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Learning Style Learning Style PreferencesPreferencesAndrew D. CohenAndrew D. Cohen

University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota

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The learners’ typical The learners’ typical preferences for preferences for approaching learning. approaching learning.

While style preferences While style preferences are relatively stable, are relatively stable, style-stretching is style-stretching is possible.possible.

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Summary of Summary of StyleStyle Preferences PreferencesSensory Style Preferences:Sensory Style Preferences:visual visual auditory auditory hands on hands on Cognitive Style Preferences:Cognitive Style Preferences:abstract-intuitive abstract-intuitive concrete-sequential concrete-sequentialglobal global particular particular synthesizing synthesizing analytic analyticfield-dependent field-dependent field-independent field-independentPersonality-Related Style Preferences:Personality-Related Style Preferences:extrovertedextroverted introverted introvertedreflective reflective impulsive impulsiveopen open closure-oriented closure-oriented

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Sensory Style Preferences 

visual – relying more on the sense of sight and learn best through visual means (e.g., books, video, charts, pictures). Visual Vera→

auditory – preferring listening and speaking activities (e.g., discussions, debates, audiotapes, role-plays, lectures).

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hands-on – benefiting from doing projects, working with objects and moving around.

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Cognitive Style Preferences 

abstract-intuitive – future-oriented, enjoying abstract thinking, and happy speculating about possibilities.

concrete-sequential – present-oriented, preferring one-step-at-a-time activities and wanting to know where they are going in their learning at every moment.

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more global – enjoying getting the main idea and comfortable communicating even without knowing all the words or concepts.

more particular – focusing more on details and remembering specific information about a topic well.

Particular PerryParticular Perry→→

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more synthesizing – summarizing material well and noticing similarities quickly.

more analytic – pulling ideas apart, doing well on logical analysis and contrast tasks, and tending to focus on grammar rules.

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more field-dependent more field-dependent –– needs needs context in order to focus and context in order to focus and understand something; takes understand something; takes each language part one at a each language part one at a time and may have difficulty time and may have difficulty handling all of the parts at one handling all of the parts at one time. time.

more field-independentmore field-independent –– able able to keep a sense of the whole to keep a sense of the whole while handling all the individual while handling all the individual parts as well without being parts as well without being distracteddistracted

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Personality-Related

Style Preferences  extroverted – enjoying a wide

range of social, interactive learning tasks (e.g., games, conversations, debates, role-plays, simulations).

Extroverted Ellie→

introverted – preferring more independent work (e.g., studying or reading by oneself or learning with the computer) or enjoying working with, say, one other person.

Introverted Iris→

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more reflectivemore reflective –– processes processes material at a low speed with material at a low speed with high accuracy; avoids risks and high accuracy; avoids risks and guessing guessing

more impulsivemore impulsive –– processes processes material at a high speed with material at a high speed with low accuracy; often takes risks low accuracy; often takes risks and guesses and guesses

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keeping all options open – enjoying discovery learning where information is picked up naturally and where learning doesn’t involve a concern for deadlines or rules.

Open-Oriented Oliver→

closure-oriented – focusing carefully on all learning tasks and seek clarity, meeting deadlines, planning ahead for assignments and staying organized, and wanting explicit directions and decisions.

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A A Learning Style Survey: Assessing Learning Style Survey: Assessing Your Own Learning StylesYour Own Learning Styles by Andrew D. by Andrew D. Cohen, Rebecca L. Oxford, & Julie C. Chi Cohen, Rebecca L. Oxford, & Julie C. Chi (2001) (2001) – – downloadable from the CARLA downloadable from the CARLA website at:website at:http://www.carla.umn.edu/about/profiles/Cohenhttp://www.carla.umn.edu/about/profiles/Cohen

This measure was informed by earlier work This measure was informed by earlier work conducted by Rebecca Oxford, Madeline conducted by Rebecca Oxford, Madeline Ehrman, and Betty Lou Leaver:Ehrman, and Betty Lou Leaver:

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Concerns about StylesConcerns about Styles Are the descriptions of style too vague and superficial?Are the descriptions of style too vague and superficial? How certain that assessing the style constructs through How certain that assessing the style constructs through

measures? What if the characteristic is more an ability measures? What if the characteristic is more an ability than a style preference?than a style preference?

