Comments on: Scientists: No evidence for learning styles http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/12/scientists-no-evidence-for-learning-styles/ Thinking and Linking by Joanne Jacobs Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:52:13 +0000 hourly 1 By: Lightly Seasoned http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/12/scientists-no-evidence-for-learning-styles/#comment-53383 Lightly Seasoned Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:59:45 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12595#comment-53383 Gardner probably got tenure. Gardner probably got tenure.

]]> By: Richard Aubrey http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/12/scientists-no-evidence-for-learning-styles/#comment-53382 Richard Aubrey Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:27:29 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12595#comment-53382 Darren. And probably a good living. Darren.
And probably a good living.

]]> By: Darren http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/12/scientists-no-evidence-for-learning-styles/#comment-53381 Darren Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:25:56 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12595#comment-53381 You mean besides the admiration of the soft-brained, for whom this theory *sounds* good? You mean besides standing in front of rooms of paying customers and getting all those understanding nods? You mean besides getting to feel like you're "making a difference" in the lives of children? You mean besides getting to feel like you're on the leading edge of an educational revolution? Notice what all those things above have in common--feeling over thought. You mean besides the admiration of the soft-brained, for whom this theory *sounds* good? You mean besides standing in front of rooms of paying customers and getting all those understanding nods? You mean besides getting to feel like you’re “making a difference” in the lives of children? You mean besides getting to feel like you’re on the leading edge of an educational revolution?

Notice what all those things above have in common–feeling over thought.

]]> By: Richard Aubrey http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/12/scientists-no-evidence-for-learning-styles/#comment-53380 Richard Aubrey Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:16:31 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12595#comment-53380 Other than selling materials on differential learning styles, what was the benefit to the proponents? Other than selling materials on differential learning styles, what was the benefit to the proponents?

]]> By: Anon http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/12/scientists-no-evidence-for-learning-styles/#comment-53379 Anon Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:21:50 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12595#comment-53379 Rachel L, your experience doesn't point to a variety of "learning styles," so much as a specific learning disability, a weakness in the ability to firmly connect sounds and letters. It sounds as if you were particularly strong in recognizing whole words by sight. I have a friend who is the reverse. He can never recognize words by sight, but must always (except for the very short, very common words, like "the" and "but") sound them out. Your first grade teacher should have seen that your weakness in phonetic decoding could be compensated for by letting you learn words by sight. And of course she and your later teachers needed to continue to encourage you to learn phonics, so that you could read words you'd never seen before. Rachel L, your experience doesn’t point to a variety of “learning styles,” so much as a specific learning disability, a weakness in the ability to firmly connect sounds and letters. It sounds as if you were particularly strong in recognizing whole words by sight. I have a friend who is the reverse. He can never recognize words by sight, but must always (except for the very short, very common words, like “the” and “but”) sound them out. Your first grade teacher should have seen that your weakness in phonetic decoding could be compensated for by letting you learn words by sight. And of course she and your later teachers needed to continue to encourage you to learn phonics, so that you could read words you’d never seen before.

]]> By: SuperSub http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/12/scientists-no-evidence-for-learning-styles/#comment-53378 SuperSub Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:04:14 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12595#comment-53378 As a science teacher with a neuro background, I can say that for the most part, yes, students do learn the same way. Surprisingly, so do slugs, fish, and other primates. The key lies in repetition and mastery of basic skills before learning more advanced skills. As for the anecdotal "The system failed me" comments, there are many differences between individuals, but usually those differences involve variations in cognitive development that teachers really have few ways to cope with. Its not a question of what the school can do to guarantee the same level of academic success, but when (or if) the student will become cognitively mature enough to learn the material. Either way, while it makes district's feel good that they are "helping" those who need it, they really are just wasting resources that could be put to better use elsewhere. As a science teacher with a neuro background, I can say that for the most part, yes, students do learn the same way. Surprisingly, so do slugs, fish, and other primates. The key lies in repetition and mastery of basic skills before learning more advanced skills.

As for the anecdotal “The system failed me” comments, there are many differences between individuals, but usually those differences involve variations in cognitive development that teachers really have few ways to cope with. Its not a question of what the school can do to guarantee the same level of academic success, but when (or if) the student will become cognitively mature enough to learn the material.

