Learning Styles Of Adults Research Articles

Exploring Teaching Approaches Responsive to Adult Learning Styles in Community College Classrooms in Limpopo, South Africa

ABSTRACT Decades of career in adult education confirmed the author’s assumption that adult learners possess lots of lived experiences, exhibit different learning styles and have immediate learning needs to fulfil. Some learners may be slow and take time to grasp information while others might be shy, introverts, lack confidence or extroverts who like to lead and be heard. These characteristics of adults do not require rigid educator control. Human rights, social justice and democracy require educators to be innovative, flexible and implement teaching approaches that could suit learning styles of adults in community college programs. The objective of this case study was to explore various teaching approaches that can maximize learning among adults in three community college classrooms in Limpopo province in South Africa. Data were collected through interviews and the study confirmed that adult learners have different learning styles and to promote learning among them educators should use various teaching approaches.

Exploring the dominant learning styles of adult learners in higher education

In today’s complex and knowledge-driven world, the quest to pursue and acquire information and skills to enable one to be useful in society is not limited to young learners; many older adults also actively seek to acquire new knowledge and skills. The study presented in this article aims to establish the characteristics and dominant learning styles of adults enrolled in a diploma programme at an institution of higher education in Ghana. In a qualitative case study approach using a homogenous sampling technique, 21 students (aged 27–54, 10 female, 11 male) were asked to fill in a learning styles questionnaire and to participate in focus group interviews. Based on these participants’ responses, the study found three learning styles to be dominant: pragmatist, reflector and theorist. An interesting finding was the absence of a fourth type among participants, the activist learning style. Since it is clear that not all adult learners engage well with the typical theoretical and conceptual content that is taught in higher education institutions, understanding these four adult learning styles should inform higher education policies in order to make learning equally enjoyable and maximise effective learning for all four types of adult learners. Other significant findings of this study open up avenues for further research on how an understanding of learning styles can be used to enhance learning by adults.

Investigation of the Preferred Learning Styles of Persons Living with Dementia

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the preferred learning styles of persons living with dementia using the learning styles inventory for persons with dementia. Furthermore, this investigation evaluated unit productivity and job satisfaction of nursing assistants when activities of daily living were designed using the residents’ preferred learning styles. Revealed through literature review was the concern that nursing assistants in long-term care experience resident resistance to care and resident agitation which is often related to the resident’s cognitive decline and confusion which reduces unit productivity and makes task completion difficult. Also, through a literature review, the most significant job satisfaction for the nursing assistant was about the relationship that was experienced and shared with the residents in their care. Although a great deal of research exists on preferred learning styles of children and adults, there appear to be limited studies conducted on persons living with dementia. Also, there is limited information surrounding the subject of whether if knowing the preferred learning styles of patients living with dementia helps foster cooperation during activities of daily living and increases unit productivity while maintaining or improving nursing assistant relationships with their residents.

A case study of learning styles of older adults attending an English course

El aprendizaje en la tercera edad es de especial interes para docentes e investigadores involucrados en la educacion permanente. Un ambito probablemente poco conocido es el de los estilos de aprendizaje de este grupo etario, cuyo estudio podria desvelar aspectos significativos sobre materiales y metodologias que podrian cubrir sus necesidades de aprendizaje. Este trabajo analiza los estilos de aprendizaje preferidos por un grupo de adultos mayores en la ciudad de Cuenca, Ecuador. Un total de 66 participantes (con edad promedio de 71.05 anos), que tomaron un curso de ingles como lengua extranjera, respondio el cuestionario de 44 items sobre estilos de aprendizaje de Felder & Soloman (1997). Se llevo a cabo analisis estadisticos y analisis de correlacion entre variables sociodemograficas con el proposito de determinar los estilos de aprendizaje preponderantes del grupo intervenido y su relacion con las caracteristicas sociodemograficas de los participantes. Los resultados senalan que los adultos mayores, en su mayoria, tienen preferencia por los estilos sensitivo, activo, visual, y secuencial, siendo asi personas que tienden a trabajar mejor con hechos antes que con teorias, que gustan del trabajo en equipo, que prefieren imagenes a sonidos, y que son metodicos en su proceso de aprendizaje. Ademas se evidencio la correlacion positiva de las variables edad, nivel de ingles, y nivel de educacion y ocupacion antes de la jubilacion, siendo las dos ultimas variables las determinantes en las preferencias de los participantes.

