Even though it helps to know the learning style of your students, I find it best to use auditory, written, visual, and kinesthetic approaches for delivery of all instruction. Even visual learners will have benefit from hearing and see the instruction. It is best to show a PowerPoint, talk about the subject and then have a student demonstrate the application. It also helps to remind the student to take notes
One of my most memorable manager moments was the year that I had an assistant manager that learned through written text. As a manager, we often want the verbal and nonverbal responses from visual learning formats. However, to have an effective working relationship we needed to develop routines that gave us both the learning and feedback environment we needed. My assistant took time to read the material and then came back and we discussed implementation. As the manager, it could be easy to force my learning needs, but it is more important to create a learning environment.
Susan, thanks for this question. You know the ultimate target in the classroom for the instructor is to judge wheather the learning occured or not. There are couple of assessments that could be measured to evaluate it. Before doing any assessment we have to see wheather all the possible learning styles were applied or not. Being an instructor we have to know all the styles and its appropriate application. It is very important to learn for the class which are the styles better for the lecture contents for that day and the catagory of the students who are better off of the particular style.
Hi James - Thanks for your post to the forum. Unfortunatly, I have seen this problem for over 35 years! There is no way that we can bring them up to speed in reading, writing and math skills. We can only do the best we can to get them Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susantutoring to be able to complete our programs.
It makes you think about how to approach the class and the teaching materials. It can help by again making you rethink about how much you would learn by using different teaching techniques
Many of my student are Medical Assistants. I find that some have serious problems reading material. I break the task into steps and talk them through the steps. I address their problem with the written material by using another approach, however I find their lack of ability to read and follow steps could hurt them later on.
We do the best we can to hit all of the learning styles. this is the american system. The book is for the reading learners. Lecture is for the suditories. HOMEWORK is for the "do-ers". The true kinestics are left out some what. But, we all do the best we can.
Knowing the learning styles of students will serve as a guide in meeting their individual learning needs. Each individual is different. We cannot always expect students to grasp our teaching if our modality of teaching is not eefective for them. And besides applying the different methods of teaching delivery breaks the monotony in teaching and prevents boredom in the classroom.
Appealing to diverse learners and accommodating the different ways they receive new information.
I think it is important so your students can get full benefit out of your classes. There are students that don't understand that they may need to learn differently than other students in the class and they feel stupid because they are not getting the information. If you undrstand different learning styles you can help the students understand it as well.
Hi Joanne - I don't know what discipline you teach but writing assignments are so valuable for every field! Best wishes - Susan
I, also, start my class with Bellwork. Bellwork is a written assignment that the student must complete about the chapter. I will write a question or give a scenario about something in the chapter. Then they must give a written answer which helps those the students with this learning style. I think that using a visual presntation such as Power Point is great for the visual learner. But I also read out loud the Power Point presentation along with the book. I will stop at various points using my Power Point presentation and read passages right out of the book. I will tell the students that particular passage should be written into their notes.
The benefit of knowing your students learning styles is that it enables you to using varying teaching techniques so that all your students are able to learn the content. It also allows you to give help and advice to students who may need it. You can try to offer them ways to study that they had not thought of.
Hi Ron - Thanks for your post to the forum. Yes, making that extra effort really pays off! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Hi Vickie- you are running an active learning classroom - great work! Susan
Hi Vickie - Thanks for your post to the forum. Unfortunately the textbooks for application based courses like your computer class can be incredibly dry! I think you will be much more successful with your new plan! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
The benefits of knowing the learning styles of your students allows you to plan your classes in a manner which will be more effective and interesting to the class. It is important to remain flexible for different learning styles.
Gary Piontkowski
It is easier to plan and teach utilising only one particular learning style, but one risks having some students not absorbing course content as well as others. Using and varying styles encompasses as many students as possible.
I agree with you about the passive, aggressive learning styles. I once taught a computer class, and tried to teach straight from the book. Some students did well, others had a harder time. If I ever would teach that class again, I would probably not teach straight from the book. Instead I would pull out sections from the chapters, and have students do one or two different activites on their computer, based on that section of material during each hour/class session.
I find it is nice to begin presenting a topic with a visual presentaion, and write notes on the board. Then have students break into small groups to work on the topic, by solving a problem, discussing an issue, or by working together to create a presentation.
Many students learn through small group activities -- in small groups, more people are able to participate in the discussions and in the learning process.
When an instructor knows the learning styles of the students in his/her classroom, then the instructor can plan various ways of presenting information -- thus helping students learn, using their prefered learning style, as well as learning from other learing style modalities.
