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Teaching Style versus Learning Styles: Something You Should

Know Dr. Julie Giuliani

McHenry County College2003

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The art of teaching

Teaching is about making some kind of dent in the world so that the world is different than it was before you practiced your craft.

Stephen D. BrookfieldThe Skillful Teacher (1990)

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Teaching Style

• Five basic preferred teaching styles• Tend to teach the way we’re most

comfortable• Easy to assume students learn the way we

teach• Need to teach the way students learn

Five Teaching Styles

• Expert• Formal Authority• Personal Model• Facilitator• Delegator

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Expert

• Possess knowledge, expertise that students need

• Concerned with transmitting information

• Works to ensure that all students are well prepared

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Expert

Advantage: Sharing of expertise, information, knowledge and skills

Disadvantage: May be intimidating to less experienced students, limited focus on underlying processes that produced answers

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Formal Authority

• Concerned with providing both negative and positive feedback

• Focused on the correct, acceptable, and standard ways of doing things

• Provides students with the learning structure and learning parameters

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Formal Authority

• Advantage: Focus on clear expectations and acceptable ways of doing things

• Disadvantage: Rigid tendencies, can lead to standardized, less flexible problem solutions and lack of creativity

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Personal Model

• Teaches by “personal example”• Guides and directs by demonstration• Encourages students to observe and

mirror instructor’s approach

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Personal Model

Advantage: Emphasis on direct observation and following a role model

Disadvantage: Ownership of approach, students may feel inadequate if they cannot live up to teacher’s expectations

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Facilitator

• Emphasizes interpersonal communication• Guides by asking questions, exploring

options, suggesting alternatives• Encourages students to develop criteria to

make informed decisions

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Facilitator

Advantage: Flexibility; focus on students’ needs and goals; willingness to explore other learning options

Disadvantage: Style may be time consuming; sometimes deployed in a positive and affirming manner

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Delegator

• Emphasis on autonomy, self-directedness• Acts as guide or coach• Students work independently or in

autonomous teamsAdvantage: Helps students perceive

themselves as self-directed learnersDisadvantage: May misread students’

readiness for autonomy

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Learning Styles

• Visual/Verbal (20%)– Prefers to read information

• Visual/nonverbal (20%) – Uses graphs or diagrams

• Tactile/Kinesthetic (30)– Prefers hands-on

• Auditory/Verbal (30%)– Prefers to listen

Visual

Verbal

TactileVisualNon verbal

Auditory

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Learning Style Inventory

• http://www.ion.uillinois.eduSearch “Learning Styles”

• http://www.merlot.orgSearch “Learning Styles”• http://www.ivc.illinois.edu• Search “student support services”

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Multiple Intelligence

Multiple Intelligence1. Visual Spatial2. Verbal Linguistic3. Logical/Mathematical

4. Body/Kinesthetic5. Musical/Rhythmic6. Interpersonal7. Intrapersonal

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From a different vantage point…

Information Handling Domains• Active/Reflective • Sensing/Intuitive• Visual/Verbal• Sequential/Global

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Active/Reflective

• Learns best by doing something physical with information

• Processes information in their heads

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Sensing/Intuitive

• Prefers data and facts

• Prefers theories & interpretations of factual information

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Visual/Verbal

• Prefers charts, diagrams and pictures

• Prefers the spoken or written word

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Sequential/Global

• Easily makes linear connection between individual steps

• Must get the “big” picture before individual pieces fall into place

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Still More to Consider…

• Diversity and Cultural Impacts

• Adult Learning Considerations

• Life Experiences

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Hispanic American Learning Styles

• Family commitment is important• Highly diverse group• Tend to be kinesthetic

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Mexican Americans

• Least auditory• Prefer-peer orientated learning• Like a high degree of structure• Favor variety• More comfortable with broad concepts

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African American Learning Styles

• Tend to excel at relational• Peer oriented• Prefer to work cooperatively• Predominately auditory and visual• Tend to work with people not things• Focus on general concepts• Want to know relevance

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African American Learning Styles

• Prefer practical over theoretical

• Focus on whole-to-part learning

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Asian Learning Styles

• Tend to be much more visual• Have difficulty understanding lectures• Very peer orientated• Chinese• Filipinos• Koreans

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Adult Learning Assumptions

• Adults are autonomous and self-directed• Adults are goal oriented• Adults need to know why they are learning

something• Adults are practical problem-solvers• Adults have accumulated life experiences

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Barriers to Adult Learning

• Juggling life responsibilities • Lack of time• Lack of money• Lack of child care• Scheduling problems• Transportation problems• Insufficient confidence• Not interested or ready to learn

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Students of Generation X and Y

• Grew up with TV, movies, video games• Acquired well developed skills in interacting

with machines• Skilled in interpreting visually displayed data • Sees “big picture”• Impatient learner• Very tech-savvy

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Students of Generation X and Y

• Want options• Multitasking important• Credibility

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Gender Learning Characteristics

Males° Tend to see the world as black/while° Understand diversity - a legitimate state° However, prefer to know what is “right”° Ultimately, develop a personal commitment to the relativistic world

°

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Gender Learning CharacteristicsFemalesDifferent ways of knowing

° Silence: Tend to feel voiceless° Received knowledge: Tend to feel powerless over creation of knowledge° Subjective: Truth and knowledge are subjectively known

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Gender Learning CharacteristicsFemales

° Procedural: Are invested in learning, applying objective learning procedures for obtaining knowledge

° Constructed: Knowledge is contextual; can create new knowledge found objectively or subjectively

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So where does this leave us???

When designing your online course consider…

•Ask students to identify their learning style

• Using multiple instructional strategies

•Learn cultural background of students

•Be aware of your learning style

•Give assessment choices

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References• Fuller, D. et al. (2000) Profiling the On-Line Professor

http://ifets.ieee.org/periodical/vol-2-2000/pearce.html

• Grasha, A. (1996). Teaching with style. Pittsburgh: Alliance Publishers

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References

• Gross, R. (1999) Peak learning. New York: Putnam Inc.

• Ramirez, M.& Castenada, A. (1974). Cultural Democracy: Bicognitivedevelopment and education. New York: Academic Press

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References• Wallace, J. (1995). Learning Styles in the

Phillippines. Education, Summer 95, Vol.115, Issue 4.

• Willis, M.G. (1989). Learning Styles of African American Children: A review of the literature and interventions. The Journal of Black Psychology, 16 (1) 47-65

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References• Dunn, R.& Griggs, S. (1993). Learning

styles of Mexican American and Anglo-American elementary school students. Journal of Multicultural Counseling & Development. Oct.93, Vol. 21, Issue 4, pp.237-248