Learning
Styles
Scientific
studies show that people take in or perceive information
differently and process information differently.
The way we view the world is how we perceive information.
Some learners need to "see" things concretely
(through our five senses) to understand information.
Other learners can understand information abstractly
(visually understand what cannot be seen). How
we process what we learn is the way we use the
information. Some learners process reflectively
while other learners process actively. When you
combine the way one perceives and processes information,
you get four basic learning styles.
Studies
show that 70 percent of children do NOT learn
well the way the schools teach- lecture/textbook/test
- most students need more.
The
Four Learning Styles Identified by McCarthy are:
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Type
1: Innovative Learnersare primarily interested in personal
meaning. They need to have reasons for learning-ideally,
reasons that connect new information with
personal experience and establish that information's
usefulness in daily life. Some of the many
instructional modes effective with this learner
type are cooperative learning, brainstorming,
and integration of content areas (e.g., science
with social studies, writing with the arts,
etc.).
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Type
2: Analytic Learners are primarily
interested in acquiring facts in order to
deepen their understanding of concepts and
processes. They are capable of learning effectively
from lectures, and enjoy independent research,
analysis of data, and hearing what "the
experts" have to say.
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Type
3: Common
Sense Learners are primarily interested
in how things work; they want to "get
in and try it." Concrete, experiential
learning activities work best for them-using
manipulatives, hands-on tasks, kinesthetic
experience, etc.
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Type
4: Dynamic Learners are primarily
interested in self-directed discovery. They
rely heavily on their own intuition and seek
to teach both themselves and others. Any type
of independent study is effective for these
learners. They also enjoy simulations, role-playing,
and games.
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Caution
Christians
should be cautious when studying learning-style
theories. As with other truths, nonbelievers take
a discovery, as the secular world often does,
and distorts the principle to fit their secular
worldview. New Age and psychology take things
like learning differences and brain dominance
and use them as an excuse for sin. The pagans
of ancient Greece recognized the principle of
personality
differences and proceeded to label different personalities
to fit their pagan beliefs.
Sigmund
Freud and Carl Jung are responsible for most of
the psychological teachings of the four personality
types. Not only were both men unbelievers, they
were anti-Christian. The psychology that is creeping
into our churches today is not in line with Biblical
principles, is not of God, and is ultimately destructive.
Any time that psychology or the names Freud and
Jung come into play, a red flag should wave. This
does not mean we must discount facts because nonbelievers
discovered them, just as we would not discount
discoveries such as the automobile or eyeglasses
which we use every day. It simply means that caution
should be exercised and all things should be checked
against scripture for ways they can be used to
accomplish God's will.
The
Bible describes how different people are given
different gifts and talents. Anything you read
about learning styles should line up with God's
Word and never be used as an excuse for sin or
shortcomings.
They should not be used to categorize or label.
They should be used to realize the benefits of
teaching new concepts through different modes
of learning and to help children who are having
difficulty grasping or retaining information.
In fact, we should not teach to a particular style-else
the student would only learn in one mode. We need
to teach children to recognize their strengths
and improve on their weaknesses.
The
fact is that people have different preferences
in all areas of life. Some of us like broccoli,
and some of us like spinach. Some of us prefer
red, and some prefer blue. Some of us prefer discussion
and interaction, and some prefer to be quiet and
alone. And of course, in different stages of life,
we change and our preferences change. The task
for educators is to prove this to students, so
they will understand the importance of every leaning
mode in preparing them for the unforeseen and
ever-changing patterns of their lives.
Different
Gifts and Talents
The
most important thing to know about learning styles
is that one style is not better than another.
We all have different intellectual strengths.
No one fits into a box; we are all unique individuals
created by God. Each of us is a combination of
the four types, more or less in one or two categories.
The
Bible teaches that we are all different parts
of the body of Christ and one part is no better
than another part.
For
as the body is one, and hath many members, and
all the members of that one body, being many,
are one body: so also [is] Christ. For by one
Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether
[we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond
or free; and have been all made to drink into
one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but
many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not
the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore
not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because
I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it
therefore not of the body? If the whole body [were]
an eye, where [would be] the hearing? If the whole
[were] hearing, where [would be] the smelling?
But now hath God set the members every one of
them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And
if they were all one member, where [would be]
the body? But now [they are] many members, yet
but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the
hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head
to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much
more those members of the body, which seem to
be more feeble, are necessary: And those [members]
of the body, which we think to be less honorable,
upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and
our uncomely [parts] have more abundant comeliness.
For our comely [parts] have no need: but God hath
tempered the body together, having given more
abundant honour to that [part] which lacked: That
there should be no schism in the body; but [that]
the members should have the same care one
for another. 1 Corinthians 12:12-25
Read
the Parable of
the Animal School
Learning
Styles Links: Information and Learning Styles
Tests
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