Learning style, Learning models and

How students learn (Theories of

Learning)
 Objectives
The objective of this session are to;
• Define Learning
• Describe learning series operation
• Define learning strategy and learning styles
• Discuss different learning style and
learning models
• Differentiate auditory, visual and kinesthetic
learners
• Identify your own learning style
 Introduction
• A progressive change in behavior which
is associated with;
 Successive presentation of a situation
 Repeated efforts of the individual to react to it
effectively
• Any relatively permanent change in behavior or
behavior potential that results from experience
or practice (Tuazon, A.J.2005)
• The acquisition of knowledge, attitudes,
habits and skills
 Learning
• The mental activity by means of which
knowledge, skills, attitudes, appreciations, and
ideas are required, resulting in the modifications
of behavior.
• The addition of new knowledge and
experience interpreted in the light of past
knowledge and experience.
• An individual‟s attempt to overcome some
barriers to adjust themselves to new situation
 Learning
• A quantitative increase in knowledge: acquiring
formation or „knowing a lot‟.
• Memorizing: storing information that can be
reproduced.
• Acquiring facts, skills, and methods that can be
retained and used as necessary.
• Making sense or abstracting meaning: relating parts
of the subject matter to each other and to the real
world.
• Interpreting and understanding reality in different
way: comprehending the world by reinterpreting
knowledge. ( quoted in Ramsden 1992: 26)
 Learning Series Operations
• Learning involves series of operations
which includes.
-Observations, Description, Analysis, Validation
and Evaluation
• Observation
- Noting details
- Attending seeing what is going on in the courses of a
experience, an event, a situation.
• Description
- Recalling and verbalizing what went of telling it to
someone.
- Writing it down.
 Learning Series Operations
• Analysis:
– Identifying possible and significant meaning
– Abstracting the essence from a variety of details
– Comparing and noting similarities and dissimilarities
• Validation:
– Checking the meaning and
– The inferences derived by the leaner with other,
readings etc
– To see if there is agreement and
• Evaluation:
– Testing the learning products though usage
 Learning Strategies
• Rules, principles, and procedures used to facilitate
learning, frequently applicable to a variety of specific
learning tasks ([Link])
• The specific action taken by the learner to make learning
easier, faster, more enjoyable , more self-directed, more
effective, and more transferrable to new situations
( Oxford 1990)
• Behavior and thoughts that a learner engages in during
learning and that are intended to influence the
learner's encoding process ( Weinstein and Mayer in
Wittrock 1986)
 Types of learning strategy
• A group of American researchers has
suggested five types of learning strategy.
Networkers:
• Engage in lots of discussion and debate
with other student.
• Interaction with student and lecturers is the
key to learning for this group.
• They excel in brainstorming sessions,
network and discussion of opposing or
different viewpoints.
 Types of learning strategy

Navigators: tends to Monitors: tends to;

• locate & use the best • make learning plans, check
information to see if they are on task
• plan a course for their and compare their progress
studies and stick to to their learning plan
it. • Avoid distractions and set
• structure or process time aside for learning.
information so that it can • Rely on recommended
be better stored and learning resources, books
retrieved. etc. rather than
• be the student with the discussion with fellow
highest grade point students
average- According to
researchers
 Types of learning strategy

Critical Thinkers Engagers:

• Use mental images and • Love to learn.
memories to facilitate problem • Use lists to help memorization.
solving. • Do best when they are actively
• They like opportunities for engaged in a meaningful way
individuality and creativity in with the material and therefore
assignments , as well as excel on projects based on
opportunities for hands-on their individual interests.
learning and experimentation. • Do well on group projects,
• They place relatively little particularly when the group
emphasis on memorization and dynamics reinforce the learning
do better on open-ended strategy of reward/enjoyment
questions and problem-solving these people thrive on.
activities than answering factual
questions.
 Learning Styles

(also called “orientations” or

“approaches” to learning)
 Learning Style
• A student‟s consistent way of responding to and
using stimuli in the context of learning .
• Composite of characteristic cognitive, affective and
physiological factor that serve as relatively stable
indicators of how a learner perceives, interacts with, and
responds to the learning environment (Keefe, 1979)
• Educational condition under which a student is most
likely to learn ( Stewart & Felicetii, 1992)
• Thus learning styles are not really concerned with
- What learner learn, but rather
- How they prefer to learn
• The way in which each individual learner begins to
concentrate on, process, absorb and retain new and
difficult information.
 Learning Style

