Learning Styles Have Been DEBUNKED (repeatedly)

(You won't be tested on this. I just thought it was relevant to all of you).


I forgot to do this activity during the Learning section (oh no!), but there are multiple articles debunking any evidence that 'learning styles' exist. I wanted to make sure all of you are aware of this, since I have seen some of you use that language at times. It's important to realize that all humans learn in the same basic ways.


If you still are adamant that you are a 'visual learner', just think about why it MIGHT seem that way.... You weren't born being so comfortable with visual information (over other types of information). You might be more familiar with visual methods of instruction. Most cultures have a 'watch me do it, now you try' approach when instructing newcomers. You were probably taught strategies of learning, and clung to one, which may happen to be visually based. Once you have a strategy (whatever it may be), you tend to stick to it. Once you have practice with that strategy, and encode information into long term memory as visual imagery (remember information processing!), then its easier to build on those visual memories with additional related visual memories (making connections).


REMEMBER, all of your biological senses are fully functional and as long as you pay attention to something, or perceive it through your senses, the information will reach your brain for processing. Visual information signals are not strengthened or weakened in any way if you are/aren't a 'visual learner.' It's just a matter of encoding into long term memory, which in general, involves connecting new information to existing knowledge. You all have a pretty substantial amount of experience with lots of types of information (visual, auditory, tactile, etc) to draw upon.


Here is one study looking at the evidence for learning styles (the conclusion is that there wasn't enough).
http://www.psychologicalscience.org/journals/pspi/PSPI_9_3.pdf