In his book on The Skillful Teacher, Brookfield (2015, p. 15) emphasized that “There will be very few standardized practices that help students across the board learn essential skills or knowledge. An approach that one student finds particularly useful or congenial may well be profoundly unsettling and confusing to the student sitting next to her.” This contention struck me in a way that I experience it through my learning activities and I also observe it among my students.
I am a learner who spends time savoring every bit of information I want to learn. Learning sessions that give enough time for reflective work help me learn better. However, not all classes are similar so I learn better in some courses that fit my learning preferences and not in others. I believe that this experience also resonates with my students’ learning experiences. Hence, it would be helpful for me to learn more about the diversity of learning.
What do we know about the diversity of learning?
Understanding that there is no one strategy that fits all types of learners makes me appreciate the different factors that contribute to learning diversity.
The VARK model indicates that we have learning preferences – visual, auditory, reading/writing, kinesthetic (Fleming & Mills, 1992). Although we learn through these 4 styles, a person tends to prefer one over the other. For example, in learning how to analyze data using statistics, I prefer a combination of visual and reading materials. Visual materials include pictures and video clips on the process of analysis. Reading materials include detailed instructions and explanations of statistical concepts. However, if I have enough time, I prefer reading the entire material because it helps me absorb the information more and store it in my long-term memory.
In a similar vein, the index of learning styles suggests that we have preferences between active and reflective learning, sensing and intuitive learning, visual and verbal learning, sequential and global learning (Litzinger, Lee, Wise, & Felder, 2007). Personally, I am a reflective learner in a way that I prefer to think thoroughly about a concept before applying it to different contexts. I also prefer sequential learning as I tend to organize my learning materials before I even start learning about them – this makes me at ease with what I want to work on.
The concept of multiple intelligences ascertains that not all learners have the same level of thinking ability in different areas. To date, there are 9 intelligences studied and recognized around the world – logical-mathematical, existential, interpersonal, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, intrapersonal, spatial, naturalist, and musical (Chen, Moran, & Gardner, 2009). It is wonderful to note that in just one class, I observe that students exhibit various levels of multiple intelligences. One of my students was good at analyzing data sets and presenting statistical results in easily understandable graphs and illustrations – this reflects a combination of logical-mathematical and spatial intelligences. Another student surprised me when she creatively delivered her research presentation through a combination of words and music – this reflects musical intelligence.
There is also the cultural context in learning. Eastern students prefer to ask for clarifications based on the materials that they have already studied whereas Western students prefer to ask about materials they do not know of (Watkins, 2000). An Asian student may be silent throughout the class but that does not mean he/she is disengaged but rather is digesting the learning materials and will be asking for clarifications if necessary. On the other hand, a Western student asks several questions and expects the teacher to provide answers that will help him/her understand the concept. Both are engaged students but in different ways.
What’s next?
Learning preferences, multiple intelligences, and cultural context in learning support Brookfield’s (2015) contention that indeed there is no single and universal approach to facilitating learning. Recent studies also indicated that we have preferences on how we learn, but we indeed learn in a variety of ways and not just in one dominant ‘style’ (e.g., Rogowsky, Calhoun, & Tallal, 2020). These are important considerations for teaching and learning.
I should be mindful that when I am teaching a specific concept, there should be different materials that will be able to address various learning preferences. For example, a student may learn about personality through reading articles whereas another student may be more engaged by watching video clips and illustrations. Another student may be interested to learn about personality when there is an opportunity to understand him/herself better in the learning experience – this reflects intrapersonal intelligence. Another student may need more time to learn about personality because he/she wants to understand the learning materials thoroughly (i.e., reflective learning) and then connect them with concrete observations and experiences (i.e., sensing preference of learning). Finally, students come from different cultural backgrounds, so I must be sensitive to how they approach their work and learning materials.
Learners have different ways of expressing their knowledge and skills, and true enough one instructional strategy does not fit all learners.
References
Brookfield, S. D. (2015). The skillful teacher: On technique, trust, and responsiveness in the classroom. John Wiley & Sons.
Chen, J. Q., Moran, S., & Gardner, H. (2009). Multiple intelligences around the world. John Wiley & Sons.
Fleming, N. D. (2001). Teaching and learning styles: VARK strategies. Christchurch, New Zealand.
Litzinger, T. A., Lee, S. H., Wise, J. C., & Felder, R. M. (2007). A psychometric study of the index of learning styles©. Journal of Engineering Education, 96(4), 309-319. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2007.tb00941.x
Rogowsky, B. A., Calhoun, B. M., & Tallal, P. (2020). Providing instruction based on students’ learning style preferences does not improve learning. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 164. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00164
Watkins, D. (2000). Learning and teaching: A cross-cultural perspective. School Leadership and Management, 20(2), 161 – 173. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632430050011407
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