Articles on learning styles have encouraged “matching” instructional activities with certain learning styles. However,a 2008 study on learning styles did not find that optimal learning occurred when the instructional activity corresponded with a student’s specific learning style.
A 2009 study from David J.M. Kraemer and Lauren M. Rosenberg of the University of Pennsylvania found that effective processing transpired when a learner was presented material not in their preferred modality; the learner would then convert material to their own modality, thus “[facilitating] processing and later recall.” Relatedly, Howard Gardner calls for teachers to diversify their instructional activities, not only to reach different learning styles, but also to “convey what it means to understand something well.”