Learning Styles Inventory – 2

4 thoughts on “Learning Styles Inventory – 2”

1. Lance P

   September 7, 2015 at 10:02 am

   Ben, this is something I struggle with.

   I am glad that the inventory outright makes a point of using the word “preference” when it comes to modalities, but towards the end it suggests that these are more fossilized when telling a student that X learning “style” is the “most efficient” for them.

   It could be that students have used their learning preferences to mutiny against me in the past, but also that there seems to be misunderstanding about this, in general. You know that my administrator was unbearably ignorant, yet he and other special education teachers used personal anecdotes to try and convince me that kids couldn’t learn aurally. This is super upsetting because students with IEPs and 504s tend to do exceptionally well via TPRS and CI. The statment “I have to write everything down or else I won’t remember it” is a common defense when it comes to learning “style” discussions. It’s simply untrue for language acquisition.

   I like how you use this to build a relationship and help students see that they might be out of their comfort zone in terms of so much listening. I take issue with how science has shown that learners don’t actually have the barriers they perceive in the first place.

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   1. Nathaniel

      September 7, 2015 at 1:20 pm

      Two thoughts come to my mind, Lance.

      1. How did they learn their first language before they learned to write?

      2. More practically, we tend to and strive to write down what we say when the students do not already know a word/structure.

      Make that three:

      3. I let a girl write things down at the beginning of last year. After awhile she stopped. I think she needed to feel at ease that she could write down and discovered that she did not need to.

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   2. Ben Slavic

      September 7, 2015 at 11:59 pm

      This inventory is clearly loaded with possible negatives. Some researchers (I can cite the article if you want it but would have to dig around) are now arguing against this kind of labeling. I hear that loud and clear. I don’t want any kids using their visual or kinesthetic nature against me in in my class. I want them to open up their minds. In the end, at the risk of danger, I still do this class. Why? Because when I try to guess their distribution and dominant learning style, something happens that is human between us. I feel closer to them as a result of doing this and except for a few bad apples – none this year thank goodness – we all emerge from this class with greater respect and knowledge of each other and what expectations are in my auditory class, etc.

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2. Chris

   September 9, 2015 at 2:58 pm

   There is no research supporting this. While people have learning PREFERENCES, there *is* no such thing as a “learning style” (and much the same goes for multiple intelligences). The book Teacher Proof has a good chapter on this.

   We are supposed to do the inventory bla bla and I never have. I have never yet seen a classroom where this made any difference. I mean, great, you want to self-identify as a “kinesthetic” learner or whatever, wonderful. But you still have to do the math prob or the essay or the story in writing.

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