Latest / New Teacher Talk / Ep 117: Mythbusters about Teaching & Learning: Learning Styles (1 of 3 episodes)

Transcript

Ep 117: Mythbusters about Teaching & Learning: Learning Styles (1 of 3 episodes) · New Teacher Talk

• 0:02
  Welcome to New Teacher Talk.
• 0:04
  My name is Ken King.
• 0:05
  I'm an education professor at Aurora University in Aurora,
• 0:08
  Illinois.
• 0:10
  With today's talk,
• 0:11
  I'm starting a series of podcasts on what might be called
• 0:14
  myths about teaching and learning.
• 0:16
  They're ideas that persist because they sound sensible,
• 0:19
  but in reality don't support either teaching or learning.
• 0:23
  Several years ago,
• 0:23
  I heard one of my students talking with one of her
• 0:26
  classmates.
• 0:27
  A student complained that they had performed poorly in a
• 0:29
  class.
• 0:30
  The explanation she gave is that she described herself as a
• 0:33
  visual learner.
• 0:35
  As a visual learner,
• 0:36
  she claimed that she was not able to learn well unless
• 0:39
  information was presented in writing.
• 0:41
  Because a professor often presented information verbally,
• 0:44
  she claimed it was the professor's approach to teaching
• 0:46
  that led to a poor performance by the student.
• 0:50
  Well, there's a lot to unpack in that brief exchange,
• 0:52
  but I'd like to focus on the nature of learning styles and
• 0:55
  what it means for teaching and learning.
• 0:58
  The idea that teaching to a student's perceived learning
• 1:01
  style improves learning has been debunked by educational
• 1:03
  research.
• 1:04
  The alleged role of learning styles,
• 1:06
  such as emphasizing visual, auditory,
• 1:09
  or kinesthetic approaches is probably the most pervasive of
• 1:12
  the beliefs I'm going to share in this series.
• 1:16
  I'm going to start with three reasons why learning styles
• 1:18
  have shown little instructional value and then suggest some
• 1:21
  actions that teachers can take to improve their opportunity
• 1:23
  to support learning regardless of a student's perceived
• 1:26
  style.
• 1:28
  Reason one is the lack of empirical evidence.
• 1:32
  Numerous studies have failed to show a consistent link
• 1:34
  between matching instructional methods to a student's
• 1:37
  preferred learning style and improved learning outcomes.
• 1:41
  Studies have shown that there is no connection between a
• 1:43
  student's preferred style and how instructional information
• 1:46
  is presented.
• 1:47
  Auditory learners can learn just as much the written
• 1:49
  information with no specific advantage toward having
• 1:52
  information provided verbally.
• 1:55
  Instead,
• 1:56
  effective learning often depends more on the nature of the
• 1:58
  content and the instructional strategy than on the
• 2:01
  learner's preferences.
• 2:03
  Reason two has to do with misconceptions about learning
• 2:06
  styles.
• 2:08
  Learning style theories often confuse a preference with
• 2:11
  effectiveness.
• 2:12
  While a student may prefer receiving information in a
• 2:15
  particular way, such as verbally or auditorially,
• 2:18
  this preference doesn't necessarily correlate with better
• 2:21
  retention or understanding.
• 2:24
  Many people believe that catering to students' preferred
• 2:27
  learning style,
• 2:28
  such as showing visual or information visually,
• 2:31
  will enhance learning outcomes.
• 2:33
  However,
• 2:33
  this statement argues that just because a student has a
• 2:36
  preference for one particular modality doesn't mean they
• 2:39
  will learn more effectively through that method.
• 2:42
  Preference is about comfort or enjoyment,
• 2:44
  whereas effectiveness is about how well information is
• 2:47
  retained and understood.
• 2:50
  Cognitive science suggests that the brain doesn't process
• 2:52
  information differently based solely on preferred
• 2:55
  modalities.
• 2:57
  Research in cognitive science indicates that the brain
• 2:59
  processes information through a complex network of neural
• 3:02
  activities that aren't strictly defined or confined by
• 3:06
  single sensory modality.
• 3:08
  This means that learning isn't necessarily more effective
• 3:11
  when aligned with a preferred mode.
