I must agree. It's a lot easier to keep the students engage in your topical discussion. If you are familiar with the learning styles, because you tailor your presentation to their learning styles.
I have to agree that by getting snow the learning styles of your students. You show that you do care about how they learn and that your willingness to adapt your teaching styles to their needs
If you know the learning styles of your students. It is much easier to deliver material and reach them. By reach them. I'm referring to a direct outcome situation.
When you have set material that must be covered you don't want any students left behind. If we recogize the different learning styles in our students, then we can come up with strategies to present the same information utilizing as many of the 4 styles as possible.
Hi Jason Thanks for your post to the forum and especially for mentioning that students taught with delivery geared to their learning style have better retention. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
The benefits of knowing your students learning styles enable instructors to deliver information more effectively by using the appropriate mix of delivery methods. Another benefit is learners will retain information that is received in the fashion that they are best equipped to learn auditory visual et.
Each instructor should at least make an attempt in knowing the learning styles of each of their students, this way you can plan for your class in how to conduct it.
Hi Margaret- Thanks for your post to the forum. I agree, with your very sensible teaching strategy! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I definitely agree that styles are different. This applies to both individuals and groups. I currently teach two modules of the same class back-to-back, and their styles are practically opposite. One is more of a tactile group that responds better to hands-on instruction, where the other prefers a more visual approach with demonstrations. Adapting your approach is very important.
A good instructor should be using a variety of delivery methods to accomodate diverse learning styles in the first place.
However, if an instructor knows the learning styles of students and finds that a majority of students prefer a certain style,(s)he can incorporate more of the instructional method that is best understood by the majority.
Each student learns in a different way. If you can utilize different learning styles you can teach more efficetvely
Hi Norman - Thanks for your post to the forum. Our students really do appreciate that we make every effort to teach to all the learning styles and it actually makes our job much more rewarding!
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Wendy - Yes, now I understand - you are looking for biographical info, so yes, developing questions that give you the info you need is appropriate. Best wishes! Susan
Tracy - I LOVED that!! You are so much fun and so creative! Your students must so enjoy your classes. Susan
Hi Vanessa -Thanks for your post to the forum. You gave a very thorough synopsis of the effectiveness of teaching to the learning styles!
Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hello Susan,
The instructional benefits of knowing the learning styles of your students is the class will be able to grasp on to the material more and at a faster pace. They will process the information given; therefore they will actually learn it and be able to use what was taught out in the career field of their choice. The students will appreciate you more for that.
This Knowledge can help you be a more effective instructor because learning the different ways of learning styles; will help you adjust to any type group a student you will come in contact with, that way you are able to accommodate that more in your study course content that too will benefit the students once again.
I can hone in on how students learn and adapt my class to best suit their learning styles.
This is a no brainer. If you only teach your own style of learning then you will not be effective in helping the students assimilate information and use it in practical applications. You will also be able to target extra help for the minority learning styles in the class.
Knowing the learning style of my students will help me to better prepare my delivery of information, so that I may reach more students and impact the level of comprehension. If I know their personal learning styles, I can use a varied approach to help them grasp the concepts being taught.
For example:
CHEF KIM STAMPS is a pastry chef instructor for a local community college. She is teaching her students how to make chocolate chip cookies using a traditional method called the 'creaming method'.
Normally she would just write the steps down on the chalkboard. Since this will only help the written word learners, Ms. Stamps needs to diversify her method of information delivery to reach more students and help their level of comprehension.
In order to be a more effective teacher she must address the information so that other learning styles can understand it more easily.
CHANGES she can make:
Instead of just writing the instructions on the board with the steps necessary to do the 'creaming method' she should create a handout with the steps listed in order, a small photo of each step can help the visual learner to remember the steps.
She can also create a musical song to help remember the steps. A short rap song can capture the hearts and minds of the younger crowd.
This will help the auditory learner.
lets give it a try...
boom ba da boom....
"You've got to CREAM the fat and sugar baby;
until it comes out white and fluffy maybe;
you can add a few eggs without gettin' crazy;
flour must be last, don't forget, or will call you lazy." (ok, song writing is not my strong suit, but it may linger in someone's memory)
Most of all we can help every learning style, if after we talk about the steps for the creaming method, we write about it, sing about it, demonstrate each step involved in it, and finally let them make their own chocolate chip cookies.
This will help the kinetic learner to finally feel the steps and commit them to memory!
Bon Apetit
Hi Laura - Thanks for your question. It all depends on what I am trying to assess. If it is skills, I will usually use a competency check list. If it is concept knowledge - a quiz or exam with a mixture of question types.
