Learning styles and their characteristics

Style of Learning

Describe the concept of learning.

Learning means the acquisition of new knowledge and skills. When setting learning goals people are primarily concerned with increasing their personal competence at a new or old task. "Learning goals are also self-referential, focusing on the development of skill and competence relative to the task and one's past performance" (Gentry et al. 2006, p.80). Even for theorists of learning who focus primarily on the enhancements provided by collaborated learning, the cognitive change that is defined as learning must take place within the individual.

Distinguish between learning and performance.

In contrast, performance is the outward demonstration of one's abilities. Unlike the introverted and internal change that occurs with learning, performance has outwardly-oriented goals, in "which people are concerned with gaining favorable judgments of their competence and to avoid unfavorable ones" (Gentry et al. 2006, p.80). Performance goals are concerned mainly with normatively-based standards, rather than personal standards. Performance standards promote the demonstration of abilities to others while learning is focused on self-development and enhancement. A good example might be the difference between learning to read, a skill that an individual will have for the rest of his or her life, versus demonstrating reading competence on a standardized test to meet a certain performance goal specified by the school district.

3. Compare and contrast the conceptual approaches to the study of learning.

Often different learning theories are referred to as cognitivist, constructivist or behaviorist. Behaviorists focus on the demonstrable acquisition of knowledge and skills. Learning is presented to the individual and then instilled through a series of rewards and punishments. Cognitivists focus upon the specific content of the learning and the learner is viewed as a recipient of knowledge. The constructivist, however, views learning as an activity in context. The content of the lesson is not central to the learning process, rather the context and process of learning is important. "The goal of learning is individual enrichment. Learners are consumers and reconstructors of knowledge (2.1 Acquisition and participation metaphor of learning, 2004, Educational Symantic Web). The relationship with the teacher, the independence generated by, for example, learning math skills by creating a recipe, are more important than completing the lesson plan and demonstrating knowlege on a standardized test.

Some constructivists have gone so far as to suggest that the "collaborative character of learning" means that learning can be defined as "shared meaning making" (2.3 Learning as shared meaning making, 2004, Educational Symantic Web). Although learning is still individual in the sense that the learner learns for him or herself, "meaning making is not understood as a psychological process which takes place in individuals' minds" but as an "essentially social activity that is conducted jointly - collaboratively -- by a community, rather than by individuals who happen to be co-located" (2.3 Learning as shared meaning making, 2004, Educational Symantic Web).