The Myth of Learning Styles

By: Jasmine Rodwell

When it comes to the topic of Learning Styles, most of us will readily agree that we have been told our whole lives that in order to do well in school, we need to know learning styles. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of whether or not learning styles exist. Whereas some are convinced that it doesn’t, others maintain that learning styles are a way of life.

Three Learning Targets:

What are Learning Styles.
Why Learning Styles taught in schools.
How can Learning Strategies can replace Learning Styles.

“What are Learning Styles?”

Learning styles are a way a person learns and can even influence how teachers teach. Everyone learns things in different ways. There are seven types of Learning Styles. These styles are visual, aural, verbal, physical, logical, social, and solitary.

Visual learners find they do better at learning when there are charts, colors, symbols, and pictures implemented into the lesson. Aural learners do well in lectures as they need to hear what is being said and explain. They may even read aloud to help themselves understand what it is they are reading. Verbal learners need the information to be spoken and repeated to understand and retain information. Physical learners are hands-on. By using their other senses, they can get a better understanding of how things work because it allows them to look at things differently (Staff, 2017).

As the name speaks for itself Logical learners need logic and reasoning. If something does not make sense then they will start from the beginning and continue to look at and study until they find the why. Social learners work well with others and in groups because “they can bounce ideas off each other and get feedback” (Staff, 2017). Lastly, Solitary learners prefer to work independently as this can limit distractions.

It is believed that learning styles first came about by Aristotle in 334 BC based on the fact that he noticed how different children were from each other based on their own skills, individuality and talent (Chandler, 2020). Research had begun on learning styles but declined due to students' academic achievements and IQ. It wasn’t until the 1970s where learning styles became popular again and made its way back into the classrooms (Chandler, 2020).

“Why are Learning Styles Taught in schools?”

It is believed that learning styles are learned before a child can even speak, based on how their parents learn. Because of this, many people believe that learning styles are “heritable, instantiated in the brain”(American Psychological Association), and can even predict success in careers and academics. In fact, when it comes to passing the licensing exam for teachers, 29 states, including the District of Columbia, reference learning styles (Furey, 2020). It heavily emphasizes for teachers to create their lesson to accommodate the different learning styles. Riener and Willingham (2010), states that the reason why learning styles are still being taught in schools is because people are getting styles and abilities mixed up. Everyone has different learning abilities, usually based on their background and interest, and that is what should be taken into consideration when creating lessons. There is also something called the egalitarian view of education. This means that all students are treated equally. Having learning styles is a way to treat everyone equally, while proving that everyone is different. But now this leaves questions. IF learning styles aren't a thing, how is it we will learn?

“How can Learning Strategies replace Learning Styles?”

Instead of having learning styles, it can be replaced with learning strategies. The point of learning strategies is to combine everything we have been taught on how to learn. With this students will not only know how to study, but member what they are studying. There are six types of learning strategies that everyone can use. The first strategy is time management. There is at least one time where students have crammed for a test the night before or wrote a last minute paper that was due the same day. Teachers are even guilty of this when it comes to doing test reviews the day before a test instead of a week. Students will learn what they need to learn for that test and then after that information is all gone. Create a calendar or a review journal. The first page should be the due dates of all quizzes, exams, and papers. Break the lesson down into days and weeks. Each day students should summarize what it is that they learned. Those summaries should then be put together to show what was learned that week. Explain and describe with as much detail as possible. The goal is for students to ask open-ended questions and be able to “answer in as much detail as possible” (6 powerful learning strategies 2021). They should then be able to look at their notes to see if they answered it right. Teachers should also make concrete examples. Things can bring life into the lesson and better help students understand. When talking about democracy in history, teachers can have the students create their own democracy so they can get somewhat firsthand knowledge on how things may go. Interleaving is also important. This stimulates the students minds and now they must think, instead of reading the same information on the paper over and over. Finally, add visuals to lectures. This could be pictures, graphs, videos or time lines. When students are able to combine the two together, they have a better understanding of what it is they are learning.

Reflection & Conclusion

There were a total of 668 people who participated in two online experiments about learning styles. More than 90% of the participants believed that they only do better when they are taught in their learning styles while the rest were more flexible on the idea (American Psychological Association). With that being said, there is no proof that learning styles exist and while people may do well learning a certain way, it is not the only way to learn. By using the six learning strategies: spaced practice, retrieval practice, elaboration, interleaving, concrete examples, and dual coding (6 powerful learning strategies 2021), students are able to become well rounded learners.

Review Questions

1) What is NOT a Learning Style

A) Visual

B) Physical

C) Interleaving

D) Solitary

2) What would be the best learning strategy to learn the periodic table?

A) Memorize the table

B) Color code the table and use pictures

C) Create flashcards

D) Create an audio recording

References

6 powerful learning strategies you must share with students. Cult of Pedagogy. (2021, March 11). Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/learning-strategies/.

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Belief in learning styles myth may be detrimental. American Psychological Association. Retrieved October 12, 2021, from https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/learning-styles-myth.

Chandler, J. (2020, June 30). The 7 learning styles. Synonym. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://classroom.synonym.com/learning-styles-5459157.html.

FUREY, W. (2020). The Stubborn Myth of “Learning Styles.” Education Next, 20(3), 8–12.

Riener, C., & Willingham, D. (2010). The Myth of Learning Styles. Change, 42(5), 32–35. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1080/00091383.2010.503139

Staff, E. (2017, November 27). 7 different learning styles. Start School Now. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://www.startschoolnow.org/7-different-learning-styles/.

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