A very interesting concept - do learning styles really exist (visual, verbal, hands-on, etc)? In an education system that teaches that all students learn differently, this theory could be quite controversial.
Although I am not aware of the science behind the theory, I would say that I agree with Professor Willingham that students don't have different specific learning styles. It makes sense that some students pick up on visual instruction and others on auditory instruction, but that doesn't prove that a student learns a specific way. It just means that they understood a different method of teaching.
Take this example: You, a social studies teacher, lecture to your class for ten minutes about a battlefield during the Civil War. You explain its location in relation to other areas of interest, run through the topography of the area, point out the benefits and disadvantages of such a location, and other interesting facts. One of your students raises his hand, commenting that he doesn't understand what you are lecturing about. You show him physical and topographical maps of the battlefield and explain again why they would benefit or disadvantage the soldiers. Now he understands. What does this mean?
Well, it means that he understood what you were teaching when you presented it to him in a different way. Other students understood the lecture - he didn't. So, you found a way in which he understood. This doesn't mean that he ought to be categorized as a visual learner. There may be times when he does fine listening to a lecture. But it is all about making sure the student understands the material.
Whichever concept you believe to be true about the way students learn, does it necessarily make a difference? We are all concerned about the students' learning, including myself.
Well put, great example.
ReplyDelete