (within working short-term memory) that it takes to process information during learning. Learning styles are an issue for elearning because of the potential to increase cognitive load, which interferes with learning and subsequent retention. For example, a visual learner's cognitive load goes up when looking at a multimedia presentation (e.g., a training video) with an explanation in text and accompanying graphics. Together, both visual components (the text and graphics) cause the material to be redundant; the learner doesn't know what to focus on or may look only at the graphics while ignoring the text and may not fully process the information presented. Instead, eliminating the text and using audio (auditory) to explain the graphics (visual) is easier to process and therefore, reduces cognitive load. In other words, the one channel (visual) is not being overloaded. Think of the times you've had to stop a graphic and text-heavy video in order to go back a bit because you missed something in the presentation.
As for our ESL/EFL learners. When appropriate, I incorporated visual, auditory, and movement into learning activities mainly because my adult students' previous k-12 learning was one-dimensional, teacher-centered, rote learning. By adding variety to the activities, I engaged them more and subsequently, they learned better. Sometimes the activity would later become the trigger that helped them recall a writing component, idiom, or grammar point. |
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mmcmorrow
Joined: 30 Sep 2007
Posts: 143
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 6:14 am Post subject: |
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I think this report is essential reading for teachers who've already catered for the more familiar learning styles in their teaching, but still find they have about 10-20% of learners in their classes who are somehow blocked.
Martin McMorrow, Massey University, New Zealand |
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schwa
Joined: 12 Oct 2003
Posts: 164
Location: yap
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 9:33 am Post subject: |
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| mmcmorrow wrote: |
| I think this report is essential reading for teachers who've already catered for the more familiar learning styles in their teaching, but still find they have about 10-20% of learners in their classes who are somehow blocked. |
Article nails it. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 10:05 am Post subject: |
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| schwa wrote: |
| Article nails it. |
What about your teaching situation? |
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santi84
Joined: 14 Mar 2008
Posts: 1317
Location: under da sea
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 12:35 pm Post subject: |
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| mmcmorrow wrote: |
I think this report is essential reading for teachers who've already catered for the more familiar learning styles in their teaching, but still find they have about 10-20% of learners in their classes who are somehow blocked.
Martin McMorrow, Massey University, New Zealand |
I would like to pass this out at the next PD session. I love it. |
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Xie Lin
Joined: 21 Oct 2011
Posts: 731
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 1:10 pm Post subject: |
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| santi84 wrote: |
| mmcmorrow wrote: |
I think this report is essential reading for teachers who've already catered for the more familiar learning styles in their teaching, but still find they have about 10-20% of learners in their classes who are somehow blocked.
Martin McMorrow, Massey University, New Zealand |
I would like to pass this out at the next PD session. I love it. |
Lucky you! I couldn't possibly circulate it, or my school would promptly attempt to put in place a nasal learning based curriculum. 
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 1:11 pm Post subject: |
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I am going to pass it out. I mean - who nose? Maybe it makes scents. 
Regards,
John |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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