Thursday, June 23, 2022

No Such Thing as Learning Styles?

Learning Technologies: Visual – Auditory – Kinesthetic | maxwell.427's Site

  For many years, people have been learning about learning styles. They teach it in Psychology 101, and I even remember learning about it in science class. Everyone had to take tests online to find out which learner they are. The most popular ones are a visual learner or an auditory learner. For visual learners that means that they learn better by seeing things and for auditory learners that means they learn better by hearing things. 

    Knowing I wanted to write about one of these types of learning styles, I looked up learning styles, I looked it up. I saw that they found new evidence that learning styles are not real. There is not enough evidence to prove that learning styles are real. According to APS or Association for Psychological Science, many tests have been done to try and prove that there are different types of learners, however there is not enough randomized research to prove that this is credible. "Existing literature on learning styles and finds that although numerous studies have purported to show the existence of different kinds of learners (such as “auditory learners” and “visual learners”), those studies have not used the type of randomized research designs  that would make their findings credible" (APS).

    I find this very interesting because I remember taking multiple tests in high school and even middle school to try and find out what kind of learner I am. I always got visual learner and I do feel I do learn better when I am shown things. Therefore, I found these findings very interesting. I also started looking at other articles saying the same thing, but they are bringing up the point that everyone learns when shown different things depending on the subject. I do feel this is true. I will probably learn subjects like language, better when listening to it, however, I would probably learn instructions how to do something by being shown how to. I would love to see more research done of this to confirm this theory. It is important to know how people learn in order to teach people most effectively. 


 More information here: Learning styles don't exist

References:

Furey, W. (2022, January 12). The stubborn myth of "Learning styles". Education Next. Retrieved June 23, 2022, from https://www.educationnext.org/stubborn-myth-learning-styles-state-teacher-license-prep-materials-debunked-theory/

Learning styles debunked: There is no evidence supporting auditory and ... Association for Psychological Science. (2009). Retrieved June 24, 2022, from https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/learning-styles-debunked-there-is-no-evidence-supporting-auditory-and-visual-learning-psychologists-say.html



3 comments:

  1. I totally agree when you write that people learn different subjects better in different styles! Trying to figure out what type of learner we are puts us into this 'box'. Pictures may help best in a science class, but hearing a lecture may help more in a psychology class. Each type of learner should be incorporated into all classes.

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  3. Jamie,
    I never really took into consideration the different types of learning styles until your post, and I really enjoyed it! I think it is very important to test children in certain areas before they enter a school so that proper placement can be made. Kinesthetic learning is the one that resonated with me because I am mostly a visual learner and I work in the school district so I believe most children are. That is another reason I think sensory play is so important. Physical activity and touch are important for development.

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