Learning

Styles

Introduction
The term "learning style" refers to an individual's preferred method for approaching learning and gaining knowledge.
An individuals learning style refers to the preferential way in which the student absorbs, processes, comprehends and
retains information. For example, when learning how to build a clock, some students understand the process by
following verbal instructions, while others have to physically manipulate the clock. This belief of individualized learning
styles has gained widespread recognition in education theory and classroom management strategy. Individual learning
styles depend on cognitive, emotional and environmental factors, as well as prior experience. It is important for
educators to understand the differences in their students learning styles, so that they can implement best practice
strategies into their daily activities, curriculum and assessments.

Importance
As an educator, it is important to have an understanding of the different learning styles in order to afford students a
variety of ways to learn and acquire information.By considering students learning styles, one can make the most of
their opportunities to share knowledge and experiences, and can adapt learning situations to best match the
preferences or strengths of the students. Individuals have a range of strengths and preferences for how they receive
and interpret information and usually no-one person has one exclusive style or preference.

Theories
Research has explored the impact of individual learning styles recognising that people may vary in their response to
learning opportunities and how they learn (Kolb, 1984; Honey & Mumford, 1992). Many models and theories have
been proposed to better understand the process and dynamics of learning.
The three learning theories or models discussed in this presentation are:
1.

Rose (1985)

2.

Honey and Mumford (1996)

3.

Gardner (1993)

Colin Rose (1985)

Colin Rose founded Accelerated Learning Systems Ltd in 1985. He developed many of the Accelerated Learning
techniques and pioneered how to apply the method for students, teachers and language learners. The Accelerated
Learning Method is based on research about how the brain works. We each have a preferred learning style a way
of learning that suits us best. If you know and use the techniques that match your preferred way of learning, you learn
more naturally. (Colin Rose, 1985)
The VAK model, as it is commonly known, identifies three dominant or preferred learning styles in people. These are
Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic.

The VAK model

Teaching and Learning using the

VAK model
Visual Learners
Some students rely upon a visual learning style: "Show me and I'll understand." Visual learners benefit from diagrams,
charts, pictures, films, and written directions. These students will value to-do lists, assignment logs, and written notes.
Many of these techniques, however, also benefit kinesthetic learners.
Auditory Learners
Auditory learners tend to benefit most from traditional teaching techniques. Many teachers use a lecture-style forum,
presenting information by talking to their students. Regulating voice tone and body language will help all students
maintain interest and attention. Auditory learners succeed when directions are read aloud, speeches are required, or
information is presented and requested verbally.

Teaching and Learning using the

VAK model
Kinesthetic Learners
Most of the school population excels through kinesthetic means: touching, feeling, experiencing the material at hand.
"Children enter kindergarten as kinesthetic and tactile learners, moving and touching everything as they learn. By
second or third grade, some students have become visual learners. During the late elementary years some students,
primarily females, become auditory learners. Yet, many adults, especially males, maintain kinesthetic and tactile
strengths throughout their lives."(Teaching Secondary Students Through Their Individual Learning Styles, Rita Stafford
and Kenneth J. Dunn; Allyn and Bacon, 1993)
Kinesthetic learners are most successful when totally engaged with the learning activity. They acquire information
fastest when participating in a science lab, drama presentation, skit, field trip, dance, or other active activity. Hands-on
teaching techniques are gaining recognition because they address the challenging needs of kinesthetic learners, as

Honey and Mumford (1996)

Another theory of learning styles was developed by Peter Honey and Alan Mumford, based upon the work of David
Kolb. They identified four distinct learning styles or preferences: Activist, Theorist, Pragmatist and Reflector. These are
the learning approaches that individuals naturally prefer and they recommend that in order to maximise their own
personal learning each learner ought to:

understand their learning style

seek out opportunities to learn using that style

David Kolb
In order to understand the works of Honey and Mumford, one must understand the idea of David Kolb. David Kolb
published his learning styles model in 1984 from which he developed his learning style inventory. Kolb's experiential
learning theory works on two levels: a four stage cycle of learning and four separate learning styles. Much of Kolbs
theory is concerned with the learners internal cognitive processes. Kolb states that learning involves the acquisition of
abstract concepts that can be applied flexibly in a range of situations. In Kolbs theory, the impetus for the
development of new concepts is provided by new experiences.
Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience (Kolb, 1984, p. 38).

