Theory Review by Donna Turner

Theory Review by Donna Turner

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Donna Turner

Main Theoretical Points

            Learning styles have changed in how they have been defined over the years. Learning styles were once a one size fits all description for learning but now it has evolved to differentiation (Adkins, D., & Guerreiro, M., 2017). There are conflicting ideas about learning styles. Some beliefs are that earning styles are biologically imposed and fixed, the are preferences on how to take in information, features of a cognitive structure, or that they are based on previous experiences and influences. However one defines learning styles, they require an adaptation of instruction and assessment as students who were able to identify their learning styles were able to make better adjustments to facilitate learning as well that achievement in classrooms rise when instruction is based on their learning style (Adkins, D., & Guerreiro, M., 2017).

 However, even though the definition of learning styles has changed, it still has not been accounted for in assessments as learning styles research has been more focused on the teaching aspects in classrooms. If learning assessments would have more items connected with a specific learning style, then testing would be better as it would give teachers and school districts greater and more accurate information about the performance of their students. More traditional test questions, such as multiple choice and text based questions, restrict the number of items that can be matched to a learning style “but technology enhanced items (TEI) could allow for broader spectrum of matching” (Adkins, D., & Guerreiro, M., 2017). TEIs are defined as “computer delivered items that include specialized interactions for collecting response data” which includes, highlighting texts, marking videos segments, drag and drops, and other interactive components (Adkins, D., & Guerreiro, M., 2017). TEIs will provide options for active participation and they also log the processes students used to solve the problems on screen which will therefore allow teachers to assess a greater depth of knowledge. One issue with TEIs is that they are very costly to make. Because of their cost, the authors believed that the best learning style to pair with TEIs would be Felder and Silverman who classified earning styles as sensing/intuition, visual/auditory, inductive/deductive, active/reflective, and sequential/global since those can be controlled in a computer adaptive testing environment (Adkins, D., & Guerreiro, M., 2017). The positive aspects of TEIs are that it will engage students, it is a better means for students to demonstrate their abilities, informs teachers of the diversity in their classrooms and help them change their instruction if needed, and provides insights of strengths and weaknesses of both the individual and the group.

Learning is not strictly in the classroom anymore. E-learning is becoming more popular as technology grows due to it being ideal for multimedia approaches and for the most part, it is accessible anywhere in the world (Cela, K., Sicilia, M.-Á., & Sánchez-Alonso, S., 2015). How individuals interact online influences conversations and the access to knowledge. The Social Network Analysis concluded that communications factors and the interaction of learning in an online course is based on pre-existing relationships as they influence the social network of learners. The question is do learning styles influence social networks in an e-learning class? The Felder and Silverman model was used for this experiment as well as it is based on how a learner processes, perceives, presents, and understands information (Cela, K., Sicilia, M.-Á., & Sánchez-Alonso, S., 2015). The results were that active learners are more likely than reflective learners to occupy central and powerful positions in e-learning while the reflective learner tends to communicate with others. This is unfortunate for online classes whose main grades are discussion forums and participation. The interesting prospect the authors of “Influence of learning styles on social structures in online learning environments” brought up is that professors should not include forum discussions in their grades or final course assessments as it is a disadvantage for reflective learners though they also mentioned that research is needed to try and get reflective learners to inverse their social behavior in an e-learning environment (Cela, K., Sicilia, M.-Á., & Sánchez-Alonso, S., 2015).

The next theoretical point concerns students dropping out of school. Some reasons for this is the poor relationships between students and teachers, schools not taking into account special needs and situations, but the reason emphasized here is content not being adapted to students (Boström, L., 2011). If a teacher will think about the way they think and learn, they might realize that they teach in the same manner. This does not work for every student as each student might have a different way in which they may learn. Therefore, if a teacher is only teaching in one style, then they are only teaching to part of their classroom leaving the rest to fend for themselves. Teachers should not let their own traits effect educational planning and need to be aware of their own and their students’ differences so that then they can focus on individualism, inclusion, and education for all (Boström, L., 2011). This may come as a difficulty to some teachers though as they are used to teaching one style and may not understand other styles of teaching. This is when working with other teachers come into play as well as pushing oneself.

