Comments on: Learning styles gets academic attention http://TeachEffectively.com/2009/12/16/learning-styles-gets-academic-attention/ Evidence-based teaching methods for helping students who are at risk for school failure or who have disabilities. Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:30:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Sue J http://TeachEffectively.com/2009/12/16/learning-styles-gets-academic-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-69087 Sue J Wed, 06 Jan 2010 23:15:44 +0000 http://TeachEffectively.com/?p=1102#comment-69087 Hmmm... I'll look around, but most research isn't that focused on a single factor - people put together 'first year experience' programs, and that sort of thing. However, can you provide evidence showing that undifferentiated studying benefits learners' performance or outcomes? What might be more useful would be indications that yes, honestly, it's best to teach art visually (even if Yours Truly has to recite the Rules of Composition to apply them)... and algebra... ??? Hmmm… I’ll look around, but most research isn’t that focused on a single factor – people put together ‘first year experience’ programs, and that sort of thing.
However, can you provide evidence showing that undifferentiated studying benefits learners’ performance or outcomes?
What might be more useful would be indications that yes, honestly, it’s best to teach art visually (even if Yours Truly has to recite the Rules of Composition to apply them)… and algebra… ???

]]> By: JohnL http://TeachEffectively.com/2009/12/16/learning-styles-gets-academic-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-69080 JohnL Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:17:15 +0000 http://TeachEffectively.com/?p=1102#comment-69080 Sue, thanks for the comment and question. I have not seen any studies of 'differentiated studying.' Are there reports of success when using such an approach? They may exist, and I've simply overlooked them, but absent evidence showing that 'differentiated studying' benefits learners' performance or outcomes, I'm not buying it. Sue, thanks for the comment and question. I have not seen any studies of ‘differentiated studying.’ Are there reports of success when using such an approach? They may exist, and I’ve simply overlooked them, but absent evidence showing that ‘differentiated studying’ benefits learners’ performance or outcomes, I’m not buying it.

]]> By: Sue J http://TeachEffectively.com/2009/12/16/learning-styles-gets-academic-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-69079 Sue J Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:04:34 +0000 http://TeachEffectively.com/?p=1102#comment-69079 Where do you folks stand on "differentiated studying" at the postsecondary level? There is much time and effort given to having students evaluate their learning styles and then showing them study strategies that emphasize this (so Auditory Amy will read things to herself and Visual Vinny will draw pictures or invent images). Do y'all think success is simply because of the ownership factor? Where do you folks stand on “differentiated studying” at the postsecondary level? There is much time and effort given to having students evaluate their learning styles and then showing them study strategies that emphasize this (so Auditory Amy will read things to herself and Visual Vinny will draw pictures or invent images). Do y’all think success is simply because of the ownership factor?

]]> By: JohnL http://TeachEffectively.com/2009/12/16/learning-styles-gets-academic-attention/comment-page-1/#comment-69059 JohnL Sun, 20 Dec 2009 14:26:58 +0000 http://TeachEffectively.com/?p=1102#comment-69059 Foo and Robert, thanks for the comments. The topic of learning styles is, as you noted, widely spread and, well, peeving. It might be fun to assemble a list of places that document their understanding of the scientific basis of the idea. Perhaps, Robert, your FB page will solicit some sources. Of course, Dan Willingham's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIv9rz2NTUk" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">video</a> would be an entry on that list. Dan has a <a href="http://www.danielwillingham.com/learningstylescitationspage" rel="nofollow">list of readings</a> on his personal site that are relevant, too. (Note however, that there appears to be a problem with that page at the time of this writing; I'm sure he'll get it fixed.) Meanwhile, although I find the learning styles argument to be essentially useless, I do not yet want to discount the potential value of examining aptitude-treatment interactions. I suspect that there are some potentially valuable lessons to be learned studying them. Foo and Robert, thanks for the comments. The topic of learning styles is, as you noted, widely spread and, well, peeving.

It might be fun to assemble a list of places that document their understanding of the scientific basis of the idea. Perhaps, Robert, your FB page will solicit some sources. Of course, Dan Willingham’s video would be an entry on that list. Dan has a list of readings on his personal site that are relevant, too. (Note however, that there appears to be a problem with that page at the time of this writing; I’m sure he’ll get it fixed.)

Meanwhile, although I find the learning styles argument to be essentially useless, I do not yet want to discount the potential value of examining aptitude-treatment interactions. I suspect that there are some potentially valuable lessons to be learned studying them.

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