• 3:13
  Instead,
• 3:14
  learning is often enhanced through multimodal approaches
• 3:17
  that engage multiple senses and cognitive processes.
• 3:20
  This can and should include integrating visuals,
• 3:24
  auditory information,
• 3:25
  and hands-on activities to reinforce the material.
• 3:29
  Reason three, learning is multimodal.
• 3:33
  The idea that learning is multimodal suggests that
• 3:36
  effective learning involves engaging multiple sensory
• 3:39
  inputs and teaching methods that enhance understanding and
• 3:42
  retention.
• 3:43
  This approach is grounded in evidence from educational
• 3:46
  research in cognitive science,
• 3:48
  which indicates that diverse instructional strategies can
• 3:51
  lead to a much richer learning experience.
• 3:54
  Multimodal learning incorporates various sensory
• 3:57
  experiences, such as visual, auditory,
• 3:59
  and kinesthetic inputs.
• 4:01
  Engaging multiple senses means that information is
• 4:04
  processed through various channels,
• 4:05
  allowing learners to create a more robust set of mental
• 4:08
  connections.
• 4:10
  For instance, when a student sees a diagram,
• 4:13
  which is visual, listens to an explanation,
• 4:16
  which is auditory, and participates in a related activity,
• 4:19
  kinesthetic,
• 4:20
  they reinforce the learning material through different
• 4:22
  cognitive pathways, which enhances comprehension.
• 4:26
  So teachers should use a blend of instructional methods,
• 4:28
  such as lectures, discussions, visual aids,
• 4:31
  and hands-on activities.
• 4:32
  This not only caters to different learning preferences,
• 4:35
  but also supports deeper understanding.
• 4:38
  For instance,
• 4:39
  discussing a topic can help clarify concepts while visual
• 4:42
  aids provide a concrete example,
• 4:44
  and hands-on activities allow learners to apply what
• 4:46
  they've learned.
• 4:48
  This combination encourages active engagement and critical
• 4:51
  thinking.
• 4:53
  By involving multiple modalities,
• 4:55
  learners are more likely to retain information and to
• 4:58
  enhance comprehension and retention.
• 5:01
  Each approach offers a unique way of encoding information,
• 5:03
  which can make the knowledge more memorable.
• 5:06
  For example, when students actively engage in a project,
• 5:09
  they might better understand and recognize the concepts
• 5:12
  involved because they've applied them directly in practice.
• 5:16
  I made a previous podcast on this subject,
• 5:19
  on using elaboration, that connects with these points.
• 5:22
  I'd encourage you to check that one out as well.
• 5:25
  So I told you why it doesn't work.
• 5:27
  So let's talk now a little bit about recommendations for
• 5:30
  applying research-based alternatives.
• 5:33
  Instead of focusing on learning styles,
• 5:35
  educators can focus on strategies that have been
• 5:37
  demonstrated to enhance learning.
• 5:40
  These research-based practices enhance learning by engaging
• 5:43
  students actively, supporting their developmental needs,
• 5:46
  providing insights in their progress,
• 5:48
  and leveraging principles from cognitive science.
• 5:51
  Here are four approaches that you should add to your
• 5:53
  teaching toolbox.
• 5:56
  Suggestion one is active learning techniques.
• 5:59
  These techniques help learners connect directly with the
• 6:01
  content they are learning.
• 6:03
  These include hands-on activities, problem solving,
• 6:06
  and discussions.
• 6:07
  Hands-on activities involve learning through doing,
• 6:10
  where students engage in physical activities rather than
• 6:13
  passively receiving information.
• 6:16
  These activities can include experiments, simulations,
• 6:19
  or building models,
• 6:20
  which help students understand concepts by physically
• 6:22
  manipulating materials and observing outcomes,
• 6:26
  exploring relationships,
• 6:27
  and applying what students are learning to new settings as
• 6:29
  part of a set of strategies referred to as problem solving.
• 6:33
  Problem solving encourages students to tackle problems,
• 6:36
  which helps develop critical thinking and analytical
• 6:39
  skills.
• 6:40
  By working through challenges,
• 6:42
  students apply their theoretical knowledge in practical
• 6:44
  situations, enhancing their understanding and retention.
• 6:48
  Discussions are also important.
