Principles and Practices of Teaching and Training. Ann Gravells
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It’s therefore important to consider other factors which influence learning, such as the environment, not just the preference or style of the individual learner.
Questionnaires and inventories
There are many different versions of questionnaires and inventories which are available. These can determine what preference or style of learning is best for each learner. For example, if they prefer to learn by watching a demonstration, listening to a talk, or to carry out practical activities. Your organisation might have one they would like you to use with your learners, or they might not want them used at all. Some are free and some are paid for; however, not all have been seriously researched in educational fields. If you do use them, you might prefer to focus on the weaker findings and empower your learners to adapt information in a way that they are comfortable with, for example, by using a digital voice recorder if they are weaker at listening. They can then listen to the recording many times to help improve their listening skills. If a learner needs to improve their visual skills, they can use the image function of internet search engines to look at pictures and graphics.
Your learners might instinctively know what works best for them rather than having it determined for them. For example, they might prefer practical activities rather than reading or writing. This might have developed from previous courses they have attended. Rather than this being their learning preference, you could think of it as their teaching preference. You could ask your learners which teaching preference they have and then adapt your sessions accordingly.
VARK
In 1987, Fleming stated that people can be grouped into four styles of learning: visual, aural, read/write and kinaesthetic, known by the acronym VARK. Table 2.2 gives some examples of characteristics of VARK learners.
Table 2.2 Example characteristics of VARK
Table 2.3 Examples of meeting VARK learning preferences
However, try not to be quick to place learners in one of the four styles, as they may be multi-modal, i.e. a mixture of two or more styles, enabling their learning to take place more quickly.
Activity
Think about the subject you will teach. What activities could your learners carry out to cover the visual, aural, read/write and kinaesthetic learning preferences? Do you agree with Frank Coffield that the whole teaching and learning environment has an impact rather than just the learning preferences? If so, how and why?
In 1992, Fleming, along with Mills published their findings in a journal. Other publications have since become available which have different views. Styles and preferences of learning can change over time depending upon many factors, such as lifestyles or particular events. Table 2.3 gives some examples of meeting the VARK learning preferences for various topics. However, it’s best to use a mixture of each to ensure variety during your sessions.
Honey and Mumford (1992)
Honey and Mumford suggest learners are a mixture of four styles: activist, pragmatist, theorist and reflector. This could be interpreted as:
Activist
Activist learners like to deal with new challenges and experiences, often learning by trial and error. They like lots of practical activities to keep them busy and they enjoy a hands-on approach. They love challenges and are enthusiastic.
Pragmatist
Pragmatist learners like to apply what they have learnt to practical situations. They like logical reasons for doing something. They prefer someone to demonstrate a skill first before trying it for themselves.
Theorist
Theorist learners like time to take in information, they prefer to research and read lots of material first. They like things that have been tried and tested and prefer reassurance that something will work.
Reflector
Reflector learners think deeply about what they are learning and the activities they could do to apply this learning. They like to be told about things so that they can think it through. They will also try something, think about it, and then try it again.
Example
Matt has just bought a new mobile phone. He is an activist learner and therefore enjoyed learning to use it by tapping the icons and trying out the functions. If he was a pragmatist, he would have asked someone to show him how to use it. If he was a theorist, he would have read the instructions thoroughly before carrying them out. If he was a reflector, he would have used the functions he was familiar with before thinking about different ways of using them, followed by using the phone’s other functions.
It can be useful to ask your learners to complete a learning preference questionnaire. It can be fun and lead to an interesting discussion, as well as helping you plan your approaches to reach all learning preferences. A free online questionnaire is available at www.vark-learn.com.
Retention of learning
Whatever teaching and learning approaches and activities you choose to use with your learners, you will want them to retain what they have learnt. There have been many studies regarding the retention of learning, which are usually expressed in percentages. One is Dale’s (1969) Cone of learning and experience, as in Figure 2.7. This shows in percentages how much people remember what they read, hear, see and do. However, Dale said it was not to be used literally, the bands within the cone are not rigid but flexible, and the cone in Figure 2.7 has been adapted, revised and disagreed with over the years.
Using activities from the top of the cone (passive) through to the bottom of the cone (active) might help your learners to realistically experience your subject. They should then remember more because they have said and done what they have read and heard, i.e. they have put theory into practice.
Figure 2.7 Dale’s Cone of learning and experience (1969, page 108) adapted
If your learners can incorporate reading, hearing, seeing, saying and doing during your sessions, their learning retention should increase. Once learners put theory into practice they should begin to understand what they have learnt. Some people learn by imitating or copying others. While they might then be able to perform the task, they might not know why they are doing it. Therefore, skills and knowledge are best learnt together to ensure understanding takes place.
Extension activity
If you have access to the internet, go to www.vark-learn.com and carry out the online questionnaire. See what your results are for each of V, A, R and K. Do you think your result adequately reflects the way you learn? If not, why not? Research other theories regarding learning preferences and styles. Find out why some people