This paper builds a case for the use of multimedia to meet students' varied learning needs instead of relying solely on the traditional lecture/textbook/workbook approach. Piaget's theory of intellectual development is used as background for a discussion of developing teaching strategies based on individual learning styles, and various theories of…

Research supports the effectiveness of matching instructional methods with student learning preferences (Dunn et al., 1995; Pascarella and Terenzini, 2005). Several challenges exist, however, for mathematics departments to design classroom learning experiences that allow students to learn mathematics and learn how to study math through their…

Describes a study in Nigeria comparing achievement in biology with a student's preference for cooperative or competitive learning situations. Proposes that rural children prefer cooperative learning strategies while urban children prefer competitive ones. Presents data proposing that learning preference (cooperative vs competitive) directly…

Reviews and summarizes the various applications, findings, and conclusions regarding the Kolb experiential learning model and the Learning Style Inventory found in current literature. The usefulness of the model and the instrument are evaluated based upon this evidence. (Author/LLS)

Administration of the Learning Style Inventory to 324 postsecondary industrial education students in Florida showed the strongest cognitive style was Auditory-Visual-Kinesthetic; 42% were individual, 21.9% group learners; more preferred oral to written style; and the Auditory Language subscale had the lowest mean score and lowest percentage of…

Inconsistent performance by gifted students has been a source of frustration for both parents and educators for decades. Several studies on gifted under achievement point to a connection between student learning styles and classroom performance.This study examined the learning styles of gifted middle school students, student perceptions of the…

This paper reviews and critically evaluates the psychometric properties of Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI). The LSI was developed originally in the 1970s (Kolb, 1976a) and was revised in the 1980s (Kolb, 1985). Although the LSI has been very popular, extensive evidence available in the published literature indicates that both the original…

A study of the learning style preferences of preservice education majors at the University of Idaho showed differences between men and women on 8 of 16 variables, between preparing for elementary and secondary school careers on 7 variables, and between students in different subject matter majors on 10 variables. (PGD)

Describes a teaching model that uses learning styles. Five elements of learning styles are discussed: (1) environmental; (2) emotional; (3) sociological; (4) physiological; and (5) psychological. Describes using the learning styles assessment in the classroom. The study revealed that when students were taught tactually and kinesthetically rather…

Presents a discussion of learning styles by Lynn Curry, Rick Daly, Ashley Fields, Peter Honey, David Kolb, Patrick O'Brien and Gary Salton. Addresses learning style theories, style predictability, whether to teach exclusively to one style, and ways to make use of learning styles in corporate settings. (Author/JOW)

Explored whether a technology-rich environment that promotes a constructivist approach to learning has a significant effect on the learning styles of freshmen high school students. Results of pre- and post-tests on a learning style inventory suggest that a technology-rich environment that promotes collaborative, project-based learning can have an…

Developments within education, psychology and the neurosciences have shed a great deal of light on how we learn while, at the same time, confirming for us all that learning is a profoundly complex process and far from understood. Against this background, and in this position article, we consider the recent rise in interest in the concept of…

Relates the story of a ninth-grade student who worked to convince the school board to allow changes in policy to adapt to his best friend's strong reaction to bright lights which handicapped his friend's efforts to learn. Urges teachers to experiment with learning styles and add to the existing body of research. (SR)

Before instruction, 192 nursing students completed Kolb's Learning Style Inventory; 53.7% were concrete learners, 46.3% reflective. No significant associations appeared between learning style and age, sex, prior employment, or educational attainment. Methodological problems were found with using this instrument in nursing education. (SK)

Compared learning-style preferences of intellectually gifted, average-ability, and special-needs students on the Learning Style Inventory. Also examined the general differences among ability level and gender. Analyses indicated that gifted students preferred learning alone, being self-motivated, and using tactile learning approaches, and that…