Recommended reading: Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning

Recommended reading: Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning
by Karyn Romeis | Mon, 12/08/2008 - 04:31

A bit of a mouthful of a title, I know, but you'll be pleased to discover - after the relatively expensive books I have reviewed lately - that this one is free. Strictly speaking, it's a research paper, not a book.

Let me start by making a few disclosures:

First, I am a Frank Coffield fan. The man talks such sense, in my opinion, that I am usually positively disposed towards him before he even begins to speak. I wish I could link to a blog or a website, but it seems he doesn't have one. However, have a look at this post by Mark Berthelemy as a suitable alternative.

Secondly, Kathryn Ecclestone is no longer at the University of Exeter as stated on the paper, she is now at Oxford Brookes, where I am a registered student. In fact, she is one of the professors in my faculty, although she doesn't lecture my cohort. I did attend her inaugural lecture, in which she covered the content of this paper.

Third, and perhaps most contentiously, I do not support the concept of learning styles. Once upon a time, I was so committed to the idea of them that I developed support materials for my students at the college where I worked. My view has since swung around to the diametrically opposed corner. However, this volte face took place long before I had even heard of Frank Coffield.

But back to the present. Coffield et al discovered, in the process of their research, that there are no fewer than 70 learning styles models. Most people are totally unaware of this, assuming there to be a handful, and further assuming there to be general acceptance of the tenets of the model to which they adhere. From these models, the researchers selected 13 major theories which they subjected to rigourous research.

These are:

• Allinson and Hayes’ Cognitive Styles Index (CSI)
• Apter’s Motivational Style Profile (MSP)
• Dunn and Dunn model and instruments of learning styles
• Entwistle’s Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST)
• Gregorc’s Mind Styles Model and Style Delineator (GSD)
• Herrmann’s Brain Dominance Instrument (HBDI)
• Honey and Mumford’s Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ)
• Jackson’s Learning Styles Profiler (LSP)
• Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory (LSI)
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
• Riding’s Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA)
• Sternberg’s Thinking Styles Inventory (TSI)
• Vermunt’s Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS)

Perhaps, like me, many of these were previously unknown to you. Perhaps you know of or ahdere to a model not on the list. For example, I was surprised not to find Peter Urs Bender's model on the list. But I suspect that, while his model is a typical quadratic model probably based on Jung and/or Kolb, it falls outside of the spectrum of learning styles, since it purports to relate to personality styles rather than learning styles per se (I'm afraid, I am rather inclined to say tomayto/tomahto).

I strongly encourage you to read this paper - at 182 pages cover to cover, it won't take long. When you have done that, I suggest a foray into the blogosphere to explore what else is being said on the subject. The debate is hot and it is ongoing.

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