Understanding Learning: Characteristics and Learning Styles

Learning styles are approaches to learn and studying. Although many different learning styles have been described, one theme that unites most of the styles is differences between deep and surface approaches to processing the information. Individuals who have deep processing approaches see the learning activities as a means for understanding some underlying concepts or meanings. The tend to learn for the sake of learning and are less concerned about who their performance is evaluated, so motivation plays a role as well. In our classrooms we rarely find these kinds of students who are oriented towards an intrinsic motivational need to acquire knowledge. Because they are too young to actually find any value in learning or it does not interest them much as TV channels, computers, mobile phones or even going fishing or picnic.

Identify your learning style.

Students who take a surface-processing approach focus on memorizing the learning materials, not understanding them. These students tend to be motivated by rewards, grades, external standards, and the desire to be evaluated positively by others. Even the best students we find in the classroom as inclined towards these external rewards. The grades on their report forms and the prizes that they get on the prize day are what they seek and gets satisfaction. If we can get these students to be intrinsically motivated, the result could be more profound and sustainable.

What are learning preferences that students ask for?

Learning preferences are individual preferences for particular learning modes and environments. They could be preferences for where, when, with whom, or with what lighting, food or music you like to study. If we think for a minutes how we studied for the blocks or how we are studying for the upcoming exams it maybe for blocks of time that we study, or late night perhaps when our kids sleep and we are free from distractions.

Teachers can make options available to accommodate individual preferences. Having quite corners as well as large tables for working; comfortable cushions as well as straight chairs; brightly lighted desks along with darker areas; headphones for listening music as well as earplugs; structured as well as open-eneded assignments; information available form videos and tapes as well as in books or the internet. All these options will allow students to work and learn their preferred mode at least some of the time. But we will need to question if the policies of our schools and the restrictions that school rules place will be possible for us to make changes in the structure and provision of such facilities to students. Perhaps, the polices should be relaxed more and allow better leeway for teachers to implement what they are professionally trained for.

Learning styles

One of the most popular approaches to learning was developed by Ken and Rita Dunn. These educators found that students differed in terms of their response to three key dimensions of learning: environment, physical stimuli and structure and support. To identify students’ different learning styles, these researchers developed the Learing Style Inventory. The inventory asks students to respond to statements. Teachers can develop their own inventories by focusing on the dimensions and can use information to adapt instruction to individual students, groups of students or whole class.

Field dependence/independence:

Field dependence and independence, another learning style dimension, targets students’ abilities to select relevant from irrelevant information in a complex and potentially confusing background. For example when encountering work problems a field independent person is more likely than a field dependent individual to extract and use relevant information in solving the problem while ignoring irrelevant information. A field dependent person by contrast would have more difficulty in differentiating between relevant and irrelevant information in the problem.

Students learn in many ways, like seeing, hearing, and experiencing things first hand. But for most students, one of these methods stands out.

For example, visual-learning students will sometimes struggle during essay exams, because they can't recall test material that was "heard" in a lecture.However, if the visual learner uses a visual aid when studying, like a colorful outline of test materials, he or she may retain more information. For this type of learner, visual tools improve the ability to recall information more completely.A simple explanation of learning styles is this: Some students remember best materials they've seen, some remember things they've heard, while others remember things they've experienced.

How can you determine your learning style?

Visual Learner Characteristics

Visual learners are those who learn through seeing things. Look over the characteristics below to see if they sound familiar. A visual learner:

• Is good at spelling but forgets names.
• Needs quiet study time.
• Has to think awhile before understanding lecture.
• Is good at spelling.
•  Likes colors & fashion.
•  Dreams in color.
•  Understands/likes charts.
•  Is good with sign language.

Auditory Learner Characteristics

Auditory learners are those who learn best through hearing things. Look over these traits to see if they sound familiar to you. You may be an auditory learner if you are someone who:

• Likes to read to self out loud.
• Is not afraid to speak in class.
• Likes oral reports.
• Is good at explaining.
• Remembers names.
• Notices sound effects in movies.
• Enjoys music.
• Is good at grammar and foreign language.
• Reads slowly.
•  Follows spoken directions well.
• Can't keep quiet for long periods.
•  Enjoys acting, being on stage.
• Is good in study groups.

Kinesthetic Learner Characteristics

Kinesthetic learners are those who learn through experiencing/doing things. Look over these traits to see if they sound familiar to you. You may be a kinesthetic learner if you are someone who:

• Is good at sports.
• Can't sit still for long.
• Is not great at spelling.
• Does not have great handwriting.
• Likes science lab.
• Studies with loud music on.
• Likes adventure books, movies.
• Likes role playing.
• Takes breaks when studying.
• Builds models.
• Is involved in martial arts, dance.
• Is fidgety during lectures.

So how does it affect us: teachers?

The first is more global and philosophical. Our knowledge of learning styles should serve as a constant reminder of the individuality and uniqueness of each of our students. As we become more sensitive to their differences, we can begin to treat each student as an individual human being and not just another face in a class of 30.

The second implication suggest the need to vary out instruction. We have heard that teachers who vary the way they teach are more effective than those who instruct the same way all the time. Alternatives such as cooperative learning, mastery learning and computers provide flexibility in meeting individual learning styles. The need for instructional variety has been supported by research.

A third implication is to help our students understand themselves as learners by making them aware of how they learn best and their individual strengths and weaknesses to become life long learners.

That said, all these things become impossible without advocacy and the heads of schools and even the government supporting these kinds of initiatives by the teachers. Being too restricted in instruction and variety will not be a solution to bring out effectiveness in the classroom So schools heads, parents and the government authorities together should be able to bring about a change in the way students learn and become life long learners through achievement and motivation that comes from their own learning.