• Your learning style have more influence than

you may realize
• Your preferred styles guide the way you
learn
• They also change
– The way you internally represent experiences
– The way you recall information
– The words you choose
 Discovering Your Own Learning Style
• Think about your favorite class in high school
or college so far. What do they have in
common?
• Did you like…
– Memorizing fact?
– Discussion? Or working or your own?
– Lecture? Or pairing or grouping?
– Hand on activities?
• Do some self-analysis (called Metacognition) How do
you think you learn?
 Learning Styles
• Information enters your brain three
main ways: Sight, hearing and
touch.
• Which one you use the most is
called your learning style.
• Visual Learner: Learn by
sight
• Auditory Learner: Learn by
hearing
• Tactile Learners: ( Kinesthetic)
learn by touch
 Visual Learners
• Prefer to see information such as
pictures, diagrams, cartoons,
demonstrations.
• Picture words and concepts they
hear as images.
• Easily distracted in lecture with no
visual aids.
• Overwhelmed with intense visual
accompanied by lecture.
• Benefit from using charts, maps, notes
and flash cards when studying.
Let me see it!
 Visual learners
• Take numerous detailed notes
• Tend to sit in the front
• Are usually neat and clean
• Often close their eyes to visualize or remembering
something
• Find something to watch if they are bored
• Like to see what they are learning
• Benefit from illustrations and presentations that
use color
• Are attracted to written are spoken language rich in
imagery
• Prefer stimuli to be isolated from auditory and kinesthetic
distraction
• Find passive surrounding ideal
 Auditory Learners

• Prefer to hear information spoken

• Can absorb a lecture with little effort
• May not need careful notes to learn
• Often avoid eye contact in order to
concentrate
• May read aloud to themselves
• Like background music when they study
 Auditory Learners
•Sit where they can hear but
need not pay attention to
what is happening in front.
• May not coordinate colors
or clothes, but can explain
– Why they are wearing
– What they are wearing and
why
• Hum or talk to themselves
or others when bored.
• Acquire knowledge by
reading aloud.
 Tactile or Kinesthetic Learning
•Prefer touch as their primary
mode for taking in information.
•In traditional lecture situations,
they should write out important facts.
•Create study sheets connected
to vivid examples.
•Role-plying can help them learn
and remember important ideas.

Let me
touch i t !
 Kinesthetic Learning
• Need to be active and take frequent breaks.
• Speak with their hands and with gestures.
• Remember what was done, but have difficulty recalling what was
said or seen.
• Find reasons to tinker or move when bored.
• Rely on what they can directly experience or perform.
• Activities such as cooking, construction, engineering and art help
them perceive and learn.
• Enjoy field trips and tasks that involves manipulating materials.
• Sit near the door or someplace else where they can easily get up and
move around.
• Uncomfortable in classrooms where they lack opportunities for
hands-on experience.
• Communicate by touching and appreciate physically
expressed encouragement, such as a pat on the back.
Learning styles
 Teaching
Adults
• More effective retention given more than
one training method
1. Reading 10%
2. Hearing 20%
3. Seeing 30%
4. Seeing and hearing 50%
5. Talking an writing 70%
6. Doing 90%
 The Seven Learning Styles
• Visual (spatial): Prefer using pictures, images and spatial understanding.

• Aural (auditory-musical): Prefer using sound and music.

• Verbal (linguistic): Prefer using words, both in speech and writing.

• Physical (kinesthetic): Prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.

• Logical (mathematical): Prefer using logic, reasoning and system.

• Social (interpersonal): Prefer to learn in group in or with other people.

• Solitary (interpersonal): Prefer to work alone and use self-study.

(Howard Gardner in
1983)
 The Seven Learning Styles
• Research shows that each learning style
uses different parts of brain.
• By involving more of the brain during
learning, we remember more of what we
learn.
• Researchers using brain-imaging
technologies have been able to find out the
key areas of the brain responsible for each
learning style.
Keys areas of the brain responsible for each
learning style
• Visual: The occipital lobes at the back of the brain manage the visual
scene. Both the occipital and parietal lobes manage special orientation.
• Aural: The temporal lobes handle the aural content. The right temporal
content is important for music.
• Verbal: The temporal and frontal lobes, specially two specialized areas called
Broca's and Wernicke's areas ( in the left hemisphere of these two lobes)
• Physical: The cerebellum and the motor cortex (at the back of the frontal
lobes) handle much of our physical movement.
• Logical: The parietal lobes, especially the left side, drive our logical thinking
• Social: The frontal and temporal lobes handle much of our social activities.
The limbic system (not shown apart from the hippocampus) also influence
both the social and solitary style. The limbic system has a lot to do with the
emotions, moods and aggression.
• Solitary: The frontal and parietal lobes, and the limbic system are also
active with this style
 Five Question to assess learning style
1. What type of information does the student
preferentially perceive: Sensory,
Intuitive
2. Through which sensory channel is external
information most effectively perceive: Visual,
Auditory, Touch
3. With which organization of information is the student
most confortable; Inductive, Deductive
4. How does the student prefer to process information;
Actively, Reflectively
5. How does the student progress toward
 Different Teaching Style
Are they compatible with your learning style?

