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, [email protected]
Paige Morabito – Director of Education, Laurel Springs School, [email protected]
Laurel Springs School – www.laurelsprings.com