Hi Caryn- Thanks for your post to the forum. By teaching to the learning styles we eliminate the frustration students feel when their needs are not being met. As you mention, a happy students is more likely to learn! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
By knowing the learning styles of the students, an instructor can more effectively deliver the class content. Using different methods of delivering the topic will help to reach more of the students. More often than not, if students are learning and understanding, they feel good, and so does the instructor.
Hi Karen-Thanks for your post to the forum. I am glad that you are excited about teaching to the learning styles! As you say, using diverse delivery techniques benefits everyone- even instructors! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Knowing the learning styles of my students not only benefits the student, but the class and myself as an instructor.
It benefits the student because they are grasping as much of the information as possible in order to learn. It benefits the class because it results in one less person either falling behind or causing disruption while keeping them engaged. It benefits me because I can manage the classroom better with less disruption and less stress.
This information is extremely beneficial to me as a classroom instructor because knowing learning styles means that I can mix up the way the information is presented and I will always be able to find someone benefiting in the classroom with each style. It also keeps delivering the information much more enjoyable and exciting for all involved.
Hi Thomas- from your description, you have an active learning classroom and are teaching to the learning styles -great work! Best wishes - Susan
I teach art history and I vary learning styles, powerpoint, comupter projects where students look for line, color shape, texture, lectures, student apaticipation, games etc.
It definitely helps to know student learning styles, not everyone learns in the same way. Plus this gives variety to the class.
The benefits are that the students are able to grasp the material and information completely and to their full potential. This assists me in being a more effective instructor by making my goal of passing on and increasing their knowledge easier and more effective.
Hi Craig- Teaching a class that is so diverse is indeed a challenge. Being able to vary your delivery style to address all those styles is also a challenge but it comes with a big pay-off- they will learn! Best wishes- Susan
One of the classes that I am teaching this quarter is very diverse. The most diversity I have had teaching. I had to learn quickly how some of the students were going to retain the information. I was getting the deer in the headlights looks. It is a good thing that I was able to recognize that. It is important to have a successful class. When a instructor can use this knowledge it will save time down the road in terms of time spent reteaching a topic.
Craig
T he benefits of knowing the learning styles of your student will be helpful in the transference of knowledge because students learn faster when they are receptive to their individual learning styles.
Trying to reach several learning styles brings into focus exactly how to design the lecture/demonstration. To achieve a more rounded class, possible pre-assigned reading, the lecture/demo or reading materials after the lecture/demo.
In order to be the most effective instructor in the classroom, you must meet the needs of your learners. Students come with a variety of life issues to balance and need to work smarter, not harder. By teaching to all learning styles, the instructor meets this need. In the long run, it also adds to long term retention of knowledge. If the students are learning, it is a good environment for them and the instructor.
HI Bob- Thanks for your post to the forum. You mention some very interesting questions! What courses do you teach. Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Robin- Thanks for your post to the forum. You have given the forum some great examples of ideas that will appeal to diverse learning styles - thanks for sharing!! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Daniel - Thanks for your post to the forum. What info about learning styles do you give your students prior to asking them to email you their preferred style? Good idea about confirming if they know how to use email! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
I agree.. Covering as many learning styles as possible for a given subject is the best approach which also seems to create a broader more responsive environment. I have also recognized that for some people, varying exposure to the styles offers greater insight to the content as the learner is seeing the same information from a different perspective. The real trick however, is discovering ways to reach those that fall outside of the single styled issues in a given subject. Describe the color blue without pointing to a blue object. How do you teach hot without feeling temperature? “What is the color of thunder?†In the subjects we teach, we encounter those issues that only lend itself to a single learning style. We must be able to recognize those areas & prepare for the confusion that undoubtedly will follow
Knowing the learning style of the student allows one to better prepare for each class. I can tailor my class to meet each learning style at some time during the class. This allows me to reach everyone sometime during the class on the subject we are working on. At the beginning of each semester, I have the students email me on how best they learn so I don't have to figure this out on my own. It also lets me know they know how to use the university e-mail system!
When you know the learning styles of your students, you can appeal to those learning techniques that will enable your students to comprehend and evaluate the information in their own way more effectively. If you have a visual learner, giving that learner continuous lectures without providing visual stimulation will cause that student to have issues receiving the information. By using graphics, charts, Powerpoints, movies and interactive media, the student will be more apt to retain the course content. If you have a student who needs verbal stimulation, you may focus on some discussion group work or lectures or written paper outline completion for notes. If you have a student who needs more kinesthetic learning exercises, you may have some movement interspersed in your class or some games that enable the student to work with hand movement, pantomime, etc. When a student has strengths in one style or another, you become a better teacher by addressing their strengths and teaching students, rather than simply teaching content.
As a technical school instructor, I need to know the students learning styles so I can better manage the course. I make sure that I can reach each student with the proper means to allow them to learn effectively while enjoying the learning experience.
