Understanding Learner characteristics and Learning Styles

It is important to know our learners to understand their prior knowledge, learning needs and style, attitudes, inspiration and cravings for learning. Most people are mainly one type of learner, but generally they can get used to to a new style. Learners do have a tendency to seek their favourite style in every learning situation because they connect that style in success. Information regarding our learners is useful in defining our learning objectives. There are three main learning styles; Visual learners, Auditory learners and Tactile learners.

Visual learning process new information best when it is visually illustrated or demonstrated. Visual learners are those who normally think in terms of pictures. They often prefer to see things written down in a handout, text or on the overhead. They find maps, graphs, charts, and other visual learning tools to be very effective. They remember things best by considering something written.

In auditory leaning students generally learn best by listening the information spoken. They characteristically like to learn through lectures and discussion and reading aloud. They remember things by hearing or saying items aloud.

The third style of learning, tactile learners are those who learn finest through touching, feeling, and experiencing the things that they are trying to learn. They used to keep things in mind by writing assignments, taking notes, examining objects and also by participating in activities.

There are many tests available to help you and your students discover your best learning style. Firstly, if you are someone who is more likely to think in pictures, prefer to meet with someone, if you want visual diagrams to complete a project you have tendencies towards visual learning. Similarly, if you are more likely to think in terms of sounds, prefer to speak on the phone with someone, and want oral instructions then you tend towards auditory learning. Finally, if you are more likely to think in terms of touching images like mini-movies in your mind, desire to involve yourself in an activity when you meet to speak with someone, and be likely to bind right into a project without reading directions you tend towards tactile learning.

It is very important for a teacher to use the learning styles effectively in the class and prepare the assessments relating to learners characteristics and learning styles. But as we are human beings it is just not possible in real world of teaching and even hard to apply all three styles in the lessons. For instance, you can have information written on the board and say them out loud. Though, it is not always easy to take in the tactile learning style into your lessons. However the reality is that many students have this as their greatest learning style. It is not preferable to force the matter but instead get natural places to include tactile learning. If the class warrants it, you could include simulations, role playing, debates, or the use of manipulative.

Cognitive Learning Theory

All the way through life is faced with many different learning experiences. Some of these experiences have prepared a better contact than others on different people. At one time in everyone’s life one has seen or has been the children who will effort to read a single page from a book and become so irritated and confused because she or he does not comprehended or cannot say again what one has just read. Same way I was also a child who struggled and just did not be aware of what I was reading. My teachers would present reading material and I would have to read it countless times and sometimes still I did not understand what the reading passage was about. However, gradually I started to develop step by step practice to help me better understand what I was reading, and lastly it all came as one. One way to help things to come together for a person is through the Cognitive Theory. The Cognitive Theory presents different theories for the way that one can be educated in different subjects, the different types of learners, and advantages of understanding.

The Cognitive Learning Theory explains why the brain is the most unbelievable set-up of information processing and analysis in the body as we discover things. When we say the word “learning”, we generally mean “to think using the brain”. This fundamental idea of learning is the main belief in the Cognitive Learning Theory (CLT). The theory has been used to clarify mental processes as they are influenced by both basic and extrinsic factors, which finally bring about learning in an individual. Cognitive Learning Theory implies that the different processes relating to learning can be explained by analyzing the mental processes first. It posits that with successful cognitive processes, learning is easier and new information can be stored in the memory for a long time. On the other hand, unsuccessful cognitive processes result to learning difficulties that can be seen anytime during the lifetime of an individual.

Summarizing and note taking is another tactic that supports the cognitive learning theory. Summarizing is the ability to remove, substitute or maintain information in order to trace important information.  Teachers may give templates and ready-made notes for students to use. Teaching and modeling summarizing plus giving students opportunities to produce their own notes. Summarizing and note taking promotes the cognitive learning theory because students are creating periodic memories through the experience of note taking. According to my experience, it is also creating an image that may help in later retrieving the information. While students try to remember information, it is more probable that their brains will be able to make relations because the visual imprint has been formerly introduced into their memory.

Practical field trips also help cognitive learning theory. These trips improve education because they make experiences that have a strong possibility to transfer into episodic memory. Successful teachers try to create experiences that will improve episodic memories because these types of experiences are important to the learner. Through practical field trips, students no longer depend on the pictures in the textbook, but are in fact able to observe the places or events in which they are learning about. From this, teachers are able to connect students in critical thinking behavior that can further support life-long learning.

In my opinion, implementing cognitive learning theories, technology can be used to fit in all of the strategies: questioning, summarizing, note taking, and practical field trips. Technology is valuable to use while implementing the cognitive learning theory because it enables students to elaborate information, tap into episodic memory. The information dealing out model allows educators to realize the importance of integrating several senses through presentations to improve learning. Teachers should offer a wide variety of visuals, audios, and other techniques to tap into students’ senses .Cognitive technologies are tools that may be provided through any medium. These tools help students in recalling, promoting critical thinking, and providing opportunities for problem solving and students will be more likely to transfer information into long-term memory, and then, have beyond doubt learned.

