Learning Styles

As part of my early teaching years I worked in a school that included learning styles as part of their school-wide advisory program. We would work with the students to explore different styles and through directed activities and reflection the students would identify which learning style worked best for them. Teachers could provide options for the kinesthetic learners, and ensure that they were including a balance of visual and auditory information. The concept of learning styles was used interchangeably with Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory, and students everywhere were being sorted and labelled based on their “learning style”. Learning styles were also a way for educators to discuss the uniqueness of each learner, and determine how to personalize their learning plans to meet the needs of each group. 

We can still find online quizzes to help you identify your own learning style. 

Read the following two articles to understand how this neuromyth gained acclaim in the field of education:

Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence-(You will need to be logged into UVic to access this article)

The Learning Styles Myth is Thriving in Higher Education

The implications for learning designers is that we know that we do not need to tailor our designs to meet a specific description of learning styles. We already know that it is better to offer choice and a variety of ways to access the learning materials. Through Universal Design for Learning, we also know that we do not need to label our learners in order to reduce the barriers in our planning. Learning designers know that everyone learns in a variety of ways and ideally we should create learning experiences that incorporate a variety of approaches and choice in activities.