According to Spoon and Schell (1998), in the Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, they have noted that people can learn in different ways using different techniques. And the most outstanding feature is that every person has got a different mix of learning styles. For instance some people will prefer dominant style of learning whereas others may find that they prefer using varied styles depending on the context (Jackson, 2010).
As researched by Spoon and Schell (1998), there are seven different types of learning styles that a student can use in a learning context.
- Others may prefer to use aural learning style where they make good use of sound and music.
- On the other hand, some students may find it easy to learn through verbal style which is also referred to as a linguistic learning style. In this case, the learner may prefer to use words both in speech and in writing.
- In addition to the latter style, there is physical or kinaesthetic style where the learner may opt to use body, hands and sense of touch as the preferred learning mode.
- Logical or mathematical learning style is also used by some students, and usually in this style they prefer to learn through reasoning, logic and systems
- Whereas other students will employ social/interpersonal learning style where they learn in groups.
- Finally, there is the solitary or intrapersonal style where the learner will opt to work alone or do self-study (Jackson, 2010).
On the positive side, people exhibiting diverse learning elements can easily adapt in a team and perform team activities with lots of understanding, uniformity and efficiency. But on the other, they may find it difficult to learn new concepts as they would try to employ all the styles. And in my view, laws shouldn’t be enacted to protect people with diverse learning elements since when they are given time they adapt in the learning context just like their counterparts who lack the diversity.
On the negative side, being exposed to several styles of learning may slow down learning if not done properly. A learner may get mixed up along the way; this is especially true in the case of beginers. In addition to that, some learning styles may not be effective in some subjects or some contents. For this reason, an instructor has to be careful in the choice of learning style that the student is exposed to.
References
Spoon J.C., & Schell, J.W. (1998). Aligning student learning styles with instructor teaching styles. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education, 35, 41-56.
Jackson, C. J. (2010). How to use different learning styles. Journal of Research in Personality.