One interesting aspect of learning styles is that some believe that it is a myth. One article stated there is no evidence to support that teaching according to one’s learning style(s) will improve learning (Miah, M., Newton, P., 2017). In the United Kingdom, 93% of schoolteachers stated that they believed students learn better when taught according to their learning styles, 76% use learning styles in their classroom, and 64% of teachers in the United States agreed that learning styles enhance learning. In higher education in the United Kingdom though, 58% believed in learning styles, only 33% used them, but 90% believed that learning styles was conceptually flawed (Miah, M., Newton, P., 2017). By conceptually flawed, it is the theory that it is not possible to teach some subjects using only one styles or that some styles are not appropriate for certain subjects such as using audio to teach students how to recognize skin rashes. There are harms when it comes to using learning styles in the classroom which are that one who identifies with one learning style may shy away from activities that are connected to other learning styles or become overconfident in their learning style, schools are “wasting resources on ineffective methods, undermining the credibility of education research and practice” and creating unrealistic expectations of teachers (Miah, M., Newton, P., 2017). So, if learning style is believed to be a myth, why do teachers still use them in the classroom? The author’s answer, the need to use a diverse range of teaching methods (Miah, M., Newton, P., 2017).

Applications

            How can this be used in the classrooms? When making assessments for students, try and be creative to include many learning styles. This will create more work on the teacher’s part but could lead to more accurate results of the students’ knowledge. When making discussion part of the classroom, take into consideration those who are not comfortable speaking in front of others or who made take longer to process the information. When teaching, reflect on it. Reflect to see if you are teaching in the way you learn or in the way your students learn. This can also be a classroom discussion between you and your students to better the classroom.

Reflections:

Highlights

            When reviewing assessments, especially state ones, take into consideration that one is not getting the big picture of a student’s potential. The student may know more than what the test applies but because the test is not adaptive to the way they learn, they were not able to do their best. Online course are difficult for many reasons including increase responsibility on the student, but it is even more difficult for reflective learners than active ones. Reflective learners do not interact as much so for classes who are discussion based, it is an ill fit for them until research is done on how to get them more involved. Some people believe that learning styles are a myth and that they do not really help enhance learning and that teachers only contemplate the idea because they are required to have multiple teaching methods in the classroom.

Process

                        To start off this project, I used the university libraries and searched learning styles cross-referenced with scholarly and peer-reviewed articles. I picked articles with titles that looked interesting and focused on the applications of learning styles within the classroom. When researching articles, it is best to already have a direction of where you are going but for this, I figured out my direction after I started reading the first few articles I found. One of the articles I found did not exactly match with the rest, but I thought it was too interesting to not include. The best tip anyone can give when doing a paper like this is not to wait till the last minute to do the research and paper. As well, make sure you know how to post to your blog before the night of.

	Main theoretical points	Summary of how to apply main theoretical points in practice
Idea 1	Learning styles and assessments	When assessing, have multiple formats of questions so that multiple learning styles are presented, and a more accurate result could be presented.
Idea 2	How learning styles affect the e-learning environment	Reflective learners will not engage as much in discussions as active learners. Have other assignments that are more for reflective learners so that discussions are not their only way to get grades.
Idea 3	How teachers learn affects how they teach which in turn affects how students learn	Think on how you teach and if you teach based on how you learn or how your students learn. Talk with your students.
Idea 4	Is learning styles a myth?	This is up to the teacher. Some believe that it is a myth with no evidence to support it while others believe it enhances learning.

Adkins, D., & Guerreiro, M. (2017). Learning styles: Considerations for technology enhanced item design. British Journal of Educational Technology, 49(3), 574–583. doi: 10.1111/bjet.12556

Boström, L. (2011). Students’ learning styles compared with their teachers’ learning styles in upper secondary school – a mismatched combination. Education Inquiry, 2(3), 475–495. doi: 10.3402/edui.v2i3.21995

Cela, K., Sicilia, M.-Á., & Sánchez-Alonso, S. (2015). Influence of learning styles on social structures in online learning environments. British Journal of Educational Technology, 47(6), 1065–1082. doi: 10.1111/bjet.12267

Yang, T.-C., Hwang, G.-J., & Yang, S. J.-H. (2013). Development of an adaptive learning system with multiple perspectives based on students' learning styles and cognitive styles. Educational Technology & Society, 16 (4), 185–200.

Miah, M., Newton, P. (2017). Evidence-Based Higher Education – Is the Learning Styles ‘Myth’ Important?. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 444. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00444