Strength through Diversity: Utilizing Diverse Learning Styles Study Groups To Strengthen Teaching and Learning Skills (original) (raw)
Related papers
1991
Community college students arrive with a diversity of learning styles, study skills, and test anxiety levels. The study described here was conducted to determine whether activity grouping of students according to learning style (incorporating at least two different styles in each group) contributes to improved student performance. In the spring of 1991, the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT) and the Test Anxiety Scale (TAS) were administered to 60 first quarter anatomy and physiology students in a community college. The GALT identified the following types of learners: (1) concrete learners-learn best with hands-on experiences; (2) formal learners-have developed analytical reasoning skills; and (3) transitional learners-learn concepts better with verbal instuction accompanying hands-on experiences. At the end of the quarter a posttest was administered and students were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding the activity groups. Results suggest that despite insignificant differences in the pretest and posttest scores, use of the GALT test to identify student's learning style was most informative. Questionnaire respondents felt that working with students of different learning styles helped them perceive material in a different way. Several tables display pretest, posttest, and questionnaire data; an appendix provides a copy of the questionnaire. (Contains 16 references.) (LL)
Higher Education Research Group Adelaide (HERGA) Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, 2023
There are several factors that impede smooth functioning of student groups while working on group assessments. These include interpersonal disagreements, group composition issues, unequal distribution of workload and social loafing (Hirshfield & Koretsky 2018; Trroussas et al 2023). To address challenges related to group composition, Pardes and Rodriguez (2006) suggest grouping students according to their learning styles (homogenous groups) may provide synergy and provide opportunities to improve learning outcomes. Conversely, Grigoriadou et al. (2006) argue that heterogenous groups with dissimilar or mixed learning styles has the advantage of generating dynamic group interactivity and ideas from different perspectives. Hence, our study aimed to investigate whether grouping students based on similar (homogenous) and dissimilar (heterogenous) learning styles had a positive impact on students’ academic performance. The study involved students completing a Felder-Soloman Index of Learning Style Survey (ILS) in the first week of the first-year unit - Organisational Behaviour. We assigned students who had one single dominant learning style into similar (single) learning style groups (8 groups). Students who had similar scores on two different learning styles were grouped under two styles category (3 groups). We combined the students of different learning styles to create mixed learning styles’ groups (11 groups). Finally, the students who did not complete the survey were placed under ‘Random Groups’ (6 groups). Students participating in the study completed two types of assessments in their groups. As a formative assessment, there were 8 weekly group concept games (non-graded) spread across the duration of the topic. A group case report constituted the summative part of the assessment that required students work in groups. The analysis results showed that the mixed learning styles groups performed better in the group assessments than those in the single or two style groups. Eight out of 11 mixed learning style groups were on the top 15 in the leaderboard table for the formative assessment (weekly group concept games), and six out of 10 groups that obtained distinction in the group case report formative assessment belonged to the mixed learning style groups category. The results of this study suggest that forming groups based on mixed learning styles may provide opportunities to enhance learning outcomes for students in group assessments in university courses.
Teaching Students with Different Learning Styles and Levels of Preparation
What do you do when you realize that half the students in your section haven't done the reading? Or when your class is divided between majors who easily master the material and non-majors who continually struggle? What do you do when you have the sense that a few of the students still aren't getting it, despite your best efforts? College students enter our classrooms with a wide variety of learning styles and levels of preparation. Teaching non-majors, majors, and students with a range of experiences and ways of learning all in the same classroom is one of the most challenging aspects of our job. Assessing how students learn, their previous experience with the material, and how their skills change over the course of the semester is the first step in developing strategies to reach all students. Teachers instinctively teach in the same modality in which they learn. For example, an aural learner will be very comfortable in leading open-ended discussions with few visual aids, while a visual learner may rely on charts and diagrams without adequately explaining concepts aloud. The most successful teachers incorporate different modes of communication to serve a range of learners. Determining your ownmodality of learning will make you more aware of your teaching style and help you incorporate visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic elements in your lessons. Differences among students are not limited to learning styles. Teachers who regularly assess students' knowledge and preparation levels can modify semester plans as well as weekly lessons to best teach their students the skills and information necessary to succeed in class. Start-of-term assessments give you a sense of what to expect from your students, while midterm and end-of-term assessments help you determine what students have gained from the course and where to focus your efforts. Brief, informal assessments provide a quick-check of your students' understanding of a particular concept or topic. This document covers a few types of assessment appropriate at various times during the semester and during class meetings. Assessments often clarify the reasons for a split class, indicating whether the differences among students result from motivation, preparation, experience, or learning styles. When you have determined the underlying cause of your split class, you can tailor your teaching to meet your students' needs. This document offers some practical strategies and suggestions for teaching a heterogeneous group of students.If you work with a group of TFs, the workshop agenda provides way to share this information with others.
