Knowing my students helps keep them focused, interested and on topic which in turn helps them learn more effectively and helps them succeed
I find in my classes that going through a lesson in as many different learning styles as I can fit helps to reinforce the information and although it may seem counter-intuitive is time-saving because it reduces the number of questions the students feel are unanswered as well as reaching the students who may have needed further information if I had only taught from one learning style. Additionally, it helps to break up the class into small bits of information that are more readily absorbed and keeps the content fresh and interesting.
If I know the learning styles of my students, I can present the information in a way that will best help them succeed.
I defintely think that it is important for the instructor to identify the different learning styles in the classroom so that the instructor can incorporate different techniques to help the student be successful.
Hi Stephen, Thanks for your post to the forum. That is a valuable consideration. Students will only be able to perform well with assignments if they truly understand our expectations. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
By knowing that students have different styles of learning you must present the expectations for each assignment in a variety of way. For example if I give a speech assignment I do the following to address different styles.
1. Assignment is posted on the student portal (something they can access at any time from any place.
2. The directions/expectations/evaluation criteria are given to each student (own copy)
3. Instructor presents power point of assignment
4. Instructor does an example of the of the assignment
5. Students are shown video of previous students doing a completed assignment.
5. Instructor asks student(s) to explain to instructor the requirements of the assignment
Hi Frantz, Thanks for your post to the forum. That questionnaire will give you the info you need to tailor your delivery to the learning styles. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
Hi Amy, Thanks for your post to the forum. You are using a nice mix of delivery options! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I plan on using a questionaire at the start of a course to see what style students believe they are. This will greatly help me design quizzes and questions that can engage them the most.
By knowing the way that your students learn, you can adapt your content by adding pieces of all the ways they learn best into your lecture to help all the students learn. I usually have a lecture while showing a power point, give them what it relates to in their text book and have a lab or activity to help achieve all the learning styles.
It is important to cater your lesson plans and delevery methods to match not one but all of your student population. As such there needs to be a variety of teaching methods to match the variety of styles in the classroom.
Hi Baneet, Thanks for your post to the forum. You are using an excellent mix of delivery options! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
Hi Michael, Thanks for sharing your experience with incorporating the learning styles into your teaching. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
Hi Victor, Thanks for your post to the forum. That's an interesting observation - I have noticed it as well as I am also a visual learner. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career.
Susan Polick
I try to include all the learnig styles with the lesson, I have power point, verbalize lecture and role play/simulations in each class. Then I have the students write a brief summation of the class. This seems to appeal to all and each learning style is addressed in each element. Sometimes I have to use more of one than another but generally it always helps with application of new knowledge and the students teach-evaluate-discuss with each other.
I have learned by not learning the styles of my students that they were having trouble early in their classes that could have been avoided. After realizing my mistakes and reevaluating how I was teaching so that I would incorporate all the different styles really helped my students and was able to get them back on the path of their career field as well as keeping their interests.
By learning each students learning style, you can adapt a plan to use multiple teaching tools to accommodate the learner. Utilizing various teaching tools or methods will provide a variety thus engaging all four types of learners.
Teaching adults has made it easy to differentiate the different learning styles of each student. An auditory learner sometimes makes me nervous because they do not take many notes but watch (really are listening)me intensely. Since I am a visual learner, that surprises me that notes are not taken as extensively as I would have done.
By knowing the learning styles of your students you can help to make sure that every student has the information necessary to understand the material and/or resources available to them to help with thier style of learning.
Some students are hands on some are book smart but knowing which learning style your student is enables the instructor to gear the classes toward various learning styles so that all students feel included and are able to learn at their fullest potential.
