« Per Linguas Communitas » (Society Through Language) (Société de par le langage)

1. Canadian Forces Language SchoolÉcole de langues des Forces canadiennesTHE DYNAMIC BETWEENLEARNING STYLE and TEACHING STYLEPresented by / présenté par :Roksolana BaranPedagogical Advisor (Military Training and Cooperation Program)CFLS Detachment Saint-Jean « Per Linguas Communitas »(Society Through Language)(Société de par le langage)

2. The Dynamic between Learning Style and Teaching Style • Introduction • Learning Style • Teaching Style • Dynamic between Learning Style and Teaching Style • What now……

3. Introduction Why the interest in learning styles? Student-centered education / language teaching

4. Learning Style Definitions: • “The ways in which an individual characteristically acquires, retains, and retrieves information…” (Felder, 1995) • “The cognitive, affective, and psychological traits that are relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with and respond to the learning environment.” (Keefe, 1979)

5. Components Of Learning Style • cognitive processing habits; • personality traits; • perceptual responses; • study preferences; • instructional preferences; • culture; • educational background; • popular wisdom; and • time spent in the target language country (e.g. USA, Canada) EX: Notion of “face” in Asian cultures: focus on accuracy; little participation; minimal exchange: kinaesthetic, tactile & individual styles (Melton, 1990)

6. Learning Style Models • Kolb’s Model • Gregorc’s Model • Fleming’s Model • Reid’s Model

7. Learning Style Models Kolb’s Model (Father of LS movement) Experiential learning: learning as “...the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. 4 styles: Diverger: likes divergent ideas; imaginative learners; Converger: likes technical tasks rather than social issues; strong practical orientation; Assimilator: likes abstract ideas; inductive reasoning; Accommodator: likes executing plans; risk-takers; intuitive;(Kolb,1984)

8. Learning Style Models Kolb’s Model Measurement Instrument: Learning Style Inventory (LSI) Critiques: • no adequate address of process of reflection; • claims about the 4 styles are very crude and unrefined; • insufficiently addresses cultural conditions & experiences;

9. Learning Style Models Gregorc’s Model LS as “..distinctive and observable behaviour that provides clues about the mediation abilities of individuals and how their minds relate to the world and therefore, how they learn.” (Gregorc, 1979) Based on learning as perceiving and ordering: • 2 perceptual qualities: concrete & abstract • 2 ordering abilities: random & sequential Ex: concrete-sequential; random-sequential

10. Learning Style Models Gregorc’s Model Measurement Instrument: Gregorc’s Style Delineator (GSD) Critiques: • Psychometrically flawed; • Very unreliable for assessing individuals

11. Learning Style Models Fleming’s Model LS as ``…an individual`s characteristic and preferred ways of gathering, organizing, and thinking about information.`` (Fleming, 2001) VARK Model: perceptual modes: Visual: maps, charts, diagrams, highlighter etc. Aural: explain new ideas to others, discuss, tape, etc. Read/Write: lists, essays, textbooks, handouts, etc. Kinaesthetic (tactile): field trips, labs, hands-on, etc.

12. Learning Style Models Fleming’s Model Measurement Instrument: VARK Learning Style Test - A Self-Reporting Questionnaire Critiques: • Lack of independent research on the model

13. Learning Style Models Reid’s Model Perceptual Learning Styles: (most widely accepted in applied linguistics) • Visual : prefer seeing things in writing; • Auditory: prefer listening, (e.g. oral explanations); • Kineasthetic: prefer active participation (e.g. drama, role-play); • Tactile: prefer hands-on work, (e.g. taking notes, handling materials); • Group: prefer studying with others; • Individual: prefer studying alone.

14. Learning Style Models Reid’s Model Measurement Instrument: Self-Reporting Questionnaire Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire (PLSPQ 1987) Research: most students correctly identify their learning strengths/preferences particularly when an element is strongly preferred or rejected. (Dunn, 1984) Critiques: • Practical, immediately transferable to the classroom through teaching practices, syllabus design and other instructional needs; and • Based on learner input which has been proven to be reliable.