Comparing Community College Students' Learning Styles in General and Advanced Biology Classes
1994
This paper reports on an investigation into individual differences and group differences in learning styles, test anxiety levels, task performance, and students' attitudes regarding cooperative learning in beginning and advanced biology classes. The Transactional Analysis Inventory (TAI) and Test Anxiety Scale (TAS) were administered to two groups of general biology students and two groups of advanced biology students at a southeast Alabama community college. On the basis of the TAI, students who knew their TAI results were placed into activity groups so that at least two learning styles were represented in each group. At the end of the quarter, students again completed the TAI and the TAS, in addition to the Learning Styles Questionnaire; pre-and post-test scores and beginning versus advanced test scores were compared. Although both students and teachers felt that cooperative learning groups helped to reduce their test anxiety, no significant differences were found between the preand post-test TAS scores. Correlations were noted between learning styles and grades with concrete or hands-on learners having the highest grades in both class groups. Findings indicate that group activities not only prevented students from working in isolation, but also helped reduce shyness and increased social skills, team spirit, and a sense of belonging. The learning styles questionnaire is appended. (Contains 19 references.) (NAV)
The Self Administered Inventory of Learning Strengths for College Students
1994
Understanding how they learn best is important for beginning and returning college students. This self-awareness can assist students in developing their classroom learning, study skills, and instructional habits throughout their college careers. For this reason, a quick, inexpensdve learning style inventory appropriate for college populations was constructed to aid them in understanding their learning strengths. The Self Administered Inventory of Learning Strengths (SAILS) was constructed as an alternative to traditional learning style inventories, which have some problems. The instrument, its rationale, and proper uses are described. The developed inventory assesses learning styles in the domains of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic preferences. The test has been piloted in several New Mexico community colleges and universities. Results have established that it is easily self-administered and provides useful information for college students. The inventory is attached. (Contains 10 references.) (Author/SLD)
Learning Styles as Predictors of Students’ Test Performance
English Language Teaching, 2014
Raising awareness of learning styles as a major component of communicative competence in learners may lead to greater levels of success in English as a foreign language. This study was an attempt to investigate the role of learning styles as predictors of test performance. The participants of the study were 152 B.A. level students majoring in English teaching at Imam Khomeini international university in Qazvin and Takestan Islamic Azad University. To get ensured of the homogeneity of the participants prior to the study, the researchers administered a test of general language proficiency which showed no significant differences among the participants in this regard. Then, the learning styles questionnaire adapted from Honey and Mumford (2000) was administered to the participants. At the end of the semester, the participants took part in their usual final exams. The obtained data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The results revealed that out of the four learning styles of theorist, activist, reflective, and pragmatist as possible predictors, only reflective and pragmatist styles accounted for a statistically significant portion of the variance in final test performance. The findings of this study may have theoretical and pedagogical implications for language learners, teachers, and syllabus designers. * Associate professor, Tabriz University, Iran
Group formation based on learning styles: can it improve students’ teamwork?
Educational Technology Research and Development, 2011
This work explores the impact of teacher-led heterogeneous group formation on students' teamwork, based on students' learning styles. Fifty senior university students participated in a project-based course with two key organizational features: first, a web system (PEGASUS) was developed to help students identify their learning styles and distribute them to heterogeneous groups. Second, group facilitation meetings were introduced as a technique to help students reflect on their weak/strong traits and employ appropriate roles in their group. The study research questions focused mainly on students' attitudes regarding the learning style-based group formation approach. By applying qualitative research method students' views were recorded about the impact of styles awareness and group heterogeneity on group collaboration and possible benefits and drawbacks related to the style-based grouping approach. Evaluation data revealed that students gradually overcame their initial reservations for the innovative group formation method and were highly benefited since styles heterogeneity within the group emphasized complementarities and pluralism in students' ways of thinking. Overall, this work provides evidence that the adoption of learning styles theories in practice can be facilitated by systems for automated group formation and supportive group facilitation meetings that help avoiding the trivial and discouraging approach of using learning styles to simply label students.