• Lecture-teacher talks all period

• Group discussion-teacher talks but encourages discussion
• Small groups-teacher aids (facilitates) group interaction
• Visual focus-teacher uses lots of visual aids
• Verbal focus-words, words and more words
• Logical sequence-teacher presents materials in step by step,
responsible format
• Random sequence-teacher jumps all over the place

Really important- be adaptable!

Kolb's Learning Style
 Kolb Learning Style
Divergers Assimilators
Facilitator/Motivator “Theoretical/Basic
• Generates ideas Scientist”
• Work well with people • Theoretical
• Shear idea interests
• Very involved with • Combine diverse
learning ideas
• Ask: “Why? or Why • Create models
not?” • Analytical/
Inductive
• Ask; “What do I have
 Kolb Learning Styles
Convergers Accommodators
“Applied Scientist”
“Practitioner”
• Want concrete answers • Take risks
• Prefer to work with things • Focus on doing
vs. people • Adapt well to change
• Like hand-on experience • Like new experiences
• Want answers quickly • Integrate application
• Asks: “How does this with experience
work?” • Ask: “What will this
becomes?”
Learning Style And Preferred
Learning Situations
Concrete Experience (CE) Abstract Conceptualization
• Games, role plays (AC)
• Peer feedback and • Theory readings
discussion • Studying alone
• Clear well-structured
presentations
Reflective
Observation( RO)
• Lectures Active Experimentation (AE)
• Observers role • Small group discussion
• Objective test of • Individualized projects
one‟s • Practice and
knowledge receive feedback
Learning Models
 What is model?
• Schematic representation of some aspects of
reality.
• A basic structure developed to organized a
number of concepts that are focused on a
particular set of questions (O‟ Toole,
2003)
• A model can come in many shapes, sizes
and styles.
• In general all modes have an information input,
an information processor and output of expected
results.
 Active Learning Model
• This model suggest that all learning activities
involve some kind of experience or some
kind of dialogue.
• The two main kinds of dialogues are;
– Dialogue with self
– Dialogue with others
• The two main kinds of experience are;
– “Observing”
– “Doing”
Active Learning
 Dialogue with Self
• A learner think reflectively about a topic i.e
– What they think or should think
– What they feel about the topic etc
• “Thinking about my own thinking,” but it address
broader array of questions than just cognitive
concerns.
• A teacher can ask a student on a small scale, to keep
a journal for a course or, on a large scale, to develop
a learning portfolio.
• In either case, students could write about;
– What they are learning and how they are learning,
– What role this knowledge or learning plays in their own
life,
 Dialogue with Others
• This can and does come in may forms.
• The dialogue might be done in live, in writing, or by
email.
• The students read a textbook or listen to a lecture, they
are “listening to” another person ( Teacher, book author)
viewed as “partial dialogue‟ -no back-and-forth exchange
• Teacher create an intense small group discussion on a
topic-dynamic and active form of dialogue
• Teacher find creative way to involve students in dialogue
situations with people other than students (i.e.
practitioners, experts) either in class or outside of class.
 Observing
• Watches or listens to someone else “Doing” something
that is related to what they are learning about e.g.
– Observing one‟s teacher do something (e.g. “ this is how I
critique a novel”)
– Listening to the other professionals perform (e.g.,
musicians)
or
– Observing the phenomena being studied ( natural, social
or cultural)
• Observing may be “direct” or “vicarious”
– Direct-observation the learner is observing the real action
directly
– Vicarious/indirect observation- observing a simulation of
 Doing
• The learner actually does something:
– Design a reservoir dam (engineering)
– Conduct a high school band (music education)
– Design and/or conduct an experiment (natural and sciences)
– Critiques an argument or piece of writing ( the humanities)
– Investigate local historical resources (history)
– Make an oral presentation (communication) etc
• “Doing” may be direct or explicit
• Case studies, role-playing and simulation activities
offer ways of vicariously engaging students in the
“Doing” process.
Experiential Learning Model
Key steps of the experimental learning
model
Having the learners (s);
• Experience the activity-perform or do it
• Share the experience by describing what happened
• Process the experience to identify common themes
• Generalize from the experience to form principle
or guidelines that can be used in real-life situations
(i.e life skills);
• Apply what was learned to another situation