University of Virginia cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham makes a very interesting assertion in a guest column for the Washington Post: he claims that teaching in a way that focuses on students’ learning styles does not work. Instead, in his words, “Some lessons click with one child and not with another, but not because of an enduring bias or predisposition in the way the child learns. The lesson clicks or doesn’t because of the knowledge the child brought to the lesson, his interests, or other factors.“
It’s definitely worth the time to read the rest of his theory.
December 2, 2009 at 9:06 am |
Mark,
I really appreciate this post. As the article points out, the data simply do not support the notion of “learning style.” I think it is also important to highlight that other ubiquitous constructs such as multiple intelligences, brain gym, learning preferences, and such are likewise not supported.
Thank you,
BLB