Kolb's learning styles and learning preferences: is there a linkage?

Much has been written about the relationships between learning styles and learning preferences with the aim of tailoring teaching methods to the ways that students prefer to learn. This study used a sample of 201 management undergraduates to examine the relationships between Kolb's four learning styles and four learning types, and 12 different learning preferences. Only three significant relationships were found. It is suggested that large individual differences in learning preferences within each style and type, and small differences in learning preference mean scores show that, overall, there are weak linkages between learning styles and learning preferences. It is recommended that researchers control for Type I error rates and present effect sizes when statistically significant relationships are found to prevent chance and trivial findings from influencing educators. It is recommended that educators use a variety of learning methods and encourage students to be receptive to different learning methods rather than try to link specific learning methods to specific learning styles.     

The role of learning environments in thinking styles

The present study examined the association between students’ perceived general learning environment and their thinking styles (a specific term for ‘intellectual styles’). Seven hundred and fifty-two undergraduates in Shanghai responded to the Thinking Style Inventory-Revised II and the Inventory of Students’ Perceived Learning Environment. Results indicated that students’ perceived learning environment statistically predicted their thinking styles beyond gender, grade, major, and socio-economic status. Specifically, constructivist-oriented teaching, as well as peer morale and identities, were mainly associated with thinking styles that are characterised by cognitive complexity, nonconformity, autonomy and low degrees of structure (known as Type I styles), while clear goals and coherence of curricula mainly statistically predicted thinking styles that are characterised by cognitive simplicity, conformity, authority, and high degrees of structure (known as Type II styles). Student–student cooperation, the nature of assessment and assignments and learning facilities also statistically contributed to thinking styles to varying extents. The implications and limitations of the present findings are discussed.     

Strategies for accommodating individuals' styles and preferences in flexible learning programmes

There has been a considerable growth in the use of flexible methods of delivery for workplace learning and development. However, in designing programmes of flexible learning there is often the assumption that learners will exhibit uniformity in the ways in which they process and organise information (cognitive style), in their predispositions towards particular learning formats and media (instructional preferences) and the conscious actions they employ to deal with the demands of specific learning situations (learning strategies). In adopting such a stance one runs the risk of ignoring important aspects of individual differences in styles, preferences and strategies. Our purpose in this paper will be to: (i) consider some aspects of individual difference that are pertinent to the delivery of flexible learning in the workplace; (ii) identify some of the challenges that extant differences in styles and preferences between individuals may raise for instructional designers and learning facilitators; (iii) suggest ways in which models of flexible learning design and delivery may acknowledge and accommodate individual differences in styles and preferences through the use of an appropriate range of instructional design, learning and support strategies.     

Incremental validity of thinking styles in predicting academic achievements: an experimental study in hypermedia learning environments

The study examined the incremental validity of thinking styles in predicting academic achievement after controlling for personality and achievement motivation in the hypermedia‐based learning environment. Seventy‐two Chinese college students from Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China, took part in this instructional experiment. The End‐Of‐Semester test was designed to examine the students’ achievement in the course of General Psychology. The results partially supported the hypotheses concerning the relationships between students’ Type I and II thinking styles and their academic achievement in Type I test (including analysis, problem‐solving, and essay tests) and Type II test (including multiple‐choice and cloze tests), and showed that some Type III styles were significantly related to their academic achievement. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that the capacity of thinking styles for explaining and predicting academic achievement was sometimes over and above the sum of personality traits and achievement motivation. Implications for educational practice are discussed.     

Thinking styles: teaching and learning styles in graduate education students

This study investigated the relationship between two intellectual styles approaches: Sternberg’s thinking styles of teachers and Felder and Silverman’s learning styles. Ninety‐five graduate students majoring in special education, reading, educational leadership and curriculum, and elementary education completed the Thinking Styles in Teaching Inventory (TSTI) and the Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire (ILS). Several thinking styles from Sternberg’s theory of self‐government were highly to moderately correlated with Felder’s learning styles. The TSTI did not differentiate between master’s and doctoral students, but the ILS did so. Participants differed in their thinking styles in teaching and in their learning styles, based on their educational major.     

加强高校学风建设的思考——以河南科技大学学风建设特色基地为例

学风是高校发展的关键和灵魂,体现着高校的治学之风,彰显着高校的文化意蕴。加强高校学风建设对学校、学院和学生有着更为重要的意义。本文以河南科技大学学风建设特色基地为例,通过阐述学风建设的成效、分析当前学风建设存在的问题,探讨加强学风建设的对策与思路。     

Web-based learning interaction and learning styles

This paper reports a study exploring the learning styles and perceptions of a group of undergraduate and postgraduate learners in a university in the UK in relation to using the web for learning. In particular, we explore the sequential/global learning style dimension (which is concerned with the progress of understanding) in relation to three categories of web‐based interaction: learner‐tutor, learner‐learner, and learner‐information. An Index of Learning Styles is used as the tool to explore this dimension. The findings are presented with regard to the learning preferences of a group of learners towards these three categories of interaction. We conclude with a discussion of these findings in relation to Interactive Learning Systems (ILSs) design.     