Either way, while it makes district’s feel good that they are “helping” those who need it, they really are just wasting resources that could be put to better use elsewhere.

]]> By: anon http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/12/scientists-no-evidence-for-learning-styles/#comment-53377 anon Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:42:07 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12595#comment-53377 "The problem isn’t a lack of evidence. The problem is an indifference to evidence although in general it can’t be put quite that bluntly but the evidence of the indifference to evidence is spread all over the field of education." Well put, Allen. We have known about the evidence that fails to support LS since the 1980s. But, here we are in 2009 wailing and gnashing our teeth about how evidence does not support LS. Willful and arrogant indifference on the part of the education (and special education) field is the only explanation. The type of nonsense characteristic of the LS concept will continue unchecked until education decides to become a mature field that adjudicates its disputes on the basis of science, not belief. “The problem isn’t a lack of evidence. The problem is an indifference to evidence although in general it can’t be put quite that bluntly but the evidence of the indifference to evidence is spread all over the field of education.”

Well put, Allen.

We have known about the evidence that fails to support LS since the 1980s. But, here we are in 2009 wailing and gnashing our teeth about how evidence does not support LS. Willful and arrogant indifference on the part of the education (and special education) field is the only explanation. The type of nonsense characteristic of the LS concept will continue unchecked until education decides to become a mature field that adjudicates its disputes on the basis of science, not belief.

]]> By: fiwit http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/12/scientists-no-evidence-for-learning-styles/#comment-53376 fiwit Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:39:01 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12595#comment-53376 @Rob't Wright... Your point about abstract brain capability makes perfect sense to me. I think my 7th grade English teacher might have wanted to beat her head against a wall when trying to teach me Haiku (or maybe she wanted to beat MY head against a wall)... anyway, she explained that haiku had the 5-7-5 format, and a common theme, and I turned in things like: Dogs Afghan, beagle, chow, doberman, whippet, bulldog, weimeraner pups It looked great to me... 5-7-5, with a common theme of dogs. We won't talk about what happened when my Math teacher asked me what a+b+c equaled...I could not fathom how it was possible to add letters together. @Rob’t Wright…

Your point about abstract brain capability makes perfect sense to me. I think my 7th grade English teacher might have wanted to beat her head against a wall when trying to teach me Haiku (or maybe she wanted to beat MY head against a wall)… anyway, she explained that haiku had the 5-7-5 format, and a common theme, and I turned in things like:

Dogs
Afghan, beagle, chow,
doberman, whippet, bulldog,
weimeraner pups

It looked great to me… 5-7-5, with a common theme of dogs.

We won’t talk about what happened when my Math teacher asked me what a+b+c equaled…I could not fathom how it was possible to add letters together.

]]> By: Robert Wright http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/12/scientists-no-evidence-for-learning-styles/#comment-53375 Robert Wright Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:59:31 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12595#comment-53375 Mr McDuck asks" "Do you discuss question no. 1 in class? If so, do students who couldn’t answer that question gain an understanding from the discussion? Or do they simply not understand the discussion?" Good question. Yes, I discuss number 1 in class, the higher level question. Do the students still at concrete operations gain an understanding from the discussion? I wish I could say yes, but I'm afraid the answer is no. Not even a little bit. Mr McDuck asks”

“Do you discuss question no. 1 in class? If so, do students who couldn’t answer that question gain an understanding from the discussion? Or do they simply not understand the discussion?”

Good question.

Yes, I discuss number 1 in class, the higher level question.

Do the students still at concrete operations gain an understanding from the discussion?

I wish I could say yes, but I’m afraid the answer is no. Not even a little bit.

]]> By: ms_teacher http://www.joannejacobs.com/2009/12/scientists-no-evidence-for-learning-styles/#comment-53374 ms_teacher Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:02:31 +0000 http://www.joannejacobs.com/?p=12595#comment-53374 As a teacher, I've always suspected differentiating according to learning styles was bunk. As a teacher, I’ve always suspected differentiating according to learning styles was bunk.

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