The Models, Myths and Misconceptions – and What They Mean for Your Learning
It's tempting to try to pin down one "perfect" way of learning. But it can also be dangerous.
Everyone's approach to learning is based on a complex mix of strengths and preferences. And we absorb and apply new concepts, skills and information in different ways at different times.
So, however helpful it would be to find out how each of us does it "best," there are many reasons why even asking the question is far from straightforward.
After all, how we learn depends a great deal on what we're learning. And our preferred learning techniques might not, in fact, be the most useful. Despite this, many scientists, psychologists and education experts have tried to identify distinct, innate "learning styles."
But serious doubts have arisen about some of the most popular models – especially the ways in which they have been applied. There are even concerns that the "labels" they produce might actually limit people's learning.
In this article, we look at how the key learning styles theories were developed, and explore their intentions and limitations. We also show why it's still valuable to understand your personal approach to learning – even if there's no single, "magic bullet" solution for any of us.
What Are Learning Styles?
The notion that everyone has their own learning style became popular in the 1970s. It's an attractive thought: if each of us could identify one, "ideal" approach to learning, we'd be able to focus on it – and be consistently successful.
What's more, by understanding other people's needs, we'd know how best to support them to learn. It could revolutionize education, training and L&D, and help all of us to reach our full potential as learners.
Before we explain why many experts now have little faith in learning styles, let's explore how some of the original ideas came about.
Learn more about the theories behind learning styles – and their drawbacks and limitations.
David Kolb and Experiential Learning
David Kolb's model of "experiential learning" stated that we learn continually, and, in the process, build particular strengths. Those strengths were said to give rise to personal preferences, which Kolb described in terms of four learning styles: Accommodating, Converging, Diverging, and Assimilating.
As Kolb saw it, Accommodators were "hands-on" types, keen to learn from real experience.
Convergers were supposed to deal better with abstract ideas, but still liked to end up with concrete results. They understood theories, but wanted to test them out in practice.
Divergers tended to use personal experiences and practical ideas to formulate theories that they could apply more widely.
And Assimilators, according to Kolb, were most comfortable working with abstract concepts. They extended their understanding by developing new theories of their own.
Kolb said that it was beneficial to know which type of learner you were, in order to "play to your strengths." He also believed that educators and trainers could tailor their teaching methods to different people's learning styles.
Honey and Mumford's Learning Styles
Peter Honey and Alan Mumford developed Kolb's model by focusing on how learning is used in practice, particularly at work. They identified four new learning styles: Activist, Pragmatist, Reflector, and Theorist – using terms that we might naturally pick to describe ourselves and our colleagues.
Anthony Gregorc's Mind styles
Anthony Gregorc and Kathleen Butler went into more detail about how we think, and how this might affect the way we learn. His theory put us all on a spectrum between concrete and abstract thinking, and between sequential and random ordering of our thoughts.
Concrete perceptions happen through the senses, while abstract perceptions deal with ideas. Sequential thinking arranges information in a logical, linear way, while a random approach is multidirectional and unpredictable.
In Gregorc's model, our strengths and weaknesses in each of these areas determined our individual learning style.
Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic Learners (VAK)
Educational psychologist Walter Burke Barbe and his colleagues proposed three "modalities" of learning: Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic (movement and touch). These were often referred to simply as VAK.
Barbe was clear that everyone had strengths, weaknesses and preferences in each of the three modalities. The most effective learning, he said, utilized all three in combination. He said that the mix we achieved depended on many factors, and would likely change over time.
The VAK model was popular and widely applied. But, like some of the earlier models, it became associated with a fixed outlook on learning. Many people took it to mean that learners could be classified by a single modality – as a "visual learner," for example – with little room for maneuver. And there was confusion over whether the VAK definition referred to someone's innate abilities, their personal preferences, or both.
Learning styles were divided into three categories:
Cognitive: how we think, how we organize and retain information, and how we learn from our experiences.
Affective: our attitudes and motivations, and how they impact our approach to learning.
Physiological: a variety of factors based on our health, well-being, and the environment in which we learn.
However we do need to consider the criticism that exists around the learning styles studies, like for instance:
Learning Styles Change
Attempts to "diagnose" someone's learning style once and for all will likely fail. As Eileen Carnell and Caroline Lodge explain in their book "Effective Learning," an individual's learning method will be different in different situations, and likely change over time.
Strengths and Preferences Are Not the Same An influential piece of research published in the Journal of Educational Psychology revealed big differences between people's assessed strengths, and how they actually tackled learning tasks in practice. For example, someone who scores better in tests after hearing the information might still choose to learn by reading – simply because they enjoy that style of learning more.
Using Learning Styles to Improve Learning
Despite the criticisms that exist, some of the ideas that underpin learning styles theories still have value – especially the emphasis on metacognition: "thinking about thinking."
Analyzing our thinking can help us to plan learning strategies that work for us. It can support us to become more organized in our studies, to use prior knowledge as the foundation for new learning, and to choose effective methods for different learning tasks.
Plus, by examining our strengths and weaknesses, we can make the most of any aspects of learning that "come naturally" and that we enjoy, while also working on the areas that might be holding us back.
If you're eager to improve your personal approach to learning, here are three key steps to take:
1. See the Big Picture
Do everything you can to gain a rounded picture of your learning. Look at all the different reasons why you tend to tackle learning the way you do.
And, when you're in the process of learning, ask yourself why you're doing it a particular way. Is it because it's the most effective for you, or simply because it's what you've always done?
Be wary of definitive judgments. Instead, consider different scenarios, and try to differentiate between how you like to learn, and how you learn best – in a variety of learning situations.
2. Identify Your Strengths
Highlight the types of learning that work best for you, and the conditions for learning that support them. For instance, you might be more of an active learner, who operates best in groups.
Keep doing the things that give the best results, to keep your learning fast and effective – and look for ways to improve them even more.
But also leave room to practice and strengthen any learning behaviors that you find more difficult.
3. Work on Your Weaknesses
You can often improve areas of your learning that are letting you down simply by using them more.
If you feel that you're not confident learning visually, for example, get into the habit of reading the charts and diagrams in an article before grappling with the ideas in the text.
Or, if you're an independent learner by nature, make a point of involving others in your problem-solving from time to time.
Also, actively look for opportunities to try out new ways to learn. You might be surprised about what works – and about the new elements of learning that you enjoy.
By the Mind Tools Content Team
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