Learning style inventory and assessment methods

Learning Style Inventory

My results: learning style inventory

When I learned that my predominant learning styles were those of a visual learner and a social learner, I was not surprised. The theory of multiple learning styles of Howard Gardner resonates what I have known intuitively for a long time: different people are innately talented at different things. "Unlike the established understanding of intelligence -- people are born with a uniform cognitive capacity that can be easily measured by short-answer tests," the theory of multiple intelligence suggests that there are different intelligence profiles of which "each person has a unique combination…no two individuals have them in the same exact configuration -- similar to our fingerprints" (Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, 2013, PBS). Of course, it is certainly possible to learn how to do things without an innate talent. For example, even though my strongest talent does not lie in the sphere of logical analysis, I can learn how to do math problems with hard work. But some of my friends can 'ace' a math test without studying, simply by using their innate problem-solving abilities. Rather than focusing on generalized intelligence, learning style theory suggests that everyone learns differently and has a constellation of different strengths and weaknesses. The theory remains extremely controversial in the academy and many clinical and research psychologists dispute Gardner's theory. However, anecdotally, "it has met with a strongly positive response from many educators. It has been embraced by a range of educational theorists and, significantly, applied by teachers and policymakers to the problems of schooling" (Smith 2008).

For example, someone with a visual learning style such as myself tends to think in images and pictures and enjoys doodling. Visual learners remember images better than words and use 'mind maps' to remember things and understand problems. In contrast, the aural learning style is gifted at music. To learn in a more conventional, non-musical classroom setting, remembering things by creating a song or rhythm is helpful; so is creating acronyms or mnemonic devices. The verbal learning style is less sound-oriented than word-oriented and also exhibits a strong preference for word-oriented learning techniques such as mnemonics and rhymes.

But the verbal learning style is more likely to flourish in a conventional classroom setting than the aural style, given that the learner exhibiting this style tends to favor word-based games rather than music. "The verbal style involves both the written and spoken word. If you use this style, you find it easy to express yourself, both in writing and verbally. You love reading and writing" and using a variety of different kinds of words (Overview of learning styles, 2013, Learning Styles Online). Kinesthetic learners, in contrast, like a 'hands-on' method of learning things. They like to feel something to be able to do it, rather than learn about it in a theoretical manner beforehand with diagrams or words. If you are a kinesthetic learner, "touch, action, movement and hands-on work in your learning activities" are important (Overview of learning styles, 2013, Learning Styles Online). They tend to excel in crafts and physical education but the principles of kinesthetic learning can be reinforced in a variety of educational settings, such as labs in a chemistry class or taking a field trip in a history class.

There is a great deal of interrelation between kinesthetic and visual learning styles, given that both emphasize 'hands on' activities. Making use of these techniques is suggested to kinesthetic learners, to make their learning style more amenable to the classroom: "writing and drawing diagrams are physical activities, so don't neglect these techniques. Perhaps use big sheets of paper and large color markers for your diagrams. You then get more action from the drawing" (Overview of learning styles, 2013, Learning Styles Online). As a visual learner, I would also find these devices helpful.

In contrast to some of the other learning styles, the logical learning style is extremely comfortable with and fluent in an abstract understanding of the physical world: there is little surprise that persons with this learning style are extremely strong in math and the sciences. "You can recognize patterns easily, as well as connections between seemingly meaningless content. This also leads you to classify and group information to help you learn or understand it" (Overview of learning styles, 2013, Learning Styles Online). Logical learners take a very rationalistic view of the learning process, and look for systemic connections to understand the world in a sequential, linear fashion