Kolbs Learning Styles

Concrete Experience
(doing or having an experience)
Active
Experimentation

Reflective
Observation
(reviewing or reflecting
on the experience)

(planning or trying out

what you have learnt)

Abstract Conceptualization
(concluding or learning from the experience)

Honey and Mumfords Learning Styles

On this basis, is where Honey and Mumford developed their theory on learning styles.
Learning Style

Attributes

Activities

Activist

Activists are those people who learn by doing. Activists

need to get their hands dirty. Have an open-minded
approach to learning, involving themselves fully and
without bias in new experiences.

brainstorming, problem solving, group

discussion, puzzles, competitions, role-play

Pragmatist

These people need to be able to see how to put the learning

into practice in the real world. Abstract concepts and
games are of limited use unless they can see a way to put
the ideas into action in their lives. Experimenters, trying
out new ideas, theories and techniques to see if they work.

time to think about how to apply learning in

reality, case studies, problem solving,
discussion

Reflector

These people learn by observing and thinking about what

happened. Prefer to stand back and view experiences from
a number of different perspectives, collecting data and
taking the time to work towards an appropriate conclusion.

paired discussions, self analysis

questionnaires, personality questionnaires,
timeout, observing activities, feedback from
others, coaching, interviews

Theorist

These learners like to understand the theory behind the

actions. They need models, concepts and facts in order to
engage in the learning process. Prefer to analyse and
synthesise, drawing new information into a systematic and
logical 'theory'.

models, statistics, stories, quotes,

background information, applying theories

Honey and Mumfords Learning

Styles

Teaching and Learning with Honey

and Mumfords model
Activists learn best from:
student-centred teaching methods such as task groups, role play, games
unstructured activities which give them the opportunity to take a lead
Reflectors learn best from:
any activities which enable them to observe and think things over. They are usually happy to listen to lectures and watch
demonstrations.
individual or group tasks which involve collection and research of data.
group discussions and case studies.
Theorists learn best from:
structured learning activities which follow a logical sequence
lectures, demonstrations, well prepared coaching and precision teaching

Pragmatists learn best from:

practical demonstrations, coaching simulations, work experience, project work
any practical activity which provides the opportunity to try out what has been learnt
group or individual activities which involve action planning and project work

Howard Gardner (1993)

In 1993, Howard Gardner, a professor at Harvard University, developed a theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner
believes that "there is persuasive evidence for the existence of several relatively autonomous human intellectual
competencies that can be fashioned and combined in a multiplicity of adaptive ways by individuals and cultures"
(Gardner, pp. 8-9). The original seven forms of intelligence are Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Spatial, Musical,
Body-Kinesthetic, Social (interpersonal; empathy and learning in groups), Self (intrapersonal; independent study and
introspection). He has also added Naturalistic (interest in ecology and large systems, develop patterns before details)
and Existential. He claims that all humans possess all of these intelligences in varying degrees which represent a
pattern of intelligences.

Multiple Intelligences

Teaching and Learning through

Multiple Intelligences
There are numerous ways to express oneself, and there are even more ways to gain knowledge and understanding.
According to the theory of multiple intelligences, individuals are of deep understanding and mastery in the most
profound areas of human experience. Even long before the theory emerged and was named in 1983 by Howard
Gardner, numerous teachers fostered the intelligences of their students. There are writers, actors, sports personalities
and others in the classroom and teachers have been trying to explore these various personalities.
Key principles of multiple intelligences (M.I.) theory to guide curriculum structure and lesson planning include the
following:

It is important to teach subject matter through a variety of activities and projects. To this end, fill the classroom
with rich and engaging activities that evoke a range of intelligences. Also, encourage students to work
collaboratively as well as individually to support both their "interpersonal" and "intrapersonal" intelligences.

Assessments should be integrated into learning and students need to play an active role in their assessment.
When a student helps determine and clarify the goals of classroom activities, his or her academic success and
confidence increases.

It is counterproductive to label students with a particular intelligence. All students have all intelligences. By
nurturing the whole spectrum, teachers motivate students, foster their learning, and strengthen their
intelligences.

Comparisons
Despite widespread acceptance and application of Learning Styles, there is still some debate about the validity of the
concept. Advocates of Learning Styles maintain that adapting classroom teaching methods to suit students preferred
style of learning improves the educative process. However, opponents of Learning Styles theories maintain that there
is little empirical evidence to support this proposal.
Although the VAK model is perhaps the most widely used, largely because of its simplicity, there are those that argue
that adopting such an approach is impractical from a neuro-scientific point of view. One argument suggests that
human beings make sense of the world through the senses working in unison. It is connectivity within the brain that
enables us to make sense of the world and therefore any attempt to separate the senses would be detrimental.
However, proponents of VAK are usually holistic rather than separatist and rarely propose separation of physical input.
They tend to campaign for a broadening of input, away from the tendency within many traditional classrooms to focus
primarily on auditory input.

Whilst acknowledging that learning is a complex process that depends upon interconnectivity between many different
parts of the brain, Gardners work on Multiple Intelligences would suggest that certain functions are located within
generalized regions of the brain and that these modules might be fundamentally better or worse or developed to
different degrees within individuals. This argument could be used to validate the claim that individual learners exhibit a
preference for particular types of input.
It is argued that, in the same way that some people are better physically coordinated by contrast with the clumsiness
of others, there are those who are more capable than others of extracting meaning from verbal sources. Similarly,
others might be more skillful at interpreting visual signals.

