Using learning styles preferences data to inform classroom teaching and assessment activities

Abstract

This paper describes the results to date, and our ongoing efforts, to develop, adapt, disseminate and assess teaching techniques, methods and exercises which address specific learning styles of students. Our research shows that students in the engineering college showing strong preferences for the active, sensing visual and sequential learning styles outweigh students with strong preferences for the reflective, intuitive, verbal and global learning styles by significant factors. As part of our faculty instructional development program, we have been using techniques such as cooperative and active learning as well as entrepreneurial environments in the laboratory to help move the instructional experience of students away from the traditional lecture mode and into a more student-centered mode.