EdTech 521: Learning Styles in the Online Classroom

Technologies for Certain Learning Styles

I am not certain that I completely agree with Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences or similar theories of learning styles that maintain each individual learns best with one or two distinct modes of presentation or activity format.  I believe the nature of the material being learned leads itself to certain more appropriate "styles" of information retrieval or generation.  That being said, as a student I have always been drawn to activities that feature the most multi-modal opportunities to engage with the material.  That means, I have enjoyed and achieved the most success with lessons that involved auditory, visual, and kinesthetic components.  As a student I appreciate a variety of social and solitary learning experiences as well as activity types.  For example, as much as I enjoy some talents in the creative arts (music, visual art, etc.), I also believe I am mathematically intelligent, and would enjoy looking at new information from both of those "angles".

Note: I am very skeptical of any sort of questionnaire-based personality assessment, however for fun and a bit of self-reflection I completed the "Multiple Intelligences Self-Assessment" from Edutopia.

That is why, as a teacher, I particularly enjoy multidisciplinary studies and finding ways to infuse lessons or units with a wide range of activities that (hopefully) appeal to all learning styles. I believe that interest could and would easily transfer to the online environment.

For the purposes of this week's reflection assignment, I considered a learning style that I am naturally drawn to: Visual/Spatial.  Conducting an online class, I would be cognizant to present information with video, graphic cues, filmed examples, and charts. "When learning online visual learners benefit from the ability to replay simulations or videos, trace an outline on the screen, note color coding, interpret pictures, and interact with a wide variety of interactive visual media" (Gilman, 2010).  Some of the technologies or strategies that appeal to this kind of learning preference include:

1. Mind-mapping tools (e.g. Bubbl.us or MindMeister) helps students and teachers visualize cause and effect , prioritize information, compartmentalize or organize concepts, etc. in a graphic way.
2. Visual dictionaries or thesauruses (e.g. Visuwords or VisualThesaurus) create concept maps to define words or show relationships between word parts and/or synonyms
3. Multimedia posters (e.g.  Glogster).  Glogster is an interactive program whereby students share their new learning or the results of research.  Posters can include text, images, video, sound, graphic embellishments, and weblinks.
4. Visual search engines (e.g. Spezify, Google Image Search, Compfight). Students can look up images by keyword, filtering choices by size, Creative Common license, format, etc.  These tools would be useful in creating visual dictionaries or encyclopedias, or in creating multimedia reports that require embedded images.
5. Animation creation programs (e.g. GoAnimate or PowToons) or dynamic presentation tools (e.g. Prezi). These student-friendly programs have made it easy for students to take content and animate it using established characters, movement, transitions, templates, etc. 

On the flip-side, I considered tools or activities types that would enhance learning for Auditory learners. "When learning online auditory learners benefit from being able to replay recordings of lectures, videos, and other auditory sources of information" (Gilman, 2010).

1. Audio-editing software (e.g. Audacity or WavePad).  Students or teachers can record their voice and edit it as necessary (adding multi-tracks, shortening or removing segments, even changing pitch) to create audio presentations.
2. Text-to-Speech software (e.g. ReadPlease or Natural Reader), which will read web pages or documents and even translate selected text in some cases.
3. PodCasts (e.g. iTunes, PodcastDirectory, PodOmatic). Students and teachers can contribute their spoken word to podcast libraries or search for audio files on a given topic or author.  Students may prefer their teacher's spoken assignment or content explanations over written directives.  In this case, a student could subscribe to a teacher's podcast and receive regular updates of new materials.
4. Audio books online (e.g. Project Gutenberg or LearnOutLoud). Students can download books onto their mobile devices for easy access to literature or research materials.

Resources:
Gilman, C. (2010, May 5). Maximizing your learning style in school and in life. Online Learning Tips. Retrieved from http://onlinelearningtips.com/2010/05/05/maximizing-your-learning-style-in-school-and-in-life
AlKhayat, A. (2010, November 24). Effective web tools for visual, auditory and kinesthetic (VAK) learners. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/amanyh/effective-web-tools-for-visual-auditory-and-kinesthetic-vak-learners-5896370

Diploma Guide. (2008). 30 of the best educational tools for auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. Retrieved from http://diplomaguide.com/articles/30_of_the_Best_Educational_Tools_for_Auditory_Visual_and_Kinesthetic_Learners.html