• 6:50
  A well-developed discussion is also a great use to
• 6:53
  learners.
• 6:54
  Engaging learners in discussions allows them to articulate
• 6:57
  their understanding, question assumptions,
• 6:59
  and hear diverse perspectives.
• 7:01
  This interaction encourages deeper thought processes and
• 7:04
  helps solidify learning through social interaction.
• 7:08
  You are probably familiar with the Think-Pair-Share
• 7:10
  strategy, which is a form of student-student discussion.
• 7:14
  Cognitive scientist John Hattie has identified this as one
• 7:16
  of the most effective strategies that teachers can use to
• 7:19
  promote learning.
• 7:21
  The second suggestion is scaffolding instruction.
• 7:23
  In short,
• 7:25
  scaffolding instruction is about breaking down tasks.
• 7:28
  This approach involves deconstructing complex tasks into
• 7:32
  smaller, more manageable steps,
• 7:34
  allowing students to achieve incremental successes.
• 7:37
  By focusing on a single step at a time,
• 7:40
  learners build competence and competence,
• 7:42
  which prepares them to tackle the entire task.
• 7:45
  Along the way,
• 7:46
  teachers provide support and guidance through hints,
• 7:49
  prompts, and modeling,
• 7:50
  gradually reducing assistance as students become more
• 7:53
  proficient.
• 7:54
  This temporary support system helps learners gain
• 7:57
  independence while ensuring they are not overwhelmed.
• 8:00
  The third suggestion is about feedback and reflection.
• 8:05
  Timely actionable feedback provides constructive
• 8:07
  information that helps learners understand what they are
• 8:10
  doing correctly and where they need improvement.
• 8:13
  Prompt feedback is crucial,
• 8:14
  as it allows students to make adjustments while the
• 8:17
  learning experience is still fresh.
• 8:19
  It can also help students encourage self-assessment.
• 8:23
  Encouraging students to reflect on their work promotes
• 8:25
  metacognition, thinking about their thinking.
• 8:28
  By evaluating their performance,
• 8:30
  students become more aware of their strengths and areas for
• 8:32
  improvement, fostering lifelong learning skills.
• 8:36
  Suggestion four is making additional use of cognitive
• 8:39
  science principles.
• 8:41
  One is the use of spacing.
• 8:43
  What spacing does is it distributes to learning over time
• 8:46
  as opposed to cramming information,
• 8:48
  that approves retention.
• 8:50
  For instance,
• 8:51
  reviewing material at spaced intervals helps reinforce
• 8:54
  memory and prevents forgetting.
• 8:57
  Also help by providing retrieval practice.
• 8:59
  This means giving learners the chance to actively recall
• 9:02
  information that enhances long-term retention.
• 9:06
  Practices like quizzes or practice tests encourage
• 9:08
  retrieval,
• 9:09
  strengthening the neural pathways associated with the
• 9:12
  learning material.
• 9:14
  In addition,
• 9:15
  dual coding combines verbal and visual information supports
• 9:18
  by engaging two cognitive pathways.
• 9:22
  Dual coding is another strategy.
• 9:24
  This combines verbal and visual information supports by
• 9:28
  engaging two cognitive pathways.
• 9:30
  For instance,
• 9:31
  presenting concepts using text and complimentary visuals
• 9:34
  helps students better understand or remember the material
• 9:37
  as they can leverage both the visual imagery and the verbal
• 9:40
  processing.
• 9:42
  What makes this different from the emphasis on learning
• 9:44
  styles is it provides learners more than one way to
• 9:47
  organize information instead of investing planning and
• 9:49
  efforts only in a single approach.
• 9:52
  The multiple learning pathways amplify each other and make
• 9:55
  better connections with each other.
• 9:58
  Collectively,
• 9:58
  these research-based practices create a comprehensive and
• 10:01
  effective learning environment by combining engagement,
• 10:04
  support, assessment, and cognitive insights.
• 10:08
  They address the varied needs of learners,
• 10:09
  providing a more complete and adaptive educational
• 10:12
  experience.
• 10:14
  I hope you found this information of use.
• 10:17
  Thank you for listening.
• 10:18
  I hope you become a regular follower of this podcast
• 10:20
  channel.
• 10:21
  And remember, as a new teacher, we are here to help you.