Motivational orientations,views about the purpose of education,and intellectual styles

College students' motivational orientations toward learning and their views concerning the purpose of education were examined in relation to various intellectual styles. Task orientation (wherein one's goal is to increase understanding or mastery) was found to be positively associated with Tolerance for Ambiguity, Thoughtfulness, and Open-Mindedness. Ego orientation (wherein one's goal is to outperform others) was negatively associated with Tolerance for Ambiguity, Thoughtfulness, Complexity, and Individualism. Moreover, the views that school's purpose should be to promote understanding and achievement motivation tended to be positively associated with these traits, but the view that school should promote one's wealth and status was not associated with these traits.     

An experimental comparison of the flexibility in the use of thinking styles in traditional and hypermedia learning environments

The objective of the instructional experiment was to examine if the use of thinking styles is flexible in traditional and hypermedia learning environments, and if a hypermedia learning environment possesses obvious advantages than a traditional environment in adapting to students with different thinking styles. The participant university students from Shanghai, P.R. China took the General Psychology course taught by one psychology teacher. One hundred and seven science students and one hundred and thirty-one social science students were assigned into traditional and hypermedia instructional groups, respectively. The results indicated that the use of the hierarchical, executive, conservative, and monarchic styles was increased, while the use of the local style was decreased due to the traditional instructional environment. The use of the judicial and liberal styles was increased, while the use of the legislative style was weakened due to the hypermedia environment. Moreover, significant effects of discipline differences in the use of particular thinking styles were found in the traditional instructional environment. Specifically, within the context of traditional learning environments, the use of the hierarchical style increased among the science students, while the use of the local style decreased among the social science students. The study did not support the view that a hypermedia learning environment is clearly better than a traditional environment in accommodating students with different thinking styles. Implications for learning and teaching are discussed.     

喻化思维的修辞学认知

喻化思维是一种思维的特殊方式.修辞学中的许多语言现象都蕴涵着喻化思维的过程.本文结合认知理论从隐喻思维、类喻思维、博喻思维三个方面加以论述.     

Learning environment,learning styles and conceptual understanding

In recent years there have been many studies on learners developing conceptions of natural phenomena. However, so far there have been few attempts to investigate how the characteristics of the learners and their environment influence such conceptions. This study began with an attempt to use an instrument developed by McCarthy (1981) to describe learners in Malaysian primary schools. This proved inappropriate as Asian primary classrooms do not provide the same kind of environment as US classrooms. It was decided to develop a learning style checklist to suit the local context and which could be used to describe differences between learners which teachers could appreciate and use. The checklist included four dimensions — perceptual, process, self-confidence and motivation. The validated instrument was used to determine the learning style preferences of primary four pupils in Penang, Malaysia. Later, an analysis was made regarding the influence of learning environment and learning styles on conceptual understanding in the topics of food, respiration and excretion. This study was replicated in the Philippines with the purpose of investigating the relationship between learning styles and achievement in science, where the topics of food, respiration and excretion have been taken up. A number of significant relationships were observed in these two studies. Specializations: science education, primary science, educational research and measurement, educational management.     

学习策略、学习风格与英语成绩相关性研究

对理工科大学生英语学习状况和学习成绩调查、统计和分析的基础上,研究了英语学习策略运用水平和学习风格倾向与英语成绩的关系。研究表明:(1)学习者都能积极运用学习策略,元认知和补偿策略运用得最多,社会/情感策略运用得较少;(2高分组和低分组在元认知策略上有显著差异;(3)学习风格偏好呈多样性,英语水平与学习风格本身无关。     

Verbal and visual learning styles

Three studies are reported concerning the development of a questionnaire to assess verbal and visual learning styles. The test instrument is based upon Richardson's Verbalizer-Visualizer Questionnaire (VVQ). In the first study, it is shown that the VVQ requires more than a single bipolar dimension, and that when two dimensions are extracted, the hypothesized visual dimension is defined mainly by dream vividness and is not related to self-reported mental imagery. In the second study, an expanded questionnaire is constructed to assess the verbal and dream dimensions located in the first study, as well as a visual dimension more related to mental imagery. Both the verbal and visual scales are designed to be more relevant to preferences in learning. The three scales are shown to possess adequate reliability and construct validity. In the third study, the correlations of the three scales with various mental abilities are explored: as hypothesized, the verbal learning style is most strongly correlated with verbal ability and the visual learning style with spatial visualization. Possible directions for future research are discussed: further validation of the three scales, investigation of the development of learning styles, and the use of the style scales in studies of learning.     

生物教学改革与学生思维形式的转变

长期以来，生物教育一直强调基础知识、基础理论、基本技能三个方面培养，而今面对知识经济的到来，面对科学技术的迅猛发展和激烈社会竞争，生物教育应更新观点，强调发展、突出能力、教会学习、授以方法；培养多角度全方位，不落常规或按新方式对常规事物进行创造思维的能力。