Health And Social Care Level 3 Unit 2 Learning Styles

Coursework 2: Learning Styles
Learning styles theory originated in the 1970’s and is based around the idea that people have preferences about how they like to learn. Theorists believe that each individual has a particular learning style that is best suited to them and allows them to collect and process information successfully in order to learn. The principle idea is that these learning style differ from one individual to the next and theorists argue that school teachers should incorporate these learning styles into their lessons so that student is catered for and everyone can learn effectively. Many educationalists believe that differences in learning styles are responsible for some student difficulties, for example, if a student is taught
The questionnaire asks a series of questions which help the individual to identify their preferred learning habits. The answers to these questions are scored and the person then falls into one of four categories which is the learning style best suited to them based on the answers they have given. Honey and Mumford put forward four main learning styles; Reflectors, theorists, pragmatists and activists, each with their own characteristics. Reflectors prefer to learn through activities which allow them to observe, think and review situations. They like to collect data and mind map. Theorists prefer to think problems through step by step using lectures, systems, case studies etc. Quite often they are perfectionists. Pragmatists enjoy applying new ideas and techniques to actual practise to test their use. They prefer learning through lab work, field work and observations rather than lectures or lengthy discussions. They are practical and like concepts which can be applied to their own jobs. Activists enjoy new things and like challenges. They prefer to learn through activities role-playing, problem solving and small group discussions. They are unlikely to prepare for their learning or to review it afterwards. This was Honey and Mumford’s interpretation of learning styles theory however
Fleming developed an inventory designed to help students learn more about their individual learning preferences. Fleming’s VAK model identified three learning styles; Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic. According to this theory most people have a preferred learning style however some people may prefer to learn using a mixture of all three styles. As with the previous theories each style within the VAK model has individual characteristics based on their learning preferences. Visual learners learn best through seeing. They think in pictures and have intense mental images. They like to learn using maps, charts, pictures or videos. They tend to have visual skills in activities such as reading, writing, puzzle building, interpreting charts and graphs, and painting and have a good sense of direction. Auditory learners like to learn through listening. They tend to think in words rather than pictures and learn best through lectures, discussions, talking things through and hearing other people’s opinions. Auditory learners tend to have highly developed auditory skills and are generally good at speaking and presenting. They demonstrate these skills through speaking, listening, storytelling, explaining, understanding the syntax and meaning of words, remembering information and analysing language usage. Kinaesthetic learners learn best through moving, touching and doing. They find it hard to sit