BEGIN RANT.
I am not a fan of learning styles. The seemingly endless discussion of learning styles has been going on in Christian circles since I arrived at uni back in 2003. Are you a reflector, a theorist, an activist or a pragmatist? Do you learn kinesthetically, visually, by writing or auditorily? It really gets my goat.
Now, that's actually not the full picture as learning styles are a really helpful tool in making sure as a teacher you tailor your communication to be as effective as possible. There's nothing worse than putting forward information only to be speaking a different language to the hearers. What I loathe so much is that learning styles have become a right. They have gone from the domain of the information giver choosing to communicate through different methods, to an audience member insisting that one must cater to their learning style. I have previously, in a bible study group been stopped mid-question to rephrase because "No, that question just isn't working for my learning style. Can you put it another way?" I hadn't even finished the question!
Part of the problem is that I'm a so-called 'activist'. Which means whenever I vent my spleen regarding learning styles I'm told "Oh, that's such an activist thing to say." How can you argue with that kind of logic?
I say enough is enough. There is great benefit in catering for different learning styles, but there's also a limit. Jesus didn't stop halfway through the sermon on the mount and hand out play-dough so the kinesthetic learners could mould his words into the relevant object.
All I desire is that discussion of learning styles be limited to training workshops, rather than a continuous distraction during every meeting of my life. It's unfortunate to see 'that's just my learning style' used as an excuse for sin. It's an insistence upon my right above all others. Perhaps it would be better if we could use our learning style as an opportunity to serve others. A chance to put others needs before our own. An opportunity to deny ourselves for the sake of others.
Thankfully for every person who abuses learning styles, I have seen also those who lovingly deny their rights, often leaving their comfort zone for the benefit of others. Reflectors who think out loud for the sake of others in the group. Theorists who act without reason. Pragmatists who let the theorists dot the i's and cross the t's. Activists who stay till the end of the meeting. Now that is the way of love.
END RANT
that was fun!
ReplyDeleteThe whole visual/kinesthetic/audio etc is actually very true. I'm a kids' ministry leader and the difference you see in kids' (and even other leaders') behaviour and learning when you adjust your teaching style to their learning style is often amazing. A kid who previously fidgeted and distracted kids while they were answering questions on a worksheet suddenly starts absorbing information like a sponge when you have him learning through working with his hands.
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't mean you have to include every learning style into every message/bible study. But if you can mix it up a bit, perhaps use two different styles (*especially* with kids) and change it round from week to week, I think you'll get better results.
It also doesn't give people the right to automatically tune out or be uncooperative when the group is engaging in an activity that is not suited to their learning style. This is harder to control with kids, but adults should have better concentration and self-control. You might be an audio learner but it doesn't mean you can sit out of a kinesthetic activity. You might not learn *as much* through the kinesthetic activity, but as long as you're not completely ignoring it, you should learn something. People can learn to learn differently, too. Someone might naturally be a visual learner but they can learn to learn kinesthetically. It might not be as easy or as effective as their natural visual learning, but it's still beneficial, because they won't always have the visual option.
@ Leah. Thanks for your comments. Yeah the understanding brought about by learning styles are great for communicators to help get their message across. This is especially helpful with kids. It's a bit like love languages - we tend to give love in the way we receive it and we tend to teach in the way we learn. It's really as you say, only a problem when adults insist on their learning style as a right.
ReplyDeleteSorry Zac, could not read all that. Need pictures. Pictures Zac, pictures.
ReplyDelete