There is NO such thing as different learning styles scientists say

It can be an easy excuse to explain away poor grades.

But a new study claims that having a ‘different learning style’ isn’t a legitimate reason for failing to learn. 

In fact, scientists believe it’s a myth that some people learn better using different methods, such as ‘visual learning.’  

Despite this, as many as 96 per cent of teachers subscribe to the idea of learning styles. 

 

Using different ‘learning styles’ to get the most out of pupils is a fruitless endeavour, according to a new study which suggests people have no preferred way of learning. The research debunks the modern theory that every student learns differently (stock image)

In recent years, the idea of different ‘learning styles’ improving academic results has come under fire from experts. 

The basic premise of the long-standing theory is that ‘visual learners’ learn best through seeing, ‘auditory learners’ learn best through hearing and ‘kinesthetic learners’ learn best through touching.

But according to the authors of the new study, from Indiana University, there is little evidence to back up the claim that learning styles improve academic performance. 

‘Many students still hold to the conventional wisdom that learning styles are legitimate, and may adapt their outside-of-class study strategies to match these learning styles,’ the authors wrote in the study. 

The scientists gathered 426 undergraduate students at the university who completed an online learning style survey

The survey, called Vark, is one of the internet’s most popular learning style assessment services and claims to pick out whether you learn best visually, by listening, through reading and writing, or by doing practically.

The basic premise of the long-standing theory is that 'visual learners' learn best through seeing, 'auditory learners' learn best through hearing and 'kinesthetic learners' learn best through touching  (stock image)

The basic premise of the long-standing theory is that ‘visual learners’ learn best through seeing, ‘auditory learners’ learn best through hearing and ‘kinesthetic learners’ learn best through touching (stock image)

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES?

A popular and long-standing theory in the field of education claims that people, and children especially, are more receptive to certain methods of learning. 

It states that people will often fall into one of three main categories: Auditory, visual and kinesthetic. 

There can be cross-over between different styles but a person will favour one method more, claim experts. 

A visually-dominant learner absorbs and retains information better when it is presented in, for example, pictures, diagrams and charts.

An auditory-dominant learner prefers listening to what is being presented. He or she responds best to voices, for example, in a lecture or group discussion. 

People will often fall into one of three main categories: Auditory, visual and kinesthetic. There can be cross-over between different styles but a person will favour one method more, claim experts

People will often fall into one of three main categories: Auditory, visual and kinesthetic. There can be cross-over between different styles but a person will favour one method more, claim experts

Hearing his own voice repeating something back to a tutor or trainer is also helpful.

A kinesthetic-dominant learner prefers a physical experience. She likes a ‘hands-on’ approach and responds well to being able to touch or feel an object or learning prop.

Although it has been around for a long time, and is backed by 96 per cent of teachers, recent studies have found that the concept is inherently flawed.  

Many researchers believe that the concept is wrong and people do not have a preferred learning method.

Researchers then enrolled each student in an anatomy course with participants told to follow the revision tips given by the Vark survey. 

After gathering this information, the researchers then asked the students at a later date about the sort of revision methods they had used.

On top of this, the researchers used their final grades to compare academic achievement with their dominant learning style.

The team found that there was no correlation between the dominant learning style suggested by the assessment and grades achieved.

Not only did the researchers find no link, they saw that two thirds (67 per cent) of the students chose not to study in the recommended way.

It was found that microscope work and lecture notes were the most effective methods for the students.

It also found flash cards weren’t as beneficial.

In the paper, the researchers conclude that the idea that ‘I can’t learn subject X because I am a visual learner’ should be put to rest once and for all.

‘This research provides further evidence that the conventional wisdom about learning styles should be rejected by educators and students alike,’ they wrote.  



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