learning styles and - university of bahrain€¦ · (incl. those with different learning styles)...

Learning styles and Teaching styles

Creating and implementing strategies to support all students

at the University of Bahrain

Introducing myself

Dr Loykie Loïc Lominé

University of Winchester

Staff Development

Consultant UK-HEA, IBO

Workshops: last week Italy, October Dubai, January Mexico, March Singapore…

By the end of our workshop, you will be able to :

1. Explain why learning styles matter in higher education

2. Analyse your learning style, both in theory and in practice

3. Evaluate how your teaching style caters for all students

4. Create strategies/activities to support all your students (incl. those with different learning styles)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the workshop, you will be able to :




4. Create strategies/activities to support all students (incl. those with different learning styles)

Learning outcomes

Structure of the session

• Warm-up activity (to stimulate our minds and brainstorm the topic)

• Theoretical input (definitions, scholarship)

• Learning styles (two models)

• Teaching styles

• Examples (incl. Jack, student in UK)

• Applications (to UoB)

• Recap

Structure of our workshop

Warm up

Theoretical input

Learning styles

Teaching styles

Examples

Applications

Recap

Warm up activity

Protocol:

- Stand up

- Question on the screen.

- 30 seconds to think about your answer.

- Pair up with someone and, for 2mn, share/discuss your response.

- We then repeat this three other times / with different questions / speak with other people

Question 1

Remember a very good teacher you had at school/university.

Why was he so good?

Describe his teaching style

Question 2

Remember a very bad teacher

you had at school/university.

Why was he so bad?

Describe his teaching style

Question 3

When you were a student,

how did you learn best?

Question 4

Nowadays, how do you learn best?

What have we done?

- Stimulated our minds (and bodies)

- Started thinking/talking about:

- learning styles

- teaching styles

Initial definitions

• Topic of “learning styles” is intuitive

• “my preferred learning style” = my inclination towards a kind of learning

• Spontaneous descriptions: “I am a visual learner”, “I am a fast learner”

• May vary over time

• May vary according to the object of learning

Learning style theory/theories

• A very rich area of research and scholarship

• 2004: Learning and Skills Research Centre at Newcastle University published a review of learning styles theory: 180 pages report

A review said:

“It was not only the number of learning styles models which surprised the Newcastle University team, but the differences in what the models claimed to measure and the terminology used to describe different kinds of learners.

The researchers concluded that this is potentially confusing for both schools and educational policy makers who are not specialists in the field”.

Learning style model 1:

VARK

VARK

4 basic learning styles:

• Visual

• Aural/auditory

• Read/Write

• Kinaesthetic

(and variations: VAKT)

• www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_bQUSFzLI4

tinyurl.com/KPQOQLO

vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/

Or vark-learn.com then “VARK questionnaire”

- Do the test (questionnaire)

- Read the results

- React to them / discuss them in pairs (is it what you expected?)

http://vark-learn.com/the-vark-questionnaire/







My own results

Learning style model 2:

Honey and Mumford (1986)

http://www.open.edu/openlearnworks/pluginfile.php/69355/mod_page/content/1/learning_styles.pdf

Two options:

1. Do an online quiz/questionnaire to identify your learning style (according to Mumford and Honey)

Many versions online:

- On PC: tinyurl.com/LRY4FRJ (website of the University of Surrey UK)

- On smartphone:

Search for “Mumford and Honey test” – e.g. brainbox

OR

2. Read more about “Mumford and Honey” online

University of Surrey version

• libweb.surrey.ac.uk/library/skills/study_skills/Self%20Evaluation%20of%20Learning%20Styles/self_evaluation_of_learning_styles.html

http://libweb.surrey.ac.uk/library/skills/study_skills/Self Evaluation of Learning Styles/self_evaluation_of_learning_styles.html



My learning style according to Honey and Mumford’s model

Many other models

My learning style according to Memletics

http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/






Recap

“Learning styles”:

a very rich body of research and scholarship

Keeps developing – and still “very hot”


