Overview
Learning style inventories are based on the idea that people have different strengths and preferences when it comes to learning. Many theories exist suggesting that people can be classified based on their predominant learning ‘style.’ Most of these ideas propose that all people learn differently and that designing instruction based on these learning styles can enhance the educational process. This notion that people possess different learning styles first became a popular concept during the 1970s. Since then, learning style theories have had a tremendous impact on the field of education. Teachers often utilize learning style inventories at the outset of a class to discover more about students and to help students better understand how they learn.
Uses
Learning style inventories remain a popular classroom tool despite the fact that research has found little evidence that matching a student’s learning preferences to instructional methods produces better educational outcomes. A number of studies have found that students taught according to their identified learning style do no better than students who are not matched to their style. However, research has supported the idea that people have definite preferences for how they learn new information. At best, learning style inventories might be a way for students to develop study habits that keep them interested and engaged in the learning process. Students may find it useful to discover their preferences and then use this information to hone their study routines. Visual learners, for example, might benefit from creating symbols, graphs, and other visual information while studying the material in question.
Popular Learning Style Inventories
These are popular types of learning style inventories:
Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory (LSI)
Perhaps one of the best-known and most widely used questionnaires is the Learning Style Inventory (LSI) based on Kolb’s learning styles. The assessment allows students to discover their learning style and also provides information on how educators can use this information to best serve students as well as possible strategies for accommodating different learning styles.
Fleming’s VARK Learning Style Questionnaire
In Fleming’s VARK learning style model, learners are identified as one of four different types: visual, auditory, reading/writing and kinesthetic. In 1992, he published a questionnaire based on his model that was designed to help people learn more about their individual style. The model and questionnaire quickly became very popular among students and educators, and both remain widely used today.
Jackson’s Learning Styles Profiler (LSP)
The Learning Styles Profiler (LSP) is based on Chris J. Jackson’s hybrid model of learning and personality. Jackson’s model suggests that learning styles are influenced by a variety of factors, including experience, personal choice, and biology. The profiler is designed to assess how people learn at work, so it is often used in organizational and business settings.
Learning Style Quizzes
There are also many free online quizzes available online. While these informal questionnaires are a fun way to gain a little more insight into how you like to learn, it is important to realize that most have never been studied or validated in any way. Taking such online quizzes can be a fun way to discover some of your own learning preferences, but try not to put too much stock into your results.
