Learning Styles Inventory

Learning styles are important as they have a direct impact on the overall learning process.
Thus, there are benefits of knowing one’s preferred learning style. Examining and having an
understanding of one’s learning style helps an individual become more aware of their brain. If
one knows how they learn best, then it becomes easier to communicate effectively with peers and
educators. It makes it easier to learn and receive instructions. One is able to maximize their
potential at a personal level, academically, as well as professionally. It is one way of boosting
self-confidence as it improves self-image.
The primary focus of educators is to ensure that learners have positive learning outcomes.
This cannot be achieved if educators do not understand their students’ learning styles. Kolb holds
that knowing something about the learning styles of students ensures that educators can match
those styles with learning context, and this leads to an enhanced learning performance (Gooden,
Preziosi & Barnes, 2009). The teacher is able to accommodate the different learning needs of
diverse learners, and this helps each student perform optimally regardless of their learning style.
The learning styles model is essential to the process of learning and instruction. Pajares holds the
beliefs that a teacher’s beliefs directly influence how they teach (Li et al., 2016). When educators
understand students’ learning styles, they are likely to be more cautious and intentional in how
they prepare lesson plans, how they deliver their instruction, the techniques and materials that
they choose to use as well as their assessment methods.
Learning is improved by accommodating learners’ styles of learning during instruction.
This is done differently in different learning environments. In the traditional classroom, the
teacher factors learning styles and accommodate different learners in their lesson plans, in their
selection of instructional techniques, materials used to instruct, and even in the assessment

methods. In online environments, learning is more learner-directed. The role of the instructor is
mainly that of a facilitator, adviser or a source of guidance. Learners construct knowledge by
themselves and based on their learning styles; they engage in learning activities that match these
styles (Dağ & Geçer, 2009). Instructors in online classrooms provide materials in various
formats, some in written and others audio to ensure that they consider different learning styles.
Learning is done through peer discussions, learners resent assignments in written formats and
sometimes video and audio formats. In any environment, understanding that learners learn
through different styles helps deliver content and facilitate learning.
Based on the learning styles model, learning is relearning. The process of learning is best
facilitated by considering the beliefs and ideas that learners have about a topic. Drawing on these
ideas and beliefs enables a teacher to examine, test, and integrate what the learner already knows
with new and more refined beliefs and ideas. Learning is a holistic process through which human
beings get adapted to the world around them (Kolb & Kolb, 2005). The environment,
experiences in life, and upbringing shapes human beings. They affect ways through which
people learn hence the reason why there exists a variety of learning styles. Learning is a key
determinant to human development. It is a lifelong process that continually shapes human
experiences.
The learning styles approach to instruction tries to capture the critical elements of
teaching in both online and campus-based classrooms. Students have preferences on the way that
they best receive instruction or information. Teaching students in that preferred modality may
enhance the learning outcome. However, the learning styles approach misses one crucial thing
that the learning process is affected by many other factors other than the students’ learning style.
Therefore, when using this approach, instructors may tend to limit instruction to only one

modality-based o the preference of the learner. Doing this may limit learning and may therefore
not necessarily yield a better performance academically.
The learning styles model does not show the negative impact of exposing students to
other learning styles. It should explain what happens when there is a mismatched modality. The
model fails to fully explain if the instruction would be ineffective if a kinesthetic learner or an
accommodating learner is taught using techniques that favor an auditory or reflective learner.
Besides, there exist many learning styles. If a teacher was to develop lesson plans for each
learner based on their learning style, then learning might almost be impossible. Thus, the
learning styles approach may, after all, be not as effective for the classroom environment.
Designing instruction around learner preference when a teacher has to handle tens of them in a
day may be very difficult to implement. Besides, learning might be limiting if a learner only
receives information through one method all their life. Aligning instruction to learning styles
limits student’s experiences and exposure. Thus, students need to be provided with a variety of
perspectives, alternatives, strategies, and modalities, even if they do not necessarily match their
preferences. Doing so will increase their understanding, and their learning preferences will be
partially considered.

References

Dağ, F., & Geçer, A. (2009). Relations between online learning and learning styles. Procedia-
Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 862-871.
Gooden, D. J., Preziosi, R. C., & Barnes, F. B. (2009). An examination of Kolb’s learning style
inventory (Links to an external site.). American Journal of Business Education, 2(3), 57-

62. doi:10.19030/ajbe.v2i3.4049
    Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2005). Learning styles and learning spaces: Enhancing experiential
    learning in higher education. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 4(2), 193-
63. doi:10.5465/AMLE.2005.17268566
    Li, Y., Medwell, J., Wray, D., Wang, L., & Xiaojing, L. (2016). Learning styles: A review of
    validity and usefulness. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(10), 90-94.