Warm up

Theoretical input

Learning styles

Teaching styles

Examples

Applications

Recap

3 questions

3mn to think and write down your answers:

1. How would you describe your teaching style?

2. How does it reflect the way you would like to be taught, if I were a student (or the way you learn best)?

3. When you work with students, how do you ensure that you cater for a range of learning styles?

5mn discussion in pairs (or small groups)

VARK for teachers/trainers

“your teaching preference”

According to VARK

-- bear in mind it is only a rough diagnostic based on a short questionnaire

Discussions

1. Should I expect my students to adapt to me, to the way I teach….. or should I adapt my teaching to my students’ learning styles and preferences?

2. How is it possible to support a heterogeneous group of students who have different learning styles?

Why does it matter?

Being aware of (a) my own teaching style, (b) my students’ learning style, I can be a better educator.

Academics often forget/ignore the fact that students have different learning styles.

“mismatch between tutor and students”

In class,

many academics

focus on K1

In class,

many academics

focus on K1

They forget K3

Recap

Learning styles:

• Very many models and theories

• Still disputed/controversial topic

Teaching styles:

• May need to “adjust”

• Explore alternatives to cater to all students


Warm up

Theoretical input

Learning styles

Teaching styles

Examples

Applications

Recap

Example of a student - JACK

“SpLD” = Specific Learning Differences

Dyslexic (and dyspraxic)

Learns differently from other students

Video I made for an L&T event I led at the University of Winchester

Multi-sensory learning and

Multi-sensory teaching

Multi-sensory learning and

Multi-sensory teaching

From a student’s perspective

From a tutor’s perspective

Use of Multi-sensory teaching

Use of Multi-sensory teaching

Primary education

Secondary education

Higher education

My initial view (up to 5-6 years ago)

• University = space of “serious” knowledge exchange and knowledge creation

• “academic” = “old-fashioned”, “traditional”

• Lecture, students taking notes…

What made me change my mind?

• “Intellectual curiosity”

• PGCert in Teaching and Supporting Dyslexic Adult Learners in Higher Education

(research base, input of experts etc)

• Working as a dyslexia tutor - one-to-one support with students (such as Jack)

- with colleagues in Student Services

Multi-sensory teaching: Key aspects

1. It does not compromise the integrity of the learning outcomes (nor the HE dimension)

2. It can gives SpLD students (like jack) a learning environment that suits their learning style(s) better

3. It adds layers to what we do – and makes it more accessible to all students

4. Some subjects already do it “naturally” (e.g. Dance and Engineering for kinesthetic learners)

5. It can make teaching more creative and more interesting

EXAMPLE (1)

Using the board game Monopoly

to teach finance or economics

EXAMPLE (2)

Use leg bricks

to teach engineering

EXAMPLE (3)

Using songs/music

I play (soft) background music in class

EXAMPLE (4)

“Peripatetic tutorials”

EXAMPLE (5)

“Hands-on” activities with students


Warm up

Theoretical input

Learning styles

Teaching styles

Examples

Applications

Recap

Task 1: Application to self

Think about your favourite topic

(or one you recently taught)

How could you teach it

in a more creative, multi-sensory way?

Why?

2mn on your own

10mn to discuss in small groups

Task 2: Planning

Think about a class you will teach soon.

How can you include a range of learning styles in your design/delivery?

(VARK; reflector, activist, theorist, pragmatist)

2mn on your own

10mn to discuss in small groups [“why?”]


Warm up

Theoretical input

Learning styles

Teaching styles

Examples

Applications

Recap

By the end of our workshop, you will be able to :




4. Create strategies/activities to support all your students (incl. those with different learning styles)

Learning outcomes

What else have I done today?

I have endeavoured to model good practice:

• Working in a multi-sensory way

• Using visuals, video with subtitles, regular recaps

• Trying to cater for a range of learning styles

(VARK; reflector, activist, theorist, pragmatist)

learning styles and - university of bahrain€¦ · (incl. those with different learning styles)...

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