15. Learning Style Adaptability • Young adult & adult learning styles are moderately strong habits rather than intractable biological attributes – can be modified and extended (Davidman,1981). • More mature students learn intuitively to adjust to instructor cognitive styles (Dorsey & Pearson, 1984) • Style shifting occurs when the same person responds to different contexts (Tarone, 1979) • Learners stick with familiar styles even when these are inappropriate (Reid,1995; Kinsella, 1994)

16. Teaching Style Definitions: • “Teacher’s personal behaviours and media used to transmit data or receive it from the learner.” (Kaplan & Kies,1995). • “Natural, habitual and preferred ways of teaching new information and skills in the classroom.” (Peacock, 2001)

17. Teaching Styles 5 basic teaching styles • Formal Authority: teacher-centered; T feels responsible for providing and controlling information which S receives passively; • Expert: teacher-centered; posses knowledge and expertise which Students need; makes a display of detailed knowledge; • Demonstrator/Personal Model: teacher-centered; Teacher demonstrates what is needed and expected; some Student participation welcome; • Facilitator: student-centered; T facilitates and focuses activities; Ss play independent, active and collaborative roles in classroom; • Delegator: student-centered; T concerned with developing Students` capacity to function autonomously; Students work autonomously on projects or as part of teams; (Kaufman, 2003; Grasha, 1996)

18. Origins of Teaching Styles • All Teachers have their own style which can be identified (Reid, 1987) • Teachers teach in the way they were taught or learned best (Oxford, 1992) • Teachers emulate teachers they admired (Kinsella, 1994) • Teachers also product of culture, personality, education (Felder, 1995)

19. The Dynamic BetweenLearning Style and Teaching Style • Students & Teachers experience style conflicts 82% of the time (Wallace & Oxford, 1992 ) • 72% Students said they felt unhappy or frustrated when teaching style differed from their learning style; • 76% of students claimed that their ESL/EFL learning was negatively affected when there was a style mismatch; (Peacock, 2001)

20. Match or Not Arguments for matching • Mismatch between learning style & teaching style causes learning failure, frustration & demotivation; (Felder, 1995) • When there is a match between learning and teaching style, Student motivation & achievement usually improves; (Spolsky, 1989) • Matching learning and teaching style promotes more efficient language acquisition. (Peacock, 2001)

21. Match or Not On the other hand • Matching means favouring one style over another; • More effective to design curriculum so that every type of learner can engage with the material (Ehrman & Oxford, 1990); • “Stretching” learning styles – forcing learners to adjust their cognitive styles – guided style-stretching (Peacock, 2001); • The more modalities a Student uses to learn, the deeper the processing of the information (Reid, 1995)

22. Students Retain... 10% of what they read; 26% of what they hear; 30% of what they see; 50% of what they see & hear; 70% of what they say; 90% of what they say as they do something. (Stice, 1987)

23. What Now... The way to go: BALANCED TEACHING STYLE (Felder, 1995; Oxford, 1992; Peacock, 2001)

24. Meaning what... Multi-Style Approach - Classroom Solutions • Teachers MUST be aware of Learners’ needs, capabilities, potential & learning style preferences; • Structure classes so all “learning styles are accommodated”; and • Conscious accommodation. (Oxford,1990)

25. Meaning what... Multi-Style Approach - Classroom Solutions • Students should be exposed to the concept of Learning Styles: • Unconscious or subconscious learning styles can become conscious learning strategies; • Students must be permitted to assess their own learning preferences and their effects on learning and in so doing be encouraged to diversify through conscious use of different learning strategies; and • Learners should be encouraged to diversify through conscious use of different learning strategies; (Reid, 1987)

26. Meaning what... Multi-Style Approach - Classroom Solutions • Teachers can show students the versatility of learning styles by providing experiences in different teaching styles. (Smith & Renzulli, 1984); • Consciously teach different strategies Example: Administer a strategy inventory: Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL). (Oxford, 1990)

