Adult Learning Styles

Introduction

The manner in which adult learners learn best include visual, auditory, kinesthetic (VAK), or a combination of the learning styles.  This article shows how each type of learning style can be best supported using the online platform.  Educators face unique opportunities and challenges when using the available technological resources to foster student learning (Whiteley, 2007).

Reflecting on the methods I use to learn.  As a lifelong adult learner, I have used the following methods to learn:

1. Attended on-site classes in brick-and-mortar (B&M) colleges and universities.  Took notes from the professors’ lectures using chalk-and-talk, viewgraph presentations, slide presentations, group discussions, and examinations.  Read the assigned course textbooks and yellow highlighted important passages.
2. Attended a non-traditional college taking CLEP and ACT examinations to earn college credits and combining them with courses taken at nine universities and colleges from across the United States to earn an undergraduate degree in general business.
3. Attended a 100% online university to earn a doctoral degree.  Most learning was acquired researching and writing papers using the APA Manual for writing standards.
4. Used desktop and laptop personal computers to perform the assignments.
5. Used the Internet to perform research.  Acquired and read journal articles from numerous periodicals.  Marked important passages in articles using a yellow highlighter.
6. Used the services of course mentors, virtual libraries, databases, course websites, email, and supporting organizations.
7. Purchased and read textbooks and highlighted passages using a yellow highlighter.
8. Attended professional conferences, seminars, workshops, non-credit courses, and free lectures.

I used all of the diverse methods to learn and earn a B&M bachelor’s degree and two B&M master’s degrees.  Also, I earned a second bachelor’s degree through a non-traditional college.  Finally, I am about to earn a PhD using a 100% online university.  These three different approaches to earning degrees are valid and useful.  I have found that the 100% online approach to learning and earning a degree is the best of the three approaches.

Discussing the different types of learning styles.  How I work with each learning style in an online platform.  Learning is accomplished through the senses of sight (eyes), hearing (ears), touch (hands, skin, nerve endings, and feeling), taste (mouth, tongue), and smell (nose).  Whiteley (2007) worked with three of the five senses comprising the visual, auditory, kinesthetic (VAK) learning-styles model.  The visual learning style uses the eyes for seeing, reading, viewing, and studying.  Writing and reading comprise a necessary complement for learning to occur.  The auditory learning style uses the ears for hearing and listening as well as the mouth for talking, speaking, lecturing, discussing, arguing, and debating.  Speaking and listening (or hearing) comprise a necessary complement for learning to occur.  The kinesthetic learning style uses the hands, fingers, skin, and nerve endings for touching, feeling, writing, doing, demonstrating, and building things.  The show-and-tell method is a good approach to learning.

As an online instructor, I would work with the visual learning style by using a syllabus, textbook, PowerPoint presentations, white papers, articles, written examinations, email, chat-room sessions, and videos.  In working with the auditory learning style, I would use recordings, videos, CDs, telephone conversations (cell and landline), conference calls, chat-room sessions, and Skype, GoToMeetings, or GoToWebinar.  For the kinesthetic learning style, I would use writing assignments, researching assignments, and preparing PP presentations and presenting them online using Skype, GoToMeetings, or GoToWebinar.

Why would it be important for me to ascertain how the student learns best?  When you determine how the student learns best, you are then able to compare and contrast it with how the instructor teaches best.  What may be good for a student may not be something the instructor can deliver effectively.  Hence, for best results, it is important to synergistically match the student needs and instructor capabilities.

What learning style do you think would be most challenging to implement in the online platform?  What strategies could I employ to assist this learner?  The kinesthetic learning style would be the most challenging to implement in the online platform because of its complexity, time consuming, and cost requirements as compared to the other two learning styles.  Teaching strategies that I could employ to assist this learner include written assignments, taking notes, examination of objects, and participation in activities (Rochester Institute of Technology, 2012).

Conclusion

An online course may not be appropriate for all students.  That same online course may not be appropriate for all teachers to teach.  A happy balance must be found.

References

Rochester Institute of Technology. (2012). Characteristics of adult learners. Retrieved from http://online.rit.edu/faculty/teaching_strategies/adult_learners.cfm

Whiteley, T. R. (2007). Integrating the technological resources of the online learning environment with the VAK learning-styles model to foster student learning. AMA Winter Educators’ Conference Proceedings, 18, pp. 1-9.