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Three common goals seemed to be shared by all learning style models:
- To promote learners' skills and intelligences that are not
recognized through traditional test scores.
- To increase practitoners' knowledge of the various learning
opportunites.
- To encourage practitioners to be creative and use a variety of
teaching venues.
The following strategies incorporate the ideas behind learning styles:
- Build on strengths rather than repeating weaknesses
- Teach new concepts by relating them to practical applications
- Be creative and try to vary teaching styles
- Use multisensory strategies to present material - many learners must
see, say, hear, and touch before they can develop full mental images
that stick and make sense
- Vary lessons - reteach and review in a variety of ways
- Change an activity when it's not working
- Encourage the use of learning aids and tools (for example,
calculators, highlighter pens, extra worksheets, computerized
learning programs, tape recorders, film, demonstrations, maps,
charts, rulers)
- Talk with learners about their learning process and ask them what
does and does not work for them78
Something to think about when using learning style
models
Most practitioners are aware of the various learning style indicators and
probably have used them with their students. A common belief held by many
practitioners is that everyone has a preferred way of learning (auditory, visual
or kinesthetic).
Although there are questions about the reliability and validity of learning
styles theory and inventories, it has been positive for both practitioners and
learners to be open to the various ways that learning is accomplished. The key
is not to stick to one type of learning but to offer various preferences to help
increase memory retention and enjoyment of learning.79
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