Less popular than the VAK model, largely because of the terminology employed, is Kolbs learning styles model, which
was developed from his work on Experiential Learning. Kolb proposed a 4-stage experiential learning cycle that
applies to all learners. He suggested that immediate or concrete experiences provide a basis for observation and
reflection. These are assimilated and distilled into abstract concepts which can be actively tested, in turn creating new
learning experiences. Individual learners will demonstrate differences in the way they think about things and the way
they do things. These differences can be plotted on a Perception continuum (along a spectrum that ranges from a
preference for thinking about things in a Concrete or Abstract way) and along a Processing continuum (along a
spectrum that ranges from Active to Reflective). This results in identification of 4 broad Learning Styles, which Kolb
refers to as: Accommodating, Diverging, Assimilating and Converging.

Honey and Mumfords Learning Styles theory is more widely used in the UK. Peter Honey acknowledges that there
are more similarities than differences between their work and that of Kolb.
Whereas some of us prefer to study in depth before we tackle a task; others prefer to "get stuck into the job" and learn
as we go along. Some of us are satisfied when the methods we use get the job done; others are more concerned with
why a particular approach proved successful. Yet others spend time thinking through how the task could be tackled
more effectively next time. Peter Honey and Alan Mumford suggest that we might usefully consider 4 basic learning
styles: Activist - Pragmatist - Theorist - Reflector.

Why Use Learning Styles

Theories of learning, whether informed by study or intuition, well-considered or not, play a role in the choices
instructors make concerning teaching. The major trend in understanding how students learn has been a movement
away from the behaviorist model to a cognitive view of learning.
There are many benefits to discovering how you process information best. Some of these include:
ACADEMIC

gives you a head start and maximizes your learning potential

enables you to succeed in school, college, university

allows you to learn your way through your own best strategies

shows you how to overcome the limitations of poor instructors

reduces the stress and frustration of learning experiences

expands your existing learning and studying strategies

PERSONAL

increases your self-confidence

gives you insight into your strengths, weaknesses and habits

enables you to enjoy any learning process

inspires greater curiosity, motivation for lifelong learning

shows you how to take advantage of your natural skills & inclinations

Limitations of Learning Styles

Knowing your learning style may stop you from trying and experiencing other learning styles.

Knowing your learning style might make you more inclined to spend time with other people with the same
learning style, and therefore restricting yourself from getting to know other people or experiencing how oother
people learn.

A person does not really have a specific "learning style". They are just more suited to one than the others. It is a
matter of preference.

Thoughts.
The VAK model
This aspect of multiple learning strategies,VAK, has been widely adopted by teachers. Some teachers have used it to
spice up lessons through fairly superficial activities and others have gone to the other extreme by believing that VAK is
all there is to understanding different learning strategies, or learners' needs and have devoted all their focus to these
three tendencies.
There is also the danger that teachers label students as so-called 'visual learners', 'auditory learners' or 'kinesthetic
learners'. The reality is that all students can learn using visual, auditory and kinesthetic learning strategies. I believe
that if teachers and educators, in their teachings, try to use methods that will tap into learners abilities, it will create an
atmosphere of academic greatness.

Thoughts.
Honey and Mumfords Model

Even though this model was developed to address the needs of the business environment, it still shows relevance in
the classroom, especially in terms of the activists and the reflectors. These two categories are commonly found in the
classroom, however, as educational methods and strategies are changing, educators are now held with the
responsibility of ensuring that students can become theorists (problem solving and critical thinking) and pragmatists
(having the ability to hold meaningful discussions and analysing situations).

Thoughts.
Howard Gardners Multiple Intelligences

This theory is one that has been used tremendously in the classroom. I think that because this theory has a wide range
of areas. It allows educators to not only focus on one area per child, but allows the teacher to group the areas so that
students will develop or enhance several areas in their learning capacity.

Conclusion
Informing oneself about the different styles of learning, finding the most effective memory techniques, can help
persons become more in tune with the most efficient and effective methods (personally) that will help one to learn.
Through this insight one can learn which study techniques work best and which methods are least effective. By
maximizing the most effective study techniques students will be able to get more out of the classroom as well as
through study sessions for improved educational success.

Reference
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http://www.context.org/iclib/ic27/campbell/
Hastings, S. (2005). Learning Styles. TES Connect. Retrieved from https://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=2153773
Surgenor, P. (2010) (1st ed.). Retrieved from http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/UCDTLT0020.pdf
Vincent, A., & Ross, D. (2015). Learning Style Awareness (1st ed.). Retrieved from
http://eflpresentations.pbworks.com/f/Good+summary+of+learning+style+models.pdf
YouTube, (2013). Learning Styles. [video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUTLDG-fHFE [Accessed 18 Feb.
2015].