The Western Region is sponsoring a reprise of the 2016 annual conference session “Rethinking Learning Styles: Fact or Fiction” in webinar format on June 27 at 11:00a.m. Pacific Time. Mark your calendars now! This webinar describes newer research on learning styles that confronts long accepted educational theory on the topic and questions “what you always knew about teaching and learning.” Nancy Smith and Mary Ann Koory of the Western Region and Tony Simones of the Midwest Region will facilitate the discussion.
Visual, auditory, kinesthetic. Diverger, Converger, Assimilator, Accommodator. Which learning style best describes you? How do you know? As an educator, were you taught to adapt your teaching to the learning style(s) of your audience? Have you actually done so? Do you know if it was effective? Recent research purports to debunk the “myth” of learning styles. Researchers claim that the learning style-teaching style link is unproven and that instruments to measure learning styles are inaccurate. In this session, we’ll review the social science research about learning styles and discuss what we as educators should rethink — if anything — because of it.
During the session we will critically discuss learning style theory in light of the research; analyze the role of content and learning outcomes with respect to teaching techniques; and apply new norms for teaching to our repertoires.
This webinar will help members prepare for the upcoming conference session that will be a continuation of this discussion, and will feature Tesia Marshik of the University of Wisconsin Lacrosse. Dr. Marshik’s Tedx talk on the subject of rethinking learning styles was the catalyst behind the 2016 conference session and this webinar.