Learning Styles

Analyzing my preferred personal learning style I find I prefer "Reflective" learning to "Active," "Sensing" over "Intuitive," "Visual" over "Verbal" and "Sequential" over "Global." What does that mean specifically? That I learn best when:

1. I can visualize the content (information is in a visual format, and supports the content that the instructor is verbalizing).

2. I can build/base new concepts upon the data/facts/information I already possess or have learned to date. I enjoying have a visual guide that I can study from and add my own notes to.

3. I prefer recorded video sessions (such as in my current Education class) where I can receive the information, and as necessary go back and replay it for the areas that I may still have questions on.

My learning style definitely is based off my personality traits (My Myers-Briggs Personality is ISTJ - Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judgement). From these exercises and experiences it is easy for me to see the varying number of learning styles and traits that each specific learner might have, and why singular approaches to instruction are not successful at meeting the needs of any majority of students or other learners.

I think that some of the newer technologies not only provide instructors with new ways to deliver information, but that they are in some part the actual driving force for how young students personalities are shaped and how their own learning styles are developed. For example, I grew up in the 1960s and 70s. Learning for me largely meant teachers verbal instruction, and information written on chalkboards or overhead projectors. Other information came from the TV (Sesame Street and the Electric Company). I didn't see my first computer until the start of my senior year in 1979; at least I was one of the "trusted" students that my teacher let explore this new 'Commodore Pet' computer...I thought I was Too Cool! :-)

Today's students usually start school with years of computer experience, and may have used some of the Web technologies and social media that are available to them. I feel this precipitates the need of today's instructors to cater to multiple learning styles and deliver content in ways that can reach students on audio, visual and participatory levels.

Taking this a step further, I would assume that there is (or will shortly occur) analysis at an individual student level to identify their personality traits and learning styles, and assign them to one of a few classes where the topics and content being taught are the same, but the delivery methods are different (visual, audio, kinesthetic)and the students are placed in the environment that provides them the best experiences to learn from, based on their personality and preferred learning styles. These class instructors can each provide their course content in some "shared" manner that students could access if they are having trouble with a specific lesson and are looking for information in a different delivery format.

The next prominent step is to have computers play a major role in providing individualized student instruction, to the level that continually challenges them. For example, Suzie is in 3rd grade based on her age/social skills, but through the computer she is working on 5th Grade level Math, 7th Grade Reading and 4th Grade English. The computer tracks and provides instructions to Suzie's preferred learning style, and keeps her involved so she doesn't get bored/lose interest on subjects that she excels in. It can also provide multiple delivery formats to assist in areas that Suzie may be having trouble understanding.