Tips+4+Teaching

This blog is about learning styles and in particular Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model. Each of us has a preferred learning style, which may be subconsciously transferred into the way we plan lessons and teach. By becoming more aware of our own preferred style of learning then we can become more aware of how we are teaching, and cater for students who have different learning styles to ourselves while encouraging and strengthening them in the other styles. Included is a Learning Style Inventory, or ‘test’, to find out which best describes your learning style and descriptions of the learning styles.
 * LEARNING STYLE = TEACHING STYLE **

The inventory will indicate your learning orientation, or how you tend to perceive and process information. The scores from the inventory are then c alculated to determine your learning style.

There is a small table showing the relationship between the le arning style and learning conditions and a chart that demonstrates how learning orientations and styles are linked. ==I have also included another test to indicate your Visual, Auditory or Kinesthetic/ Tactile Learning Style  and links to other websites, with a brief description, that contain further information. ==

The Learning Style Inventory
This survey is for describing how you learn – the way you find out about and deal with ideas and situations in your life. Different people learn best in different ways. The different ways of learning described in this survey are equally good. The aim is to describe how you learn, not to evaluate your learning ability.

Computing your Learning Style
To compute your learning style, subtract CE from AC and subtract RO from AE. Preserve negative signs if they appear and refer to the chart below.



Four learning styles
===The attached files give a description of each of the above four learning styles and how that learning style prefers to learn.  ===

The relationship between learning style and learning conditions.
 (after Kolb 1984)
 * ** Learning style ** || **  Conditions under which learners learn better  ** ||
 *  Assimilators ||  When presented with sound logical theories to consider  ||
 *  Convergers ||  When provided with practical applications of concepts and theories  ||
 *  Accommodators ||  When allowed to gain 'hands on' experience  ||
 *  Divergers ||  When allowed to observe and gather a wide range of information  ||

= Kolb’s Experiential Learning Orientations and Preference Dimensions. =

The attached file shows another way in which to understand the four learning styles, and introduces the preference dimensions of perceiving and processing. It gives a description of how each learning style is affected by the preference dimensions.



LEARNING STYLE: Visual, Auditory or Kinesthetic/ Tactile
The attached file is a 'test' to determine your learning style: Visual, Auditory or Kinesthetic/ Tactile.

Other sites for further information

http://www.aboutlearning.com/index.php/what-is-4mat  - further explains the 4MAT model and how it links to Kolb’s model. It explains how the 4MAT model can be used when planning for learnings. [|http://www2.glos.ac.uk/gdn/discuss/kolb1.htm#Figure2]  – a revised version of a discussion paper explaining Kolb’s experiential learning theory. There is a description of how the authors used the experiential learning cycle to make students more aware of themselves as learners. http://www.infed.org/biblio/b-explrn.htm  - Kolb’s model is set out and the possibilities and problems are examined. Has further descriptions of characteristics for the learning styles. http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/experience.htm  - The experiential learning cycle. This page has ideas that have been adopted and adapted to all kinds of learning situation. http://www.businessballs.com/kolblearningstyles.htm  - shows and explains Kolb’s learning styles model, also has links to Gardner’s multiple intelligences and VAK learning styles models. http://www.personal.psu.edu/bxb11/LSI/LSI.htm  - An on-line learning style inventory to determine which learning style you prefer: Auditory, Visual, or Tactile. http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/questions.asp  - this site has an on-line test to determine your learning style (visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, social, or solitary). You have to submit your name and email address to see your results- in exchange for receiving the service free, the site will email you a free newsletter monthly from which you can unsubscribe at any time. User attributes are optional and there is an option for creating a group information area where individuals can share their results with other members of the group. Style scores are shown for each style and displayed graphically- which can be displayed for printing. http://www.njea.org/pdfs/LearningStyleInventory.pdf  - a PDF format Learning Style Inventory that can be printed. Includes scoring procedures and a few tips on how to use your learning style when learning.