Learning styles of adults and metacognitive approach to E-Learning "... Towards a cognitive and social constructivist view of learning"

Learning styles of adults and metacognitive approach to E-Learning "... Towards a cognitive and social constructivist view of learning"

Leveraging adult learning theory with online tutorials

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to apply adult-centered learning theories to online information literacy tutorials. Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper that examines the application of adult learning theories to online information literacy tutorials. The application is supported by examples from the literature of libraries and higher education, and from the writers’ own experiences with designing online tutorials informed by adult learning theories. Findings – As online learners continue to be a growing population on our campuses, and as those online learners continue to be older than our traditional students, librarians must be prepared to design information literacy objects tailored to the unique learning styles of adults. Building from Knowles’ theory of andragogy, online tutorials that are informed by adult-centered strategies can be powerful tools for engaging with the adult online learner. Practical implications – This article gives a useful and comprehensive overview of adult learning theory as applied by education and library researchers. It also provides a specific example of how those theories can be implemented in online tutorials through the Information Literacy Toolkit the authors created. Originality/value – While there is literature on applying adult learning theory to library environments, little of it addresses how to do so in an asynchronous, self-paced tutorial. This is a contribution to the literature on asynchronous learning environments and suggests concrete ways to incorporate an adult-centered approach to digital learning objects.

Assessing learning styles of adults with intellectual difficulties

The development of an electronic inventory to assess learning styles of adults with intellectual difficulties was seen as an inclusion strategy to aid learning and achievement. Some argue for the 'centrality of e-learning to educational diversity', for example. The use of VAK inventories (whether electronic or paper based), however, has been derogated as leading to theory-practice pedagogy that is misinterpreted and ill-informed. The focus here is dual in that the vigour and 'user friendliness' of the tool developed is analysed in the midst of a critical appraisal of its use. Assessments conducted using the inventory developed showed 34 percent of the participants have visual preferences, 34 percent have auditory, 23 percent have kinaesthetic, and 9 percent have multimodal learning preferences. Thus, this participant group requires a varied and diverse learning programme. The inventory was found to be user friendly but in need of further development, and would best be used as part of a self-reflective learning package.

Breaking the Mold: Using Educational Pedagogy in Designing Library Instruction of Adult Learners

Summary This paper delineates the special characteristics of the adult learner, emphasizing their high level of motivation and their diverse learning styles. It introduces the 4MATR System, an instructional model developed by Bernice McCarthy, PhD which provides a systematic approach to delivering instruction that especially addresses the learning styles of adults. As a learner-focused model for adapting curriculum and instruction to the diverse needs of students, 4 MAT gives teachers/librarians a framework in which to design learning activities in a systematic cycle. The system encourages librarians to use multiple methods of instruction so as to reach students more effectively, regardless of the individual's learning style. The paper concludes with a library instruction unit designed by using the 4MATR System.

LEARNING STYLE PREFERENCES AMONG OLDER ADULTS

As more older adults are participating in learning activities, educators of this group are beginning to seek ways to improve learning among these individuals. One area that has been extensively researched with children and young adults involves learning style preferences. Very little is known, however, about the learning styles of older adults. Therefore, this study attempted to determine the learning style preferences of older adults and the association of gender, age, and educational level to these preferences. D. A. Kolb's (1985) Learning Style Inventory was used to identify the preferred learning styles of 172 older adults from Northeast Georgia. Results found the older adults in this study fairly evenly distributed across the styles of Accommodator, Assimilator, and Diverger, with fewer preferring the Converger style, which involves thinking and doing while learning. Although no significant effects were found between learning style preferences and gender, age, or educational level, there were some age trends noted. More of the 55 to 65 age group preferred the Accommodator learning style (learning by feeling and doing), more of the 66 to 74 age group preferred the Diverger style (learning by feeling and watching), whereas the 75 and older group preferred the Assimilator style (learning by thinking and watching). Therefore, it is suggested that not all older learners are active, hands-on learners as adult education literature suggests, but rather with age there is a tendency to become more reflective and observational in the learning environment.

Learning styles of adults with severe psychiatric disability: Implications for psychoeducational programming.

Learning styles of adults with severe psychiatric disability: Implications for psychoeducational programming.

Perceptual Learning Styles of Older Adults

The concept of personal learning style implies that each individual possesses a unique manner of learning. Knowledge of an individual's best learning style(s) for the acquisition of knowledge or for the accomplish ment of a specific project will assist the learning process. A learningstyle is composed of a series of different modalities that together make up each person's unique style. This article summarizes the results of a research study that investigated the perceptual learning styles of adults of all ages from a variety of occupational groups. Additionally, results of the mean scores of adults below 60 years of age and those over age 60 are discussed.