learning style assessment: unlocking a student’s online potential

Learning Style Assessment: Unlocking

a Student’s Online Potential

Marilyn Mosley Gordanier M.EdPaige Morabito Ed.D

What’s your Combination?

What is my motivation, inclination?What modality do I prefer?What are my interests?What do I consider my talents?What is my preferred environment?

Unlocking Our Students’ Portrait

We begin with the belief that:

o Each student is uniqueo Each student operates with a variety

of learning styles o The learning style helps to

determine the dominant learning personality and learning modality.

o The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners, Carol Ann Tomlinson,

o http://www.caroltomlinson.com/

Learning Styles 1

“….characteristic cognitive, affective, and psychological behaviors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning environment” (Sewell, 1998).

Richard Felder Learning Styles and Strategies, http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm

Learning Styles 2

“Students have different levels of motivation, different attitudes about teaching and learning, and different responses to specific classroom environments and instructional practices. The more thoroughly instructors understand the differences, the better chance they have of meeting the diverse learning needs of all of their students” Felder, 2005.

Richard Felder Learning Styles and Strategies, http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm

A Student-Center Approach

Success-driven rather than mistakes-driven

o Based upon:o Identified skillso Interestso Content

o Student-centered rather than content-centeredRichard Felder ,How Students Learn, How Teacher’s Teach, http://ctl.csudh.edu/SpeakerSeries/Felder.htm

Our Inclusive Approach to Learning Styles

o Combine five unique learning assessmentso Create a dynamic portrait of each childo Empower the student’s self advocacy for a

choice of:o Curriculumo Deliveryo Assessmento Environmento School Family , What is Your Child’s Learning

Style,o www.schoolfamily.com

Creating a Student’s Personal-Portrait (PP)

Five prong approach to student learningo Learning Personalityo Modalityo Interestso Talentso Learning environmentStudents who understand their portrait can

better self advocate.Student Video, www.youtube.com/watch?

v=ooqvgcY5VKU

Learning Personality

Learning personality or Dispositiono how student naturally expresses

interest in learning o His or her inclination toward

learningo Provide terms to support self

advocacyo Overview of Learning Styles (graphical)

o www.learning-styles-online.com/overviewo Another inventory for you or students to

completeo http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

Modality

How student learns besto auditory, visual, and

tactile/kinesthetico integrate modality preferences

within instruction o encourage self advocacy for

assessment

Learning Styles Description and Test,www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm

Interests

Acknowledge student’s interestso Incorporate student interests into

core academicso Increases internal motivationo Provides glimpse into student’s

world

o Student Interest Survey, http://printables.scholastic.com/printables/f.jsp?id=35689

What can we tell about him?

TalentsStudent’s area/s of expertise

(Multiple Intelligences)o Words/Narrativeso Musico Math/Logico Spatial/Body Coordinationo Interpersonal/ Intrapersonalo Foundationalo Animals, Humor, and Daily Life SkillsMultiple Intelligence Explained, www.ldpride.net/

Learning EnvironmentEnvironment can be addressed in a home, a

classroom, or multiple settings. o External stimulio Physical comforto Awareness of self

o Best time of day (or night)o Nutritional requirements

Implications for the Design of Learning Environments,

www.info.uta.fi/tutkimus/fire/archive/Halttunen2003b_preprint.pdf

What can we tell about her?

Incorporating Learning Styles in Your Curriculum

Assure that the model matches the child

o Encourages internal motivation o Supports need to self-advocateo Promotes skills for life long learning

o Mind Tool, Learning Style Index,o www.mindtools.com/mnemlsty.html

Benefits of a Learning Style Friendly Classroom

o Encourage self advocacyo Assignment ideas and help for

individual studentso Learning strategies to increase

comprehension, retentiono Acknowledges positive contributions

of each learning styleo Learning environment which

supports multiple learning styles

Additional ResourcesCarol Dweck,

https://www.stanford.edu/dept/psychology/cgi-bin/drupalm/cdweck

Art Costa, Habits of Mind, Classroom Resourceswww.instituteforhabitsofmind.com/resource-library/resources

Mel Levine, All Kinds of Minds, www.allkindsofminds.org/newsletter.aspx

Learning Success Institute, Learning Style Inventory, www.learningsuccessinstitute.com/

Comber/Carr- The Dynamics of Disposition, www.s7colleges.com/learning-innovation/_pdf/A%20Framework%20for%20Teaching%20Learning.pdf

Assessments provide a snapshot, we need a portrait album!

Let’s Stay In Touch

Marilyn Mosley Gordanier – Executive Director,

Laurel Springs School, marilyn@laurelsprings.com

Paige Morabito – Director of Education, Laurel Springs School, Paige.Morabito@nlcinc.com

Laurel Springs School – www.laurelsprings.com