Learning and Teaching Styles
CSE590IT 10/30/2001
Instructor: Tammy VanDeGrift
Discussion Notes
Results of Learning Styles Survey
Did you find the results of the learning styles survey surprising?
Most students did not find that their results were surprising. This sparked
a discussion about the validity of the survey since the choices for each
question are indicative of the particular learning styles. Some students
read the article by Felder before taking the survey and found that their
knowledge of learning styles altered their responses.
Discussion of Learning Styles Described by Felder
sensing -- These learners are practical, like real world connections, facts,
figures, and detailed procedures.
intuitive -- These learners like theories, abstractions, and concepts.
visual -- These learners learn from diagrams, tables, and demonstrations.
verbal -- These learners learn from reading text and listening to teachers.
inductive -- These learners like to see examples prior to learning about a
principle or theory.
deductive -- These learners like to see the theory first and then supporting
examples.
active -- These learners like group work, learn best by doing, and jump into
solving a problem.
reflective -- These learners like to have time to reflect on what they are
learning and think things through before trying them out.
sequential -- These learners like information presented in small, connected
chunks.
global -- These learners achieve understanding in large steps and like to see
the big picture.
Points that came up during the discussion
- People have different learning styles that are dependent upon the domain
they are trying to learn (baseball swing versus computer programming).
- There are learning styles that do not fit into any of the above categories
(lateral learning as described by Andrei).
- A person can be verbal and visual by seeing pictures in their mind while
the teacher is speaking.