by Claire Beaumont

Created on: February 17, 2009

A Summary of Findings of Learning Styles and a Reflection on Implications for the Development of Strategies to Improve Personal Learning.

The subject of learning styles is a vast one, about which there are many different views. This essay looks at those views, in particular those of Gregorc (1979), Fleming and Mills (1992) and compares them to that of cognitive styles. It also relates them back to Gardner's Multiple Intelligences. Not only that, but this essay focuses on the questions: Are Learning styles and cognitive style the same thing, or are they completely different?' How accurate and how realistic are the styles?' and brings about problems with them.

It would be impossible to state just one definition of learning styles, as there are so many different ones. However, a good, clear definition expressed by Gregorc, (1979) was distinctive behaviours, which serve as indicators of how a person learns from and adapts to his environment. It also gives clues as to how a person's mind operates.' It is the idea of behaviour' that suggests learning styles are a way of being, and can change over time. More importantly though, it is the way an individual thinks. In effect, it is an individual's preferred way of learning, which can be categorized in various different ways such as VARK (Visual, Aural, Read, Kinaesthetic), put together by Fleming and Mill (1992).

To arrive at a result people have to fill out a questionnaire, and then at the end tally up their points with a points chart derived by, in this case, Fleming and Mills (1992). The results from the questionnaires can be used to help children learn. For example, if the child is a Visual learner, they will benefit from many pictures and experiments (in a scientific environment). There is a major problem with these questionnaires though; they do not seem to be very accurate. People read questions differently and interpret them differently which would mean that the outcomes and information found would be a little distorted. Not only this, but people may think they are one thing, but in actual fact are something completely different. When I was presented with such a questionnaire, I predicted myself to be a visual person, because I find it easier to interpret pictures than large blocks of text. However, after having completed the form I found, to my surprise, that I was a read/write learner. This could be due to many different reasons. It may be due to my interpretation of the questions. In addition, the approach

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