1. Moving from Learning Styles to Research Based Learning Strategies
How to Learn
How to study
Dr. Marsha Fralick

2. Introduction Meet the presenter and the person next to you

3. Overview
Is there empirical evidence supporting the concept of learning styles?
Learning styles: the good, the bad, and the ugly
What comes next?
Neuroscience and practical learning strategies
Exercises
Discussion

4. Handouts are available at: www. collegesuccess1
Handouts are available at: Click on Training Notes

5. We all loved Pluto
On July 14, 2006, the New Horizons spacecraft became the first space craft to fly by Pluto.
In 2006, Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf plane causing debate in the general public.
According to an unofficial vote, the public thinks that Pluto should still be a planet.
Does believing make it true?

6. We have all loved learning styles.
What is the evidence?

7. A quick definition of learning styles
The concept that individuals differ in regard to what mode of instruction or study is most effective for them. Learning style can be assessed to help students understand how they learn best (audio, visual, kinesthetic, tactile) and apply these strategies to learning.

8. Is the concept of learning styles supported by scientific evidence?

9. “Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence”
Study commissioned by Psychological Science in the Public Interest.
Published by cognitive psychologists Pashler, et al, 2010.
Set up criteria for evaluating the research on learning styles and conducted a review of the literature.
Searched for studies using empirical methodology.

10. What is empirical methodology?
Students are assessed for learning style (auditory, visual.)
Students within each learning style group are randomly assigned to different groups using primarily visual or auditory presentations.
Students are given the same test of achievement.
Results need to show that the teaching method that matches learning styles result in improved test performance.
The literature was surveyed to find studies with empirical methodology.

11. What were the findings? Pashler
The evidence for the validity of the learning style concept was weak or contradictory.
“The contrast between the enormous popularity of the learning style approach within education and the lack of credible evidence for its utility is, in our opinion striking and disturbing.”
Pashler

12. Findings
“The widespread use of learning style measures in educations settings is unwise and a wasteful use of limited resources.” Pashler Additional research completed since 2010 have confirmed these finding. See handout for bibliography.

13. Learning Styles
The Good
The Bad
The Ugly

14. Learning Styles: The Good
Learning style theory has made us aware that students learn in different ways.
We are shifting from a focus on lecture to using multiple modes of presentation: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic.

15. Learning Styles: The Bad
Newer findings from neuroscience show that we need to use all the senses in learning, not just the preferred ones.
The learning style label may not be valid.
Labels can limit students potential.

16. Learning Styles: The Ugly
Is education based on evidence and research or popular belief?

17. Think, Pair, Share What is your experience with the good, the bad, and the ugly?

18. What’s Next?

19. Multi-sensory Integration
All the senses work together as a team to store information in long-term memory. What senses can you use to remember?

20. “Vision is probably the best tool we have for learning anything.”
From Brain Rules by John Medina
Developmental Molecular Biologist
Director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research, Seattle Pacific University
Supporting research for Brain Rules must first be published in a peer-reviewed journal and then successfully replicated many times.

21. Exercise: The Power of Visualization

22. Visualization Exercise
I will show you 10 photos. See how many you can remember.

33. Visualization Exercise
I will show you 20 photos. Each photo has a number. Write down the number of the photo you saw in the previous exercise.

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54. Visualization Exercise
Correct Answers:

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65. Visual Learning is Powerful and Accurate
Help your students practice visual learning.

66. Think, Pair, Share How can you help your students use visualization in learning? Do you have some practical examples?

67. Multi-sensory Integration
What other senses help us to learn?

68. Auditory: learning through listening and talking
Use auditory strategies to reinforce visual learning.

69. Tactile Examples
Writing is one of the best tactile learning strategies.
Take notes, write a journal, or make an outline.
Use real objects to help you learn. For example, in learning fractions, cut an apple in half.

70. Kinesthetic: learning through movement
You don’t forget how to ride a bike, right?

71. Olfactory: learning by smell
Smell is strongly associated with memory and learning because it is connected to emotions. Can you remember the smell of fresh baked cookies? Are the commercials correct? Does your body spray attract the opposite sex?

72. Think, Pair, Share Challenge: How can you use the olfactory sense to improve learning?

73. Gustatory: learning through taste
The sense of taste stimulates the reward center of the brain which regulates motivation and learning.

74. Think, Pair, Share Challenge: How can you use the gustatory sense to improve learning?

75. Use all of your senses to remember.
For Example Learning a Foreign Language

76. Other Practical Learning Strategies Based on Neuroscience
Meaningful organization
Chunking
Recitation
Elaboration
Positive Thinking
Develop an Interest
See the Big Picture
Intend to Remember
Distribute the Practice
Create a Basic Background
Relax While Studying
The Importance of Sleep

77. Exercise: Memory Test

78. How did you remember?
Visualization Recitation Meaningful organization Chunking

79. Meaningful Organization
Organize material into categories that are meaningful to you.
Learn from general to specific.
Make it meaningful

80. Chunking: The Magical Number 7 Theory
Organize in groups of 7 or less.

81. Exercise

82. Think Positively about Learning
Stressful and unpleasant? or
An interesting adventure?

83. Develop an Interest Music Sports Hobbies Cars
We tend to remember what interests us.
Music
Sports
Hobbies
Cars
Motivation and attitude have a big impact on memory.

84. See the big picture first.
Understand the main points first and the details second. Imagine trying to see a painting one inch at a time!

85. Intend to Remember Tell yourself that you are going to remember.
If you think you won’t remember, you won’t remember.
Example: Intend to remember where you put your keys!

86. Distribute the Practice
Learn small amounts at a time.
Review frequently.

87. Create a Basic Background
We remember by making connections to what we already know.
At first college is difficult because you are establishing the basic background.

88. Relax while studying. The brain works better when it is relaxed.
Use distributed practice to prepare and reduce stress.
Relax while studying.

89. Stress and Emotions Moderate stress can be turned into motivation.
Severe stress interferes with learning.

90. Exercise: Memory Scenarios

91. The Sleep Quiz

92. Sleep and Memory Video: Sleep to Remember. Remember to sleep.
During sleep, we organize and consolidate learning from the previous day.
Important for transferring information from short-term to long-term memory.
Video: Sleep to Remember. Remember to sleep.

93. Think, Pair, Share
What are some practical strategies to move from learning styles to research based strategies?

94. Discussion