Instructional Principle: Children differ in their preferred styles of learning. Many children seem to learn much more effectively when they are able to use a compatible learning style than when they are forced to employ a different style.
Although research agrees that there are differences in learning styles, researchers have not yet agreed on what these learning styles are, how to measure them, or how to label them. Some good discussions of learning styles can be found in Davidman (1981), Shuell (1986), and Dunn and Dunn (1987). Occasionally overlapping with the concept of learning styles is the concept of learning disabilities, which often refers to a severe deficiency in a particular learning style. Many students with learning disabilities learn much more effectively through one modality or one approach to instruction than through another.
One of the major strengths of the computer is that it can present the same information in many different ways. A student who likes an exciting, rapid-fire drill can often find one on the computer. That student's best friend might prefer a calm, slow-paced mode of presentation; and there's often a computer program to accommodate that child's learning style. Research suggests that many students can learn through several presentation modes. When they meet a new teacher or start a new unit of instruction, they adapt to match their learning style to the current teaching style. Some students, however, experience severe difficulties when forced to work within certain learning modes, and they can learn much better if they can simply employ a different style. When learning styles are a critical factor, there may be no need to insist that all students run the same computer programs. It may be better to make available several programs designed to teach the same objectives, and let students choose the program that suits them best.
Learning styles are not "good" or "bad." They come close to being personality characteristics. Serious conflicts may arise when a teacher employs a style that is not compatible with a student's. The computer may offer a way out of this dilemma. A wise teacher may be able to find supplementary programs that teach through a delivery method other than her own. When students have problems, she can analyze the situation to determine whether the problem is really with the subject matter or with the mode of presentation. If the problem is with the delivery, then a computer program employing a different learning style may solve the problem more effectively than a repeated explanation mismatched to the student's learning style.
Learning Styles
Learning Styles & Multiple
Intelligence
http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm
This page provides an explanation of what learning styles and multiple intelligence are all about, an interactive assessment of your learning style/MI, and practical tips to make your learning style work for you.
Click here to continue with next topic (classroom management).
Click here to return to list of topics.