Learning Styles and Technology

Learning styles help teachers to know what type of instruction, support and technology can best help a particular student access and acquire learning. When a student first begins the year, the teacher would be wise to administer a learning styles assessment, to determine how that student gains understanding from instruction. If the student prefers visual input, the teacher should provide visual support, such as diagrams, maps, charts and any type of symbolized information. If the student is more a verbal learner, he/she best benefits from the written or spoken word, utilizing meaning from language to learn. Tactile learners prefer hands-on activities, to manipulate objects and make sense that way. Kinesthetic learners need to literally move their bodies to internalize learning. The multiple intelligences bring in different styles such as musical, naturalistic, interpersonal and intrapersonal preferences. Students each display one or more of these preferences, and it is in the interest of the teacher to create lessons and activities that can reference these strengths and abilities in these areas. Tapping into these styles will more likely ensure students' engagement with the learning, as well as a more successful outcome toward the goal or objective of the lesson or activity.

Technology offers a wide range of options for addressing the various learning styles. Choices such as the Smartboard can offer support for the visual learner, verbal learner, and tactile learners. A system such as Blackboard can supply information in advance for learners who prefer information ahead of time to be prepared for classwork and even work in advance of deadlines. The use of the Internet provides students with an almost endless array of websites for those who prefer to use verbal means to acquire understanding, through research from online resources. Many game-oriented software programs give the tactile learner a way to interact to learn math, spelling, etc. Another avenue for the tactile learner involves the use of manipulatives in math, which also support the student who needs concrete objects to understand concepts.

My classmate's results of her two learning style quizzes show her to be:
- Introverted, preferring Judgment, Sensing. She prefers to work alone in general, rather than in a group, unless she has a group of people she feels very comfortable sharing in the learning. For her, she would probably best learn through access to the Internet for information that she could independently research. Also, the use of video can provide information that each learner can access individually. Of course, using a word processing program would allow her to create written products in her own manner. In order to create a written piece of work, she could do her own brainstorming with a graphic-organization program like Inspiration. Or she may want to use Timeliner to design timelines or life cycles for projects. She also likes to do work ahead of time, getting an early start on her assignments and projects. In this case, a system like Blackboard would help her to know in advance what to expect, what deadlines she has, and how to organize her time. Thirdly, she likes to have a more concrete presentation and factual lessons, rather than abstract learning. She would most like to have a software program that provides objective information, maybe a reference guide. Possibly, she would also use the resources of the Internet for such access.

-Reflective, Sequential. My classmate tends to need time to absorb information, and revisit and reflect on it. In this situation, having the technology from the Smartboard (printed notes) which provides her with a set of lecture notes would help her reference the material. Also, teacher use of a Powerpoint program would give her similar access. Learning in a logical, sequential manner means she needs visual supports and a step-by-step direct instruction method. Again, the Smartboard can display a type of task analysis, with each step described, guided practice and monitoring by the teacher, and immediate answers to questions when problems arise.

In conclusion, it is to both the teacher's and the student's benefits to know what type of learning style the student has. Differentiating instruction can spell the difference between the student not understanding a concept, or achieving a skill, and really making sense of instruction through a careful analysis of learning preference and delivery through appropriate methods.