The relevance of learning theories and conceptual frameworks helps to put emphasis on how students of today need information best delivered in order that they achieve their potential. In this fast moving, 'twitch speed', technology filled world in which these digital natives are growing up, the way they think and therefore learn is very different to the way digital immigrants learned at school. Therefore it is important to understand how students learn best in order for learning managers to design lessons that are both interesting and will achieve learning outcomes.
I completed the learning styles questionnaire from Felder and Solomon (retrieved from: http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html). Checking up on the background and authority of this information, I learned more about Dr Felder and
Dr Richard Felder's homepage gives an insight into his many areas of expertise, but most particularly how teaching and learning styles relate when Understanding Student Differences and steps to suit all learners in Second Language Teaching an insight into some "well-defined instructional techniques that make teaching more effective".
I was not surprise at the first result. As an 'active learner', I enjoy discussing activities associated with learning, but do also like to spend the time thinking things through and reviewing my notes from lectures as a 'reflective' learner is prone to do. After lectures, I tend to do both discussing the detail with others and also writing my own summary, but often focus on details, am then inclined to go off on a tangent spending too much time on this!
I was surprised at the second result, as I thought I would be more of a 'sensing' learner, liking connection to the real world, not liking written tests and particularly if they are not on facts that I have 'learned'. And unlike an 'intuitive' learner, I enjoy some repetition to make sure I understand, but I must also learn to read the whole task before embarking on it, so I can help myself there!
The balanced result indicates that I am like everyone else, learning when both 'visual' and 'verbal' instruction are used. I think it also emphasises the detail that I like to go into understand a topic as well as I can. I enjoy a mixture of pictures and words.
For the final result, I would have put myself at the top of the scale as a 'sequential' learner, enjoying logical steps and often being very slow to reach the true 'light bulb' moment focussing on too much detail on the journey. I like the suggestion of relating to real life to increase 'global' thinking.
Results for: Sharon Renardson
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
<-- -->
Results of The Birmingham Grid for Learning Multiple Intelligences Test (Primary) retrieved from http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks1/ict/multiple_int/what.cfm
It was Howard Gardiner who suggested in 1975 that there were eight types of intelligences that learners could draw upon to assist learning. He noted the different strengths in each accounted for the way students learn resulting in varying abilities.
This was an interesting test to take to take note of my strengths but more notably my weaknesses. If I know my own capabilities and weaknesses as well as knowing my learners', this will be vital when designing learning experiences to achieve outcomes for all. It will also help to ensure lessons are varied to incorporate all intelligences and diversity in the classroom. It could be useful also to help learners aware of their own ways of thinking, learning and doing and how we all do them differently, preparing them for successful communication both in society and globally. This would also assist with integration of all in the classroom particularly when working collaboratively.
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