No two people are exactly the same in life, and this is exactly the same within a classroom environment. We all have our own unique way of absorbing information, and typically tend to favour one particular learning style. It can be quite daunting to establish what type of learners you are going to come across; therefore PTLLS courses were set up to address these issues. Teachers need to create flexible lesson plans to suit all learners.
An old Chinese proverb reads: I hear - I forget, I see - I remember, I do - I understand. In a nutshell it basically means that you learn best when you actually carry out a task, as this allows you to learn the full process, which means it is possible to carry the task out again. This is backed up by Pike (1989) who analysed the absorption of information over a three day period. Over the period learning retention was as follows:
• 10% of what you read • 20% of what you hear • 30% of what you see • 50% of what you see and hear • 70% of what you say • 90% of what you say as you do
Fleming (2005) has his own theory on the topic, whereby he states that you can group people into four styles of learning: visual, auditable, read / write and kinaesthetic. The theory suggests that learners may indeed cross between groups; however they will predominately favour one particular style.
Visual learners are very attentive at noticing details and can memorise through looking at pictures. However they have difficulty in understanding verbal instructions, and would rather observe as opposed to acting or talking.
Aural learners are usually always inclined to ask questions, and will often enjoy talking and listening to others. At the same time though they can become easily distracted, and generally will not favour noisy environments, where their learning needs can become compromised.
Reading and writing learners thoroughly enjoy researching a topic area, and often like reproducing work that others have written. On the flip side they don't respond to practical activity's that well, and will generally shy away from debates / discussions.
The final group is kinaesthetic learners who relish practical activities, where they get an opportunity to participate in a task. You will often see them using their hands when talking.
PTLLS courses would not be complete without Honey and Mumford's interesting theory about the way people learn. The two researchers this time were able to split people into four distinctive groups: Activists, pragmatists, theorists and reflectors.
Their view is that activists seek out new problems and experiences, and feel most at ease when participating in lots of different activities. Pragmatists also like participating in practical activities, but need to have a logical reason for participating. Theorists are far more cautious, whereby they like to read lot so material before participating in a practical activity. Finally reflectors are the deep thinkers amongst us, who favour activity's that have been very much tried and tested.
Both Pike and Honey & Mumford's theories back up the concept that a classroom could be filled with a whole variety of different learners. It's strange to think that the Chinese had already discovered this trick many thousands of years ago.
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Bill Casserley is an experienced first aid trainer, who regularly volunteers at major events. Which learning style suits you? visit the ptlls courses blog @ http://www.train-aid.co.uk to find out more.
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