27. Meaning what... Multi-Style Approach - Classroom Solutions Why bother... • Providing options vis-à-vis learning activities in class gives Students a sense of control over learning; • Encourages autonomy in their learning; • Promotes self-knowledge and awareness; RESULT: optimized learning experience

28. Meaning what... Multi-Style Approach - Curricular Solutions • Devising alternative instructional situations to accommodate different learning styles; • Making teachers more aware of both learning and teaching styles through teacher training, professional development, and assessment. (Peacock, 2001)

29. Meaning what... Our School Can this information be used to optimize the learning/teaching experience…… - part of evaluation; - professional development; Examples:

30. The Dynamic between Learning Style and Teaching Style THANK YOU!

31. The Dynamic between Learning Style and Teaching Style References Davidman, L. (1981) Learning style: The myth, the panacea, the wisdom. Phi Delta Kappan, 62:641-645. Dorsey. O.L. & Pierson, M.J. (1984) A descriptive study of adult learning styles in a non-traditional education program. Lifelong Learning: An Omnibus of Practice and Research, 7: 8-11. Dunn, R. (1984).Learning style: State of the scene. Theory into Practice, 23: 10-19. Ehrman, M & Oxford, R. (1990) Adult language learning styles and strategies in an intensive training setting. The Modern Language Journal. 74: 311-327. Felder, R.M. (1995) Learning and teaching styles in foreign and second language education. Foreign Language Annals 28.1: 21-31. Fleming, N.D. (2001). Teaching and Learning Styles: VARK Strategies. Christchurch, New Zealand: N.D. Fleming Grasha, A. (1996) Teaching with style. Pittsburgh, PA: Alliance Publishers. P. 154-156. Gregorc, A.F. (1979) Learning/Teaching styles: Potent forces behind them. Educational Leadership, 36,234-236. Gregorc, A.F. (1997) Relating with Style. Columbia, CT: Gregorc Associates. Kaplan, E.J. & Kies, D.A. (1995) Teaching styles and learning styles: which came first. Journal of Instructional Psychology. March. Keefe, J.W. (1979) Learning style: an overview. In J.W. Keefe, Student learning styles: diagnosing and prescribing programs. Reston, VA: National Association of Secondary School Principals. 1-7.

32. The Dynamic betweenLearning Style and Teaching Style Kinsella,, K. (1995) Understanding and empowering diverse learners in ESL classrooms. In J.M. Reid, Learning styles in the ESL/EFL classroom. Boston: Heinle & Heinle. 170-94. Kolb, D. 1984. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Melton, C.D. (1990). Bridging the cultural gap: a study of Chinese students` learning style preferences. RELC Journal 21 (1): 29-58. Oxford, R.L. (1990) Missing Link: Evidence from research on language learning styles and strategies. In Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics 1990. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. Oxford, R.L. (1992). Who are our students: A synthesis of foreign and second language research on individual differences. TESL Canada Journal, 9(2): 30-49. Peacock, M. (2001). Match or mismatch: Learning styles and teaching styles in EFL. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 11(1): 1-20. Reid, J.M. (1985). Perceptual Learning style preferences of international students. National NAFSA Conference, Cincinnati

33. The Dynamic betweenLearning Style and Teaching Style Reid, J.M. (1987). The learning style preferences of ESL Students. TESOL Quarterly, 21(1): 87-111. Reid, J.M. (1995) Learning styles in the ESL/EFL classroom. U.S.A.: Heinle & Heinle Publishers. Smith, L. & Renzulli, J. (1984). Learning style preference: A practical approach for classroom teachers. Theory into Practice, 23(1), 45-50. Spolsky, B. (1989) Conditions for second language learning. Oxford University Press. Stice, J.E. (1987) Using Kolb`s learning cycle to improve student learning. Engineering Education. 77:29: 1-296. Tarone, E. (1979). Interlanguage as chameleon. Language Learning, 29:181-191. Wallace, B. & Oxford, R.L. (1992). Disparity in learning styles and teaching stylesin the ESL classroom: Does this mean war? AMTESOL Journal 1: 45-68.