Washington Dc

Learner strategies and styles

Learning styles are the ways in which a learner naturally prefers to take in, process and remember information and skills. Students’ learning style influences how they like to learn and how they learn best. Experts have suggested several different ways of classifying learning styles. They relate to the physical sense we prefer to use to learn, our way of interacting with other people and our style of thinking. Here are some commonly mentioned learning styles:
  1. Visual- the learner learns best through seeing
  2. Auditory- the learner learns best through hearing
  3. Kinesthetic- the learner learns best through using the body
  4. Group- the learner learns best through working with others
  5. Individual- the learner learns best through working alone
  6. Reflective- the learner learns best when given time to consider choices
  7. Impulsive- the learners learns best when able to respond immediately
From the descriptions above we come to the conclusion that learners with different learning styles learn in different ways, need to be taught in different ways. But at the same time we must take into consideration the fact that learners may not fall exactly into any one category of learning style, the different cultures may use some learning styles more than others and that learners may change or develop their learning styles. To determine different learner styles of my students I carried out a survey based on simple questionnaire for the students to be comprehensible. The questions asked were:
  1. Do you learn better when you see the new material?
  2. Do you learn better when you hear the new material?
  3. Do you learn better when the teacher moves around the class and uses mines and gestures?
  4. Do you enjoy learning with other students, sharing ideas and cooperating?
  5. Are you solitary by nature?
  6. Do you avoid working in groups?
  7. Are you teacher dependent?
  8. Are you confident in your...