Learning Styles Results

Results for: Kyley Cleary ACT X REF 11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11 <-- --> SEN X INT 11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11 <-- --> VIS X VRB 11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11 <-- --> SEQ X GLO 11 9 7 5 3 1 1 3 5 7 9 11 <-- -->

If your score on a scale is 1-3, you are fairly well balanced on the two dimensions of that scale. If your score on a scale is 5-7, you have a moderate preference for one dimension of the scale and will learn more easily in a teaching environment which favors that dimension. If your score on a scale is 9-11, you have a very strong preference for one dimension of the scale. You may have real difficulty learning in an environment which does not support that preference. What is your learning style? What sorts of learning experiences would suit you best with your learning style?  According to this test I don't have too much of a preference for active or reflective learning, I am slightly more a sequential learner than a global learner and I am all about intuitive and visual learning.  If you put all of these specific preferences together my perfect learning experience would be one where I had time to think but also got to actively participate.  I wouldn't mind being in a group but would prefer to work on my own.  The lesson would involve talk of concepts, relationships and theories and would be innovative and non-repetitive. Anything spoken would most likely be forgotten or misunderstood so a lesson full of colour, pictures, maps, and diagrams and videos would be sure to get my attention and help me grasp the learning outcomes.  A learning experience that was taught in fairly logical steps would help too, but going off on tangents and exploring other avenues that related to the topic would be fine as well. Phew!  Turns out I am a very fussy learner...

In a traditional classroom of 25 students, how would you support the range of learning styles each lesson? Hmmmm, let me think.  Ok well I would start by testing their learning styles and preferences to get some idea of how diverse these preferences were in my class and if they could be grouped during activities.  Then I would find out what they are interested in.  Being able to relate what you are teaching with something that students are interested in out in the "real world" will hopefully help them grasp ideas more easily.  The lesson would begin with something attention grabbing.  A video clip or a funny joke... something that may not be completely relevant to what they NEED to learn, but something that will help engage them in the rest of my lesson.  From my days at school, as soon a teacher had lost my attention I was no longer learning the intended outcomes, whether the lesson was taught to my learning preferences or not.  I would include in my lesson plans strategies that encompassed all learning styles, some at different times and some simultaneously.  I found it interesting that it was mentioned that all learners have a preference towards visual learning and that neither sensory nor intuitive learners find it easy to learn in a traditional lecture.  With this in mind I would include an array of visuals in my lessons and keep each step along the way interactive so that boredom didn't kick in. I would plan something along the lines of overviews with learning outcomes at the beginning, handouts, group activities, diagrams, working alone time in the middle and then questions and summarising at the end. Maybe even a question for those reflective learners to ponder. With your current knowledge of ICT, how could your design and digital pedagogy support your learners better? I still feel as though I have very little knowledge of ICT's and how they can support learners but what I do know is that in an increasingly digitised world, utilising ICT's would be very helpful in aiding the learning experience of students who are already so familiar with technology.  Using computers, Voki's, You Tube, IWB, discussion forums and other digital resources would provide a diverse range of learning experiences as well as enabling students to take charge and lead their own learning journeys. What sorts of profiling questions would you be asking about your learners to ensure you cater for everyone's preferences? What is your favourite activity at school? At home? Who likes working in groups?  Working alone? Do you like using technology at home? Computers? TV? Cellphone? Video games? What do you think you are good at?  What would you like to get better at? Do you like it when places are noisy or quiet? Who likes to work fast and then do another activity?  Who likes to work a bit slower and take their time? Who thinks it is ok to make mistakes?  Who doesn't like making mistakes ever? Who likes to have big talks about different ideas and made up things and who prefers to learn about facts? Who likes to try new things?  Who prefers to do things that they already know how to do? How does ICT support differences in learning styles? It allows a number of different resources to be used simultaneously within one lesson, therefore allowing each student a maximal amount of time to learn according to their individual preferences. ICT's also allow teachers to demonstrate their point in a number of ways that accommodate all learning styles in a short space of time. Question: How do we revolve our lessons around certain learning preferences when there are so many variables in the way people process information? How do teachers get through the curriculum when there is so much time spent setting up and explaining how to use ICT's?