Teaching Students Through Their Individual Learning Styles

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Literature review
Statement of the problem
Objectives
Methodology
Data analysis
Implementation and recommendation
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Educational scientists suggest that learning is the process that brings common cognitive emotional and environmental influences and experiences together. They suggest that the sole objective is to acquire enhance and make changes to ones knowledge skill values as well as worldviews. This stand has suffered the influence of the various learning and education methods that have been suggested to make learning a reality. They have all however been skewed towards an agreed criteria that has often failed to ensure that learning takes place.

Literature review

Essentially the learning process concentrates on the happenings and undertakings of the learning exercise. In the hope of comprehensively embracing the process of education or learning there have been several learning theories that create a vivid explanation for the acquisition disposure and or alteration of knowledge (Smith 2000, pp 245). I shall interrogate the various steps taken in the learning process from the perspective of the various proposed styles of learning. I shall also provide a tentative analysis of the successes achievements difficulties and remedies that allow the learning process to continue.

Statement of the problem

There can be a thousand approaches to the learning process. The objective of each approach however should be to provide the relevant vocabulary and conceptual framework for the interpretation and exemplification of the learning objectives. The approach should suggest sources for solutions to the practical problems in learning if not provide them (Honey and Mumford 2006, p 47). The great contention has been to lean on the argument of most theorists that teachers should assess the learning styles of their students and make subsequent adjustments to fit each students specific learning needs. This is often termed the meshing hypothesis (Geary 2005, p 479).

Objectives

This report seeks to establish the following objectives

evaluate the learning experience against agreed criteria
Evidence to support your learning against the level 4 indicators
Reflect on learning :successes, achievements, difficulties and coping mechanisms that will help to identify further development needs and plans

Methodology

The research employed a variety of secondary sources both internal and external. An interrogation of these references provides an adequate review of the ideal learning environment that represents the everyday situation out there. The research has also employed different theoretical premises form various educational scientists in constructing a stand.

Data analysis

Over the years, the empirical evidence that supports learning styles tests and theories has been greatly criticized. In as much as the learning children and adults will express their preferences it is quite impractical to develop an accurately tailored set of instruction that suit the various preferences of the learner. The various concluded attempts in well-designed studies reveal results that plainly go against the mesh hypothesis.

Anthony gregorc an educational scientist makes an attempt at prescribing a learning approach that would be acceptable and applicable to all classes of learners. The model is based on the perceptive skill which is the tendency to percieve of phenomenon in a way that makes most sence. These perceptions then become the foundation and basis for the strenghts in learning. The theory proposes two main perceptual qualities – the concrete and abstract- alongside two main ordering abilities –the random and sequantial ability.

This approach in the theory trys to incorporate how we like to learn. The concrete perception employs all the five common sences in registering information. Learners in this cartegory learn best by whayt they hear touch see taste and smell. They are more attracted to the things in the physical world. Abstract learners on the other hand percieve from the understanding of ideas qualities and concepts that can not be actually seen. They prefer to focus on feelings and ideas as well as reason and intuition when dealing with concepts.

Some people like to follow a sequence of events and or processes. This involves starting from the beginning to the end. For instance if two people were to write a paper, one would choose to collect all the information first create an ooutline then write the paper. This is the sequential process.

The other could prefer a more random approach that will involve writting and getting information when he needs it. This is the random process and approach. The sequential process is more like clockwork that moves strategically step by step over a specific period of time. The random process on the other hand is like a stopwatch thet statrs and stops at will (Sprenger 2003, p 145).

Both qualities and ordering abilities are common among every individual. They however exsist in different combinations that is based on donminance. The concrete sequential forinstance characterises a practical and well organised individual who likes to plan their work. The concrete random combination is rather practical as well alive to the physical world but they mostly learn by trying and failing and do lille or no planning (Dunn and Dunn 1978, p356).

The abstract sequential on the other hand likes to generate ideas in a logical way and bases their perspective on the claim that how an individual feels about something does not change their teality version of the thing. The abstract random works from the heart and gives little time to reason and thinking. Their feelings play a big role in the way the person performs.Essentially the various conbinations present the lines of thought of different individuals and the likey questions thatthey are likly to ask in the learning process.

Sudbury another educational enthusiast suggested that there are many ways to learn and gain knowledge. He sugests a more objective approach that claims that learning is the process undetaken by the learner as opposed to the process that is done to the learner. Implicitly there are more ways to learn that by recieving knowledge from another person or object (Illeris 2004, p 224 ).

Reading forinstance does not require the imperative intervention of the teacher but still excecutes the learning process. Others learn fom instructions, signs and manuals. Others observe sounds of letters and practise by continously repeating such sounds and subsequently using them in other words.

Clearly, learning or education can not be coerced forced or urged to an individual. The learning process is entirely voluntary and democratic and therefore there can be no false of false learning. The mastery of a skill subject or art requires the voluntary urge to know and one can not be bribed to learn.

As it were this model seems rather impractical since the current institutional setup has a fixed prescribed method of learning. This goes against the democratic concept of the model that gives the learnner the choice of learning at their own pace.

The model suggests an alternative approach such as the sudbury model of democratic education that allows the children a certain measure of personal freedom and are encouraged to embrace a sence of self responsibility. This gives the implication that all the siantifically supported justifictions given by policy makers to support the teacing of literacy are impractical and flaw.these kinds of ridgid approach often leads to learning disabilities.

Implementation and recommendation

The learning process in the 21^st century has benefitted greatly from the various proposed learning styles. The understanding and interpretation of the various learner preferences has allowed for the adjustment of various curriculums to accommodate more learner friendly methods (Ormrod 1995 p 37).

The learning process is an entirely private affair that has for a long time depended on the supervisor teacher and policy makers. This has made the relevance of the various learning styles obsolete. This has been at the expense of learners who end up suffering from authoritarian curriculums and systems of education.

Conclusion

There is a need to require consultation of the various learning styles by the policy-making bodies in education. This has been enacted through research based methods and techniques such as questioners that interactively engage the learners on policy formulation.

References

Dunn, R, & Dunn, K (1978). Teaching students through their individual learning styles: A practical approach. Reston, VA: Reston Publishing Company.p356.

Geary, C. (2005) Folk knowledge and academic learning. In B. J. Ellis & D. F. Bjorklund (Eds.), Origins of the social mind, New York: Guilford Publications. P 479.

Honey, P & Mumford, A. (2006) The Learning Styles Questionnaire, 80-item version. Maidenhead, UK, Peter Honey Publications p 47.

Illeris, K. (2004) Three Dimensions of Learning. Malabar, FL: Krieger Publishing.p 224.

Ormrod, J.E. (1995) Human Learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. P 37.

Smith, M. K. (2001) David A. Kolb on experiential learning. pp 245. Web.

Sprenger, M. (2003) Differentiation through learning styles and memory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press p 145.

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