Learning Styles

1
Learning Styles

• At UCL April the 12th 2005
• April Field
• Topic Chapter 6 in Psychology and Adult Learning
  
• by Mark Tennant

2
What are your learning styles?

• Can you see yourself in the following
  descriptions of learning styles?
• If you have not already taken the on-line test,
  try it and see if it is accurate.
• There is also a handout to try another example of
  a test after the class.

3
Tennant describes two basic theories in
chapter sixField Dependence and Field
Independence identified by WitkinThe Learning
Style Inventory developed by Kolb and Fry
4
Part 1Field Independence and Field Dependence
5
A Continuum

• From research done on perception and cognitive
  style, Herman Witkin describes how people can be
  placed on a continuum from field dependent to
  field independent
• Field -------------------------------------Field
• Dependent Independent

6
Examples of some tests of field independence and
dependence

• There are many kinds of tests spatial,
  tactile,visual, and using play with children.
• The results of the varied tests all show
  differences in perception and cognition.

7
Example Test 1

• Subjects take a battery of tests containing
  embedded figures. They have to find a separately
  drawn figure embedded in a complex design.
• Try the following example

8
Find the box in the figurePage 84 in Witkin et
al. 1954, Personality Through Perception, Harper
and Brothers, New York.
9
Observations from the test

• Field dependent subjects take longer to find the
  figure from the context because the surrounding
  pattern or field is distracting.
• Field independent subjects can perceive the
  pattern or structure more easily.

10
Test 2

• The subjects in this test were children who were
  asked to use toys of their choice to create a
  scene and to tell the story of the scene they had
  created.
• Some children created a clear story with a strong
  visual representation and were able to justify
  the arrangement of each toy.
• Other children used the toys but could not
  clearly describe the story or explain why they
  had used some of the toys.

11
What do you think?

• Which of the following scenes tells the clearest
  story and shows good organization of thought
  through the placement of the toys?
• Which of the scenes were created by field
  independents?

12
Play situation 1.
13
Play situation 2.
14
Play situation 3.
15
Which did you choose?

• Which had the clearest picture representing a
  story?

16
The researchers choice

• Number 3 is the clearest. 3s designer is rated
  as field independent.
• Number 3 has an easily detected main idea a
  murder scene with each element clearly related.
• Number 1 is also well organised.
• Number 2 has many different elements which do not
  clearly relate to each other.

17
Does the following describe a field independent
or field dependent?

• Perceives items as distinct from context
• Tends to impose structure
• Restructures information into small tight
  groupings
• Perceives more analytically

18
Field independent

• Now compare the characteristics with those of the
  field dependent person
• Descriptions in part 1 are quoted or adapted from
  Tennant and Baltimore Public Library

19
Perception and organization of ideas

• Field Dependent
• Perceives items as part of a context - has more
  difficulty separating main ideas from context
• Is less likely to impose structure - leaves as
  is
• Restructures ideas into loosely organized
  groupings
• Perceives more globally

• Field Independent
• Perceives items as distinct from context
  distinguishes main ideas more easily
• Tends to impose structure more readily
• Structures information into small tight groupings
• Perceives more analytically

20
Social and Personal Dimension

• Field Dependent
• Attentive to social frames of reference
• Socially sensitive and watches facial expressions
• More people-oriented and likes closeness
• Uses more of a community frame of reference
• Perceives own identity as less separate from
  others
• Favours expression
• More affected by criticism

• Field Independent
• More impersonal style
• Less aware of facial expressions or social
  factors
• Less people-centred and prefers some distance
• Has internalised frames of reference
• More individualistic
• Favours intellectualisation
• Less affected by criticism

21
However

• There is no implication that there exist two
  distinct types of human beings. Witkin H., Moore
  C.A., Goodenough D.R., Cox P.W. (1977)
• The distinctions are on a continuum.
• Field --------------------------------------------
  --------Field
• Dependent Independent
• People may have qualities from both areas to a
  degree

22
Which qualities are preferable?

• One set of qualities may be preferred in a given
  situation, but in life both kinds of qualities
  have value.
• The value of each quality depends on the
  circumstances.

23
How do these traits develop?

• As these factors may suggest, socialisation plays
  a part in the formation of cognitive style.
• Early encouragement to autonomy is considered one
  factor.
• As socialization and early learning plays a role
  in cognitive style, students may benefit from
  instruction to learn the strategies and
  perceptions of another style.

