Myths about learning styles - and how to actually utilize them

Learning styles are, in some ways, the urban legends of learning and development. Everyone has heard of them, it’s an interesting fact that they seem to exist, but they are not life-changing news. Back when I studied educational science for maths and physics I learned there are three of them (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) and we should use the “EIS-principle” to ensure all kids learned maths well. That seemed pretty straightforward.?

As I learned more about education, I discovered that there are actually 4 learning styles and they are completely different from what I learned before (Diverging, Assimilating, Converging, and Accommodating). Over time I got to know another 4-type model (WHY, WHAT, HOW, WHAT IF) and even a 12-type model. According to Wikipedia, there are more than 80 different models of learning styles.

So, are learning style models a rather arbitrary composition of different learning approaches? Here are some myths and how to actually utilize learning styles.

Myth 1: Every learner has one preferred style of learning, and to maximize learning success you should learn in your preferred way?

There are scientific studies and for some models, there is statistical evidence that preferences exist. It does make sense to reflect: How do I learn most effectively? By investigating what works for you and what does not, you can achieve a higher retention rate. E.g., it’s great for your colleague, if she can build up knowledge on investment strategies by listening to podcasts while going for a run. If your learning preferences are different, that might not work as well for you.

But learning is a complex process so any cooking recipe has shortcomings. I am more of a visual learner than an auditory learner. That means in general I can remember information better when I see it visually represented/written out, compared to when I hear the same information. But it doesn’t mean the (purely) visual approach is always the best for me. I could never learn how to drive a car just by reading about it. And in many cases, I can remember a good, compellingly told story better than what I read in a textbook.

Myth 2: If we knew about the preferred learning styles of our learners, we could design better learning sessions

Firstly, in many cases, this is a purely hypothetical discussion. In almost every case, we have no idea about the preferred learning style of our learners. Most people do not even know their own preferences, so how could we know when we are tasked to design a session for someone else? It might be possible for our own kids, or other people we accompany very closely on their learning journey. E.g., are they more observing or more experimenting? But this is hardly possible in adult education. At least in Germany where we have high standards for privacy and data protection.

Secondly, even if you knew 35% of your learners tend to the diverging style, 30% to assimilating, 20% to converging, and 15% to accommodating, what would you do with this information? There are scientific papers that show some learning sessions are more effective if they are tailored to the preferred learning style of the individual learner. But in heterogeneous learner groups, you need to take into account all learning preferences, as all preferences are present in your group. And preferences are just preferences, it doesn’t mean the learners can only learn in this style. Imagine you have 4 kids, one prefers fish, the second beef, the third chicken, and the fourth pork. What would you cook over the time span of a week? Likely you would try to have a good mix of dishes and also have some vegetarian meals. Even if one of your kids prefers pork, having Schnitzel every day would not be the best diet for it.

So how to utilize the learning style models in practice?

David Kolb’s framework is called the experiential learning cycle because he suggests a learning session becomes “full circle” when all learning modes are covered when sequencing different learning activities which cover all preferences.?

Personally, I use learning style models to prevent the learning session becoming too one-sided. Without taking the perspective of different learning styles, my sessions might tend too much to some design approaches, as I personally prefer them. I might lose sight of some learners when creating the design. And I use them as a tool for reflection. I encourage learners to reflect on what works well for their own learning process and what works less. The learning style models provide useful reference points and vocabulary for this.

What do you think about learning styles? Do you utilize them?