Different Learning Styles
It is important to remember students have different learning styles. By keeping this in mind you are able to get the focus and concentration needed from every student to help them be successful.
Lowell,
I like to use "checking for understanding", where I'll move forward in my lesson, then stop and ask questions before I move on. If answers are slow in coming, time to review and perhaps present the material in a different way.
Barry Westling
Our campus has a very diverse mix of learners at various levels and with different cultural backgrounds. One on one attention helps understand their starting point and getting feedback like using a pretest is critical to know their status before you try to teach them technical material.
Antonio,
It's probably true that we all have a little bit of all the different learning styles, perhaps some are more dominant, but as instructors, providing a variety of delivery and activity in the classroom, we're bound to touch on enough that all our students will be served.
Barry Westling
Students preferentially take in and process information in different ways: by seeing and hearing, reflecting and acting, reasoning logically and intuitively, analyzing and visualizing, steadily and in fits and starts. Teaching methods also vary. Some instructors lecture, others demonstrate or lead students to self-discovery; some focus on principles and others on applications; some emphasize memory and others understanding
Gamaliel,
True, students do have different levels of prior knowledge and skills. Whenever we can relate to students on their level, we probably have a better chance of getting all students to improve their knowledge level.
Barry Westling
In class I have noticed that more than learning styles, some students have different abilities or talents and when it comes to transferring their recently learned concept to hands-on, not always the fastest in-theory learner is the best at hands-on.
Traneika,
IToo, I think oftentimes an instructor feels they "XYZ" to cover, and a plan to do it in the way they think will work best. But so many times in the past, whem I have tried new delivery techniques or "broke out of my mold", I found better ways to convey material, and have since added these methods into my routine. Really, if we don't experiment here and there, no real change can occur. Using a variety of techniques will reach the greatest number of students.
Barry Westling
Understanding the different learning styles is important. I have experienced with some classes and subjects it can be difficult to provide visual aids or hands on experience. Most students have recognized what has worked best for them in the past. Typically, I have a lot of students who state they are not "good test takers"... majority of those do well in hands on exercises or self directed work. Some students don't read/comprehend well, so the instructor's lectures are best(very small percentage of those students..lol) and then you have those who don't like test, don't like to read, and prefer classroom busy work. In a nutshell, the learning styles can be quite controversial to an instructor to figure out. However, I agree the one-on-one connection can work wonders! "help me to help you"
Brian,
More variety, and breaking up the class sessions into different delivery strategies help0s keep students interested, especially those with different learning styles.
Barry Westling
There is a lot of information that must be learned in my course before they can get their hands dirty. I will often take them out of the classroom and into the shop just to show them where the parts that we were just talking about are located on the vehicle. This helps them to visualize what they are doing and also gets the out of their seat and gets the blood pumping again.
Paul,
Right. I have found I have to really work to make learning interesting while keeping to the course objectives and learning outcomes. So much to cover, so little time. Early on I learned "talking is not teaching". So while it would be easy to just lecture, this is one of the lesser effective ways student learn. keeping a 3-4 hour class intersting, engaging students, adding lots of variety, and having it all be meaningful takes time to plan, and effort to carry out effectively.
Barry Westling
This is so true. why give busy work if they already get the concept. I do provide variety but reserve the busy work for desperate times.
Shawne,
As individiduals, I think it's difficult to put a label (or labels) on any one "type of person or learning style". However, it is important to try bto understand individual student differences, and to the best of our abilities, try to work with them. That one-on-one connection can work wonders!
Barry Westling
Students do have different learning stiles. I believe one should take some time to learn how students learn and go from there.
Tricia,
Connecting with all types of students can be a challenge but also has the reqard of seeing most succeed in the class. Sometimes it doesn't take much, just a little tweak here or there is enough to get to all students. The willigness to want to this really sets apart superior from just average instructors, in my opinion.
Barry Westling
This is why I try to teach in a way I can reach out to all my different types of learners.
Sarah,
You're right, and reaching all students usually requires using a variety of methods and activities in order to connect with all the diversity usually present in a classroom full of students. The critical part is to make sure it is meaningful, and not just variety for busy-work sake.
Barry Westling
