Learning as Fashion Week...styles and preferences

I'm trying to remember the first time I heard about learning styles. It's difficult to distinguish between what I may have been told about them and what I discerned for myself on my own. I guess if I discerned it on my own that would be me figuring out my learning preference versus the defined styles put forth by makers of assessments and educational experts (who then sell their information to makers of assessments).

My preferred way to learn is active learning. I learn best when I can either discuss what I'm learning, do the thing I'm learning about, or watch someone else do the thing. When I read text it just hits my brain and slides right off. I call it having a teflon brain. I feel like I don't retain much if I don't have an opportunity to talk about it soon after or do the thing. According to authors Pashler, McDaniel et al, that doesn't mean it's the only way I can learn. I guess I have to agree with that because that's certainly not how the bulk of my education has been presented and here I am in a Ph.D. program so some things must have stuck.

I think the hullabaloo about learning styles is an attempt, and I feel an honest, sincere one, to address learning deficits among different learners. If some are faring better than others perhaps it can be chalked up to their learning style being compatible with PowerPoint presentations and monotone lectures. Maybe others just don't learn well that way. So, people do research and "discover" that everyone has a different learning style. Then the new fashion of teaching must involve attending to everyone's different style. It is like fashion. If one attended a fashion show that only had blue clothing, everyone who loves the color blue would love it, but those who love other colors would hate it.

Perhaps the key is that instead of hitting everyone's learning style, teachers, educators, professors etc...should create classes and teaching that incorporates different media, that's interactive and participatory, that engages students to be the teachers, ways that move away from ppt lectures.

Maybe it isn't as much about learning styles as it is about keeping people engaged in learning. Make sure your fashion show has a little something for everyone.

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