Chapter 1: Know Yourself — Socrates Lesson 7: Learning Models

LESSON 7: LEARNING MODELS procedures, materials, and the instructional

tasks.

In this lesson, we will examine two

distinct, but complementary learning models:
mobility Dunn & Dunn Learning Styles Model, and
motivation Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model. Each of
persistence these models is based on your individual
sociological learning styles and processing preferences. The
use of the learning styles model requires
teachers to reorganize the instructional environ-
ment and instructional activities in order to
INTRODUCTION
move from methods that were primarily domi-
nated by lectures to classrooms that facilitate
Think about your favorite class. Does
several simultaneous approaches to learning.
the teacher lecture? Do you do experiments or
Both of these models have years of research
go on field trips? Does the teacher show video
support behind them, and practical classroom
clips or movies? Do you work in groups? Do
applications to validate them.
you use role-play to act out different scenarios?
Chances are, your the teacher is using learning
NINE FACETS OF BRAIN COMPATIBLE
activities that match your learning style and
LEARNING
processing preferences.
As we discussed in the previous lesson,
We can all learn, but we don’t all learn
the learning process is all about how we take
in the same way. Where learning is concerned,
in, filter, store, and organize information in our
there is no one approach that fits all people. If
brain. This research on how the brain perceives
instruction is designed and implemented with
and processes information leads us to a greater
consideration of different styles of learning,
understanding of how we learn and it forms the
students will be able to increase concentration,
underlying principles on which learning models
as well as process and retain more difficult
were built.
material.
The Nine Facets of Brain Compatible
MODELS OF LEARNING Learning (adapted from Brain Compatible
Learning for the Block, by Williams and Dunn)
Models help us to make sense of our are:
world. They provide a framework or structure
to help us understand a large or complex 1. Learning becomes relevant through per-
concept, and break it down into discrete, sonal context. Students need to understand
manageable units. how this new information relates to their
“real life.”
Learning models provide teachers with
an organized system for creating an appropriate 2. Learning is dependent upon motivation.
learning environment, and planning instruc- Students need to be motivated in order to
tional activities. Learning models affect what commit the new information to memory.
the teacher does, what the student does, the 3. Learning is reinforced through hands-on
organization of the classroom, the nature of the experience. This experience enables the

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Chapter 1: Know Yourself — Socrates Lesson 7: Learning Models

student to put a concept or theory in context on the premise that, for a student to have the
and examine the parts that make up the best opportunity to learn, the instructional
whole. techniques must match each student’s individ-
ual learning style. This model does not address
4. Learning requires linking new information
the curriculum content or instructional goals
to prior knowledge. The brain has a much
and objectives.
greater capacity to take in and store new
information that it can relate to something
The Dunn & Dunn model involves two
already learned. Teachers need to help
main activities: 1) identifying the individual
students make these connections.
learning style. 2) planning and implementing
5. Learning is achieved more efficiently when learning activities that accommodate the
information is chunked. By grouping student’s individual learning style strengths. In
together related information, the brain this model, the learning style is defined as the
forms a schema, or concept, and assigns preference for or aversion to variables within
meaning. five identified groups of stimuli. The diagram
6. Learning is enhanced with time for reflec- below graphically depicts the Dunn & Dunn
tion. Reflection, or thinking about what was model.
just learned, helps put the new information
in long-term memory. Activities such as
group discussions, questioning, and writing
in a journal all aid in this process.
7. Learning is retained longer when asso-
ciated with senses and emotions. The more
senses that are involved in the learning
experience, the more stimuli have a chance
of reaching long-term memory.
8. Learning occurs in an environment that
fosters and accommodates various ways of
being smart. We all have multiple intel-
ligences that need to be accommodated and
strengthened. We will discuss this in depth
in the next lesson. The five stimuli groups or dimensions
9. Learning is a high-energy activity. If not encompass environmental, emotional, sociolog-
rehearsed, new information will begin to ical, physiological, and psychological areas.
fade after 30 seconds. It is essential that The stimuli deal with how the learners per-
instructors cover new information several ceive, interact, and respond within the learning
times and in a variety of ways. environment. Within these groups are 21
variable, or elements for which a learner may
THE DUNN & DUNN LEARNING STYLES have a preference.
MODEL
ENVIRONMENTAL PREFERENCES
Developed by Drs. Rita and Kenneth
Dunn, this model emphasizes the organization • Sound — Do you like background music,
of the classroom and the use of a variety of or do you prefer quiet while studying?
instructional activities and procedures. Based

