Is there a specific learning style that is best suited to learning online?
This is a question I have been pondering from the start of this research. It seems to me that learning via computers favour those with logical abilities and who like to learn in irrelevant contexts, and is not ideal for those who like to learn in natural contexts.
When designing the questions for the learner survey I looked at identifying those learning styles that I thought were most relevant to learning online so that I could include a few questions in the survey that addressed these preferences and then be able to compare them with the preferred delivery methods chosen.
I also came across the Index of Learning Styles by Felder & Soloman (take it here: http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html and saw that most of the learning style categories I identified as relevant to learning online were being used in this instrument. The exception was that I would have included something that looked at the amount of feedback a person likes or needs from the tutor when learning.
Lynne Baldwin and Khaled Sabry (2003) – IETI 40,4 used the Index of Learning Styles by Felder & Soloman in their research with Information Systems and Computing learners, and found that there was a strong tendency for learners to prefer receiving visual information over verbal information, and for sequential over global inputs.
I have also taken this test and found it useful in knowing how I like to learn.
2 responses so far ↓
1
David Richardson
// May 5, 2006 at 1:04 am
I attended a very interesting conference in Örnsköldsvik in Sweden in 2000 which was led by Dr Rita Dunn, one of the originators of the whole idea of learning styles.
One of the points she made strongly was that the point of identifying which learning styles come most naturally to you was to find out which *other* learning styles you needed to develop. In other words, it wasn’t enough to just stick to what came most easily. The point of education is to develop those aspects of your personality and way of thinking which didn’t come naturally.
2
stephenaddison
// May 8, 2006 at 11:25 am
That’s a good point.
This leads me to think: ‘what is the purpose of education?’, i.e. ‘what’s it all for?’
In my experience, I have found that many learners are focused on passing assessments rather than developing their thinking skills and personality. I have included the following question in the survey of UHI online learners in order to get an idea of what is motivating them:
. What are your main reasons for studying this subject? (Select all that apply)
Get a qualification to get a job
Starting or running own business
Develop transferable job skills (e.g. communication, learning, teamworking and IT)
Develop thinking and analytical skills
Develop ability to understand and work with specialist knowledge
Personal development e.g. increasing confidence in own abilities
Advance career
Gain access to a more advanced course
Other (please specify)
As a practical solution to the problem of incorporating learner preferences into online courses – Baldwin and Sabry (2003) suggest using a ‘balanced’ learning design model called ‘BLADE’. This model seeks to accommodate both the exhibited learning styles and the required learning skills to be developed in a particular course.
Reference:
Learning Styles for Interactive Learning Systems (2003)- Lynne Baldwin and Khaled Sabry 2003 – Innovations in Education and Teaching INternational 40,4