'Learning Styles' myth debunked

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debbie
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Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:28 pm
Location: UK

'Learning Styles' myth debunked

Post by debbie »

This is an important piece which describes why a belief in 'learning styles' to guide teachers' planning and provision is misguided and not evidence-based:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mo ... chievement
Bobby Hoffman Ph.D. Bobby Hoffman Ph.D.

Which Common Educational Myth Limits Student Achievement?

What stifles motivation, taints students, and shackles educators?


Posted Sep 11, 2015

One of the most common misconceptions regarding teaching and learning is the belief in using personalized instructional strategies with specific students based on the perception of the student’s “learning style” preference. Learning styles are typically defined as “the view that different people learn information in different ways” (Pashler, McDaniel, Rohrer, & Bjork, 2009, p. 106). After all, it makes intuitive sense that a person who prefers to read might find listening to a lecture boring, and someone who dislikes reading will learn more by watching a video. This differentiated presumption often leads to a revision in teaching methods by educators who strive to meet the alleged individualized needs of learners. Unfortunately, this logic is misguided, and sadly educators who design instruction with learning styles in mind are unintentionally harming their students in several ways.
Debbie Hepplewhite
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