And what if a person comes out in the middle on a And what if a person comes out in the middle on a dichotomous measure?dichotomous measure?

Asking learners to self-report about their style Asking learners to self-report about their style preferences isn’t as valuable as actually giving them preferences isn’t as valuable as actually giving them performance tasks where their style preferences performance tasks where their style preferences emerge.emerge.

See Ch. 5, “Learning styles and cognitive styles” in See Ch. 5, “Learning styles and cognitive styles” in Dörnyei (2005) on individual differences.Dörnyei (2005) on individual differences.

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Oxford, R. L. (1993). Oxford, R. L. (1993). Style Analysis Survey.Style Analysis Survey. In J. Reid In J. Reid (Ed.) (1995).(Ed.) (1995). Learning styles in the ESL/EFL classroom Learning styles in the ESL/EFL classroom (pp. 208-215). Boston: Heinle & Heinle.(pp. 208-215). Boston: Heinle & Heinle.

Ehrman, M. E. & Leaver, B. L. (1997).Ehrman, M. E. & Leaver, B. L. (1997). Sorting our global Sorting our global and analytic functions in second language learning.and analytic functions in second language learning. Paper Paper presented at the American Association for Applied presented at the American Association for Applied Linguistics annual meeting, Orlando, FL, March 8-11, Linguistics annual meeting, Orlando, FL, March 8-11, 1997. 1997.

Ehrman, M. E. & Leaver, B. L. (2001).Ehrman, M. E. & Leaver, B. L. (2001). E&L Questionnaire E&L Questionnaire.. Ehrman, M. & Leaver, B. L. (2003). Cognitive styles in the Ehrman, M. & Leaver, B. L. (2003). Cognitive styles in the

service of language learning. service of language learning. System,System, 3131(3), 313-330.(3), 313-330. Dörnyei, Z. (2005). Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language The psychology of the language

learnerlearner. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

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Teacher-Learner Style Teacher-Learner Style Conflicts in the ClassroomConflicts in the Classroom

The teacher is more analytic, reflective, The teacher is more analytic, reflective, and auditory, while the learner is more and auditory, while the learner is more global, impulsive, and visual, global, impulsive, and visual,

The teacher is more open-oriented, while The teacher is more open-oriented, while the learner is more closure-oriented,the learner is more closure-oriented,

The teacher is more concrete-sequential, The teacher is more concrete-sequential, while the learner is more random-while the learner is more random-intuitive, intuitive,

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The teacher is more concrete-sequential, The teacher is more concrete-sequential, visual, and reflective, while the learner is visual, and reflective, while the learner is more random-intuitive, auditory, and more random-intuitive, auditory, and impulsive, impulsive,

The teacher is more extroverted and hands-The teacher is more extroverted and hands-on, while the learner is more introverted and on, while the learner is more introverted and visual. visual.

[From [From Oxford, R. L. & Lavine, R. Z. (1992). Oxford, R. L. & Lavine, R. Z. (1992). Teacher-student style wars in the language Teacher-student style wars in the language classroom: Research insights and suggestions. classroom: Research insights and suggestions. ADFL BulletinADFL Bulletin, , 23 23 (2), 38-45.] (2), 38-45.]

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To avoid or resolve such To avoid or resolve such conflicts:conflicts:

Assessment of students' and teachers' styles Assessment of students' and teachers' styles and use of this information in understanding and use of this information in understanding classroom dynamics,classroom dynamics,

Changes in the teacher's instructional style, Changes in the teacher's instructional style, Style-stretching by students, Style-stretching by students, Changes in the way group work is done in the Changes in the way group work is done in the

classroom, classroom, Changes in the curriculum, Changes in the curriculum, Changes in the way style conflicts are viewed.Changes in the way style conflicts are viewed.