Comfort Zones: Teaching and Learning Styles
Teachers have preferred methods of teaching, and students have preferred methods of learning. Modern educational "folk wisdom" is that we should match the two for maximal effect. We all have our own agendas and tend to perform best when we are in our comfort zones, but teachers are urged to step out of their comfort zones to improve instructional quality.
I teach computer programming. A number of years ago I read a paper (written by a woman) on why there were so few women in the programming field. One of her conclusions was that women are culturally programmed to ask "Why?", whereas men are programmed to ask "How?" Since most computer programming instructors were men, course content presentations were gender biased, which at least in part contributed to the number of women in the field. This has helped me considerably in answering women's questions more satisfactorily even when the 'why' was not explicitly stated, but that was what motivated the questions. And on those rare occasions when a class has a majority of women, the whole tenor of the class changes regarding "why" versus "how" emphasis.
The point of learning styles is that individuals have preferred ways of learning. In some classes I assign readings, assign problems from the book, and test on each chapter. I other classes I assign readings, but problems are from other sources, and there are no tests on the book. Some students complain that I am not using the textbook, while others are totally OK with the arrangement.
I teach my design classes on a team-based approach, and share with students the Learning Pyramid from National Training Laboratories in Bethel, Maine. For readers not familiar with the pyramid, it posits the following retention rates:
5% for Lecture
10% for Reading
20% for Audio-Visual
30% for Demonstration
50% for Group Discussion
75% for Practice
90% for Teaching Others
When I pointed out that the pyramid noted there is only a 5% retention rate on materials presented by lecture, one of my students objected, claiming he had at least a 30% rate for lecture. Individuals vary in their preference for the different methods. There will be some students who prefer methods of instruction that have lower retention rates; they will be less in-synch with a class organized around the higher retention-rate methods.
Finally, it should be pointed out that career choices have differing skill sets and associated methods of learning. Students can have the wrong set of preferred styles to fit into a particular career choice. So instead of always adjusting to student preferred styles, it may be sometimes necessary for students to adjust to a different learning style to succeed in a particular career.
To conclude, I would say that both teachers and students sometimes need to step out of their comfort zone.
Every individual grasp concepts at their own pace. I tend to go with the flow of the majority of the class. If there is one or two students that are not on the same page I pull them aside and suggest ideas for them to adjust or obtain additional help. In my class, majority rules, but the minority is not forgotten.
I tend to lecture less...unless the subject matter is very exciting; otherwise, I do creative power points, role plays, and games to keep them interested.
Hi Amanda,
One of the enjoyable parts of teaching is getting to be creative. Being creative is not always the same as being successful but at least you learned more about how to introduce new content. Keep being creative and you will be surprised at how successful some of your ideas become.
Gary
I've discovered my students are very shy about reading. I made a (to my mind) fabulous experiential group activity, and one group chose to read the first sentence of a 2 paragraph description I handed them and then do their own thing. I didn't give the instructions verbally because two groups were getting different rules so we could compare and contrast. oh well.
Hi Ann,
Good point you make about jobs. I call this the "Ah vs the Actual" factor. The Ah is the glamor or reward of the job and the actual is what you have to do in the job. For example teaching is an Ah when we get to share our knowledge and experience and the actual is grading all of the projects, doing grading, etc. The key is to see the Ah of the job along with the Actual. If we get bogged down with the Actual and don' see any of the Ah to the job then it is time to change careers. This is what our students need to see as they move through their career preparation.
Gary
I agree. It's a game of give and take. Students have to realize that not every job will involve group work and that not every job will be entertaining. But at the same time, we can't expect every student to immediately adjust to our methods.
I agree, students and teachers must step out of thier comfort zone. In addition to your remarks, I'd add that it keeps the course presentations fresh and current when as the instructor, I mix up the learning techniques. Not only from semester to semester but from course to course.
Hi Richard,
You make a number of excellent points but the one I want to reinforce is the one made about students needing to adjust their learning preferences to accommodate the information being given. Teachers need to extend their delivery choice and students expand their intake choices.
Gary