Constructivism

Constructivism is a learning theory found in psychology which explains how people might obtain understanding and learn. It therefore has straight application to education. The theory suggests that humans raise knowledge and meaning from their experiences. Constructivism is not a particular pedagogy. Piaget's theory of Constructivist learning has had open ranging impact on learning theories and teaching methods in education and is a fundamental theme of much education restructuring actions. Research maintain for constructivist teaching techniques has been assorted, with some research underneath these techniques and other research contradicting those consequences.

Two of the key concepts within the constructivism learning theory which generate the construction of an individual's new knowledge are accommodation and assimilation. Assimilating causes an individual to incorporate new experiences into the previous experiences. This causes the character to build up new outlooks, reorganize what were once misunderstandings, and weigh up what is essential, ultimately varying their perceptions. Accommodation, on the other hand, is reframing the world and new experiences into the intellectual power already present. Individuals consider a particular trend in which the world operates. When things do not operate within that framework, they must accommodate and reframing the expectations with the outcomes.

The responsibility of teachers is very significant within the constructivism learning theory. Instead of giving a lecture the teachers in this theory task as facilitators whose job is to aid the student when it comes to their own understanding. This takes away focus from the teacher and lecture and puts it ahead the learner and their learning. The resources and lesson plans that must be initiated for this learning theory take a very unlike approach toward habitual learning as well. Instead of telling, the teacher must initiate asking. Instead of answering questions that only support with their curriculum, the facilitator in this case must compose it so that the student comes to the conclusions on their own instead of being told. In addition, teachers are repeatedly in conversation with the students, creating the knowledge experience that is release to new guidelines depending upon the needs of the student as the learning progresses. Teachers following Piaget's theory of constructivism must challenge the student by assembling them valuable critical thinkers and not being simply a "teacher" but also a adviser, a consultant, and a trainer.

Instead of having the students relying on someone else's information and accepting it as reality, the constructivism learning theory wires that students should be exposed to data, main sources, and the ability to cooperate with other students so that they can be trained from the incorporation of their experiences. The classroom experience should be a request for a myriad of different backgrounds and the learning skill which allows the different backgrounds to come simultaneously and observe and examine information and thoughts.

The constructivism learning theory will permit children to, at an early age or a late age, extend the skills and confidence to analyze the world around them, create solutions or support for developing issues, and then justify their words and actions, though encouraging those around them to do the same and regarding the differences in opinions for the assistance that they can make to the complete of the situation. Classroom applications of constructivism support the values of learning which build a students' and teachers' understanding. We necessitate revealing on our practice in order to apply these ideas to our work.

Social Cognitive Learning Theory

According to Albert Bandura (1977) proposed that people learn new information without changing their behaviour. So according to him it is not necessary to see a change in behaviour whenever a person acknowledges new information. Moreover people learn new information via observation through modeling. For an example the famous Bobo Doll experiment shows exactly this. When an aggressive action towards a Bobo Doll by an adult was shown to different children and they have observed what they have seen carefully and tried to repeat the same behaviour when they are given the opportunity with a Bobo Doll.

The basic concepts of this theory are people learn through observation, internal mental state is essential and always learning does not result in a change in behaviour. There are 3 essential classifications of observations. First the best way of learning is through modeling. In this way learners can see the real example and which help them to follow the same path. The next method is verbal instructional model. The teacher has to explain verbally the object. Sometimes when we explain the lesson we used our hands to show and express certain things. Finally symbolic modeling is also very essential part in observation. In this case students are taken to the excursion where the students can see the real objects or the symbols. Therefore by looking those symbols students can learnt their lesson more easily. For example field trips organized by our schools.

Internal mental State is really important in social learning theory. As environmental reinforcement is not the only factor which affect the learning but also intrinsic reinforcement also influence learning and behaviour. For an example satisfaction, pride, sense of accomplishment.

To achieve this learning theory successfully there are few basic steps to follow. They are;

1.     Attention

2.     Retention

3.     Reproduction

4.     Motivation

In order to succeed this theory learners have to be really attentive while the modeling is presented. Without the proper information learners are unable to learn new information. After successfully taking the information from the model the learner has to retain that information in his short as well as long-term memory. Without remembering what they have observed students cannot reproduce the idea that they have understood. Therefore the once the knowledge they have learnt should be use to create and exploit different new methods. And finally without motivation the above all the steps would fail. Therefore it is very important for the learners to be motivated and the teacher has to maintain their motivation throughout the class to achieve the target.

Which brings us to the role of the teacher who follows this theory. There are few important items a teacher has to remember while following this theory. First of all the teacher has to be a good model. As the basics from this theory say learners learn through observation they will always looks to their superiors and of course they will take example from the teacher. Therefore the teacher has to be a good model. Moreover the teacher has to develop the self-efficacy in students. The students should feel that they are important for this lesson and they are the one who is going to learn something. Last but not the least teacher has to motivate the learners to reproduce. Teacher can encourage students to reuse the ideas they have learnt and express them with new ideas.

On the other hand there are equal role for the learners as well. The learners have to be fully attentive in the class. Without receiving the correct information they cannot understand the lesson and which sometimes leads to retaining of false information’s. Consequently learners have to be fully attentive as well as retain the information they received. Moreover they have to use that information to reproduce new ideas and methods and repeat what they have learnt habitually in order to be familiar with the knowledge they received.