PSYC FPX 3500 Assessment 2 Cognitive Psychology Paper

Student Name

Capella University

PSYC FPX 3500 Learning and Cognition

Prof. Name

Date

Learning Styles Theory

Introduction

Determining how to identify the composition of characteristics and factors responsible for effective learning techniques has been questioned and researched by teachers and professionals for decades. Being able to pinpoint the different learning factors that increase individuals’ effectiveness during the learning process could help educators and students better prepare themselves for success. Whether the setting is at a school, place of employment, or at home, being able to identify the best learning style for a learner could be essential to achieving the best results in the learning process. And although identifying and recognizing specific learning styles is very important, being able to cater to and tailor each style can be harder to manage, both in the classroom and online.

The Impact of Learning Styles

Different people learn differently, whether it be through listening, watching and writing, participating and questioning, or any other method. Different styles of learning impact learners differently. Some learners grasp and understand learning visually or auditorily, while others need a hands-on, sequence-based learning model to help them truly comprehend the material. It is not only important for a teacher, instructor, or facilitator to know, but it can also be highly beneficial for the learner themselves to understand the style of learning that is the most effective.

PSYC FPX 3500 Assessment 2 Cognitive Psychology Paper

With learners gaining insight into their personal learning style, they gain more confidence in learning and better optimize their learning experience (Truong, 2016). When a learning style has been identified, then the educational staff is better able to determine the best instructional style to optimize the learning process and facilitate optimal learning (Kirschner, 2017). The theory that every individual has a different learning style is always changing, with some researchers believing that learning styles change through the course of a lifetime, and others believe that individual learners create custom learning styles based on previous learning behaviors (Xiao & Abdul Rahman, 2017).

According to research by Truong (2016), the landscape of learning styles is crowded, with over 70 different theories created over the last 30 years. Being able to adapt a learning module or lesson for each different learning style is not an easy feat, with so many different learning styles, educators try to accommodate in a way that would be the most impactful for all types of learners. Whether the learner is a secondary school student, an entry-level employee, or a business professional, understanding individual learning styles could enhance the learning process to provide more effective learning.

Research Methodology of Learning Styles Theory

The articles used in researching Learning Styles Theory were all related to impactful learning processes. Understanding and identifying learning styles is beneficial to people of all ages and all types of learners, but not all researchers believe that learning styles are important in efficient and effective learning. In a peer-reviewed article published by Paul Kirschner (2017), the validity and reliability of the tests used in researching learning styles are highly questionable due to many inconsistencies. In his findings, Kirschner found that qualitative self-reporting surveys and questionnaires were the most popular source of research methodology for learning styles theories, which he found to be inaccurate and not always the most effective.

With learning styles traditionally measured using surveys and questionnaires, other researchers also question the accuracy of the methodology used, partly because the questions asked could be outdated or biased (Truong, 2016). Truong also believes that online testing could be the most accurate due to being able to study the full step-by-step learning process of the individual, which would give a more thorough outlook of the learner’s true learning style (2016).

In a pilot research study, researchers found that individual’s personality traits, behavior, and time limitations are all factors that contribute to comprehensive learning and accurately understanding their learning style (Xiao & Abdul Rahman, 2017). All of the articles were relevant and appropriate in researching the relevancy and effectiveness of the learning styles theory.

Limitations and Strengths

In theory, it would be ideal for educators and facilitators of all kinds to be able to integrate each learning style into their learning process. Unfortunately, with the large amount of learning style theories available, simply finding an appropriate and efficient method of testing would provide difficult in most settings. It would prove highly beneficial if educators and instructors were able to cater to the learning style of each learner, thus providing a much more engaging form of learning that could prove to be more accurate and comprehensive. The learning styles theory offers many strengths for both teachers and learners, but the time needed to test and the possibility that the learning styles could possibly evolve over time are limitations.

Summary and Conclusion

The theory that different learners all learn differently is not far-fetched. With the complexity of the human brain, it is not surprising that there would be different modes of teaching information to help the learner better understand the learning material. Throughout the learning process, the learner must truly comprehend the substance of the material to retain the information, which is what makes identifying learning styles relevant. Regardless of if the learning style is auditory, visual, kinesthetic, or sequential, providing a more tailored learning environment can provide the learner with the ability to truly be successful and build a healthier relationship with the learning process as a whole. By integrating different learning styles into a lesson or learning model, the educator is giving the learner a better opportunity to grasp the information, which is beneficial for both the learner and the educator.

References

Kirschner, P. A. (2017). Stop propagating the learning styles myth. Computers & Education, 106, 166–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.12.006

Truong, H. M. (2016). Integrating learning styles and adaptive e-learning system: Current developments, problems and opportunities. Computers in Human Behavior, 55, 1185–1193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.02.014

Xiao, L. & Abdul Rahman, S.S.B. (2017). Predicting learning styles based on students’ learning behavior using correlation analysis. Current Science, 113(11), 2090–2096. https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v113/i11/2090-2096

PSYC FPX 3500 Assessment 2 Cognitive Psychology Paper