Week 3 Learning Journal

Points to Ponder:

I am a bit overwhelmed by all these theories concerning learning this week.  Some I am familiar with and some are new.  Our discussion this week focused on personal learning preferences, as if there is only one.  Just as there are multiple intelligences, I think there are multiple learning styles that one uses to accomplish the goal of processing information. 

Ruminations:

Wlodkawski (2008) asks us to understand intelligence as the ability to solve problems or create a product valued by one’s culture or community.  His point is that context has to be considered when discussing intellect.  Multiple intelligences make sense to me.  I have various intellects and I am smarter in some areas than others, yet I still have the ability to tap into particular areas of intellect to help me solve problems or gain understanding. 

The same must be true for learning styles.  I don’t have one preferred learning style; I have multiple learning styles.  Some work better for me than others and sometimes I choose a particular learning style because it is more appropriate or useful for the context.

Lujan and DiCarlo (2005) used the VARK questionnaire to determine student’s learning mode preference and found that 63% preferred multiple modes of delivery.  Only 1/3 of these students preferred one mode of learning.  So, does that mean most people have the ability to learn in multiple ways?  Solvie and Kloek (2007) did a study on using technology to engage students with multiple learning styles.  They used the constructivist learning theory and Kolb’s cognitive learning style model to design a course of instruction.  This is a fascinating article, but one of the most interesting finding has to do with achievement and learning styles:

  • Those in the high-achieving group had scores indicating that they did not have strong learning style preferences (mean scores = 3.316, 2.684, 3.737, 2.263,  respectively)

 • Those in the average achievement group had scores indicating that they had slight learning style preference

(mean scores = 4.750, 1.250, 4.625, 1.375, respectively)

 • Those in the low-achieving group had scores indicating that they had the strongest learning style preferences (mean scores = 5, 1, 5, 1, respectively)

(Solvie and Kloek, 2007)

This is significant.  High achieving people are able to learn in multiple ways, while low-achieving people are too rigid in their learning preference to excel!  This has huge implications on educators.  Jones,Reichard, and Mokhtari (2003) refer to this ability to learn in multiple styles as style-flexing based on research from Kolb’s four learning styles: diverger, converger, assimilator and accommodator.  They found that 81% of students studied use more than one learning style to process knowledge and were able to switch learning styles depending on the discipline.  Although their work does consider student achievement, they did not evaluate achievement based on ability to style-flex.

So, apparently, I am right.  People do have multiple learning styles.  This would be an interesting area to explore even more.  It would seem that adult educators would have a goal to help students learn to style-flex.  Or, is that teachable?  Is style-flexing innate ability?  Is there are relationship to intellect as indicated in the article by Slovie and Kloek (2007)?  All the more reason an instructor should incorporate strategies with various learning styles in mind, but not because it will appeal to different people, but because it will appeal to individual people who learn in multiple ways.

Jones, C. ; Reichard, C.; Mokhtari, K, (2003).  Are Student’s Learning Styles Specific?  Community College Journal of Research and Practice vol 27, pp.  363-375.  Retrieved from http://metawiki-onlinelearning-brockport.pbworks.com/f/jonesetal.pdf  on November 4, 2012.

Lujan, H. and DiCarlo, S. (2005).  First-year medical students prefer multiple learning styles.  Advances in Physiology Education, vol 30, no 1, pp. 13-16.  Retrieved from http://advan.physiology.org/content/30/1/13.full.pdf+html on November 4, 2012.

Solvie, P. & Kloek, M. (2007). Using Technology Tools to Engage Students with Multiple Learning Styles in a Constructivist Learning Environment. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 7(2), 7-27. AACE.  Retrieved from http://www.editlib.org/f/22811 on November 4, 2012. 

Wlodkowski, R. 2008.  Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn.  Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.  Chapter 7.