24
How would field independent students learn?
25
How Field Independent students learn

• Perceive analytically with clear distinction of
  ideas
• Have an impersonal orientation
• May need explicit training in social skills
• Interested in concepts for their own sake
• Have self-defined goals and reinforcement
• Less affected by criticism
• They can usually deal well with ambiguous
  material
• They tend to use hypothesis testing

26
How Field Dependent students learn

• Experience globally, adhere to structures
• Require externally defined goals and
  reinforcements
• Need organisation provided
• Learn material with social content best
• Attend best to material relevant to own
  experience
• Prefer more positive feedback
• Use observation to learn concepts (with examples)

27
Accommodating different leaning styles in the
classroom

• Matching student and teacher learning styles may
  lead to student comfort
• However A powerful argument can be made that
  opposition, contradiction and obstacles are
  necessary conditions for individual development
  and creativity.
• Wapner in Messick (1976)

28
Comments on Witkins work

• There are questions about the reliability of some
  of the tests and on exactly what the test
  measures.
• However, the research is referred to frequently
  and with respect.
• I have not found many references to actual use of
  the tests on the Internet, but it is embedded in
  the Felder on-line test I emailed you to take.

29
Part II

• David Kolb
• Learning Styles
• Content adapted or quoted from Kolb and On-line
  site infed.org

30
A different model of learning styles

• David Kolb is known for his work on experiential
  learning
• He has developed ideas on learning styles
  following ideas in Lewin, Dewey and Piaget.

31
Kolb and Frys view

• for full effectiveness, learners need 4 abilities
  conceived as being in a learning circle
• Concrete Experience (CE)
• Reflective Observation (RO)
• Abstract Conceptualisation (AC)
• Active Experimentation (AE)
• However, most people have a preferred style.

32
Learning Style Inventory

• Kolbs Learning Style Inventory was designed to
  measure these inclinations to a particular style.
• The four styles correspond to parts of the
  learning cycle.

33
Can you see yourself in the following styles?

• There are four styles described by David Kolb
• Diverger
• Assimilator
• Converger
• Accommodator

34
Characteristics of the Diverger

• Concrete experience and reflective observation
• (CE and RO)
• Strong in imaginative ability
• Good at generating ideas and seeing things from
  different perspectives
• Interested in people
• Has broad cultural interests
• Specialises in arts
• Characteristic of people with humanities and
  liberal arts backgrounds.

35
Characteristics of the Assimilator

• Abstract conceptualization and reflective
  observation
• (AC and RO)
• Strong ability to create theoretical models
• Excels in inductive reasoning
• Concerned with abstract concepts rather than
  people
• Not too interested in the practical uses of
  theories
• Attracted to basic sciences and mathematics
• Often works in research and planning departments

36
Characteristics of the Converger

• Abstract conceptualization and active
  experimentation (AC and AE)
• Strong in practical application of ideas
• Performs well with single right answer
• Can focus hypothetical-deductive reasoning on
  problems
• Unemotional - prefers dealing with things more
  than people
• Has narrow interests
• Specialises in physical sciences
• Characteristic of many engineers

37
Characteristics of the Accommodator

• Concrete experience and active experimentation
• (CE and AE)
• Greatest strength is in doing things
• More of a risk taker
• Performs well when needed and adapts to immediate
  circumstances
• Solves problems intuitively
• Relies on others for information
• Often found in action-oriented jobs such as
  marketing or sales

38
Kolbs learning styles critique

• Some of Kolbs claims about the need for learners
  to develop in all style areas is unrealistic.
• Tennant describes this as rather an extravagant
  and utopian claim.
• The experiential model and its steps do not fit
  all learning situations.
• The Learning Style Inventory does not measure
  competence only preferences as the learner has to
  choose word descriptors. Tennant

39
Usefulness of information on learning styles

• Helps students understand themselves as learners
  through inventories and introspection.
• Encourages learners to work with strengths but to
  try other ways of learning.
• Encourages teachers to think of some learning
  difficulties as possibly related to the need for
  using other learning strategies in class.
• Encourages educators to be flexible in class
  planning to develop all learners abilities.

40
References

• Witkin H. et al,(1954) Personality through
  Perception. Harper and Brothers, New York
• Witkin et al, (1977) Field-dependent and field
  independent cognitive styles and their
  educational implications in Review of
  Educational Research Vol. 47, No. 1, Pp. 1-64
• Sadler-Smith, E. and Riding, R., (1999)
  Cognitive style and instructional preferences
  in Instructional Science 27 355-371.
• Kolb, D. (1984) Experiential Learning. Prentice
  Hall, New Jersey, US.
• Messick, S. ed, (1976) Individuality in Learning,
  Jossey Bass San Francisco.
• Internet sources
• Baltimore Public Library Librarians Information
  Network. On-line. Cited on 3/21/05. Available at
  www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/tips/styles
• Infed encyclopaediarchives On-line Cited on
  8/4/05. Available at www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn
  .htm
• Tennant, M. (1997) Psychology and Adult Learning.
  Second edition. Routledge, London

41
Any questions?

• The End

42
(No Transcript)