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Chapter 1: Know Yourself — Socrates Lesson 7: Learning Models

• Light — Do you prefer dim or bright light • Varied — Do you like routines or patterns
while studying or concentrating? or do you prefer a variety of procedures and
activities?
• Temperature — Do you prefer the room
PHYSICAL PREFERENCES
temperature to be cool or warm while
engaged in learning activities?
• Perceptual — Are you a visual, auditory, or
• Design — This refers to the furniture kinesthetic/tactile learner? (see Lesson 6 for
arrangement that the student prefers. Do a detailed explanation).
you normally sit at a desk (formal) or do
• Intake — Do you prefer to drink, eat, or
you prefer the couch, bed, floor, pillows,
chew gum while studying?
etc. (informal)?
• Time — This refers to the time of the day
EMOTIONAL PREFERENCES when you have the most energy. Are you an
early bird or a night owl? Somewhere in
• Motivation — Are you self-motivated to between?
learn? Or are you primarily motivated by
• Mobility — Can you sit still, or do you
adult feedback and reinforcement?
prefer to be moving while involved in a
• Persistence — This relates to the learner’s learning task?
attention span and ability to stay on task.
Do you prefer to work on one task or do PSYCHOLOGICAL PREFERENCES
you like to work on a variety of tasks
simultaneously? • Global/Analytic — Are you a “big picture”
person, or are you more detailed oriented?
• Responsibility — Do you prefer to work
independently with little supervision? Or do • Hemispheric — Do you have left brain
you prefer to have frequent feedback and tendencies (sequential learners) or right
guidance? brain tendencies (simultaneous learners)?
This overlaps with the global/analytic
• Structure — Do you like step-by-step
preferences.
instructions, or do you prefer to be given an
objective and left alone to decide how to • Impulsive/Reflective — Do you tend to
complete the task? make decisions quickly or do you take time
to consider all the options?
SOCIOLOGICAL PREFERENCES
HOW DOES LEARNING STYLE AFFECT
• Self — Do you prefer working on a task by INSTRUCTION?
yourself?
Once you have an understanding of the
• Pair — Do you prefer working on a task
preferences that affect your learning, how does
with one other person?
that understanding translate in the classroom?
• Peers and Teams — Do you like working as As we said at the beginning of this lesson, the
a member of a team? models will influence what the teacher does,
what the student does, what the classroom
• Adult — Do you like to work with an adult
looks like, and the materials and learning
or teacher?
activities you use.

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Chapter 1: Know Yourself — Socrates Lesson 7: Learning Models

TEACHER’S ROLE accommodate a variety of learners and learning

styles.
The teacher’s primary role in both of
these models is that of facilitator and leader. Of The Kolb model is a holistic approach
course, the first the responsibility of the teacher to learning that deals primarily with processing
is to identify the student’s learning styles. The preferences — the process by which infor-
most effective method is an instrument called a mation is obtained, stored, sorted, and utilized.
Learning Style Inventory (LSI), which is a self- It defines a four step learning process and then
evaluation that the students complete. goes on to describe the four learning styles
(preferences) used within the process.
Next, the teacher must arrange the
physical classroom to accommodate the differ- The learning cycle is a series of experi-
ent learning styles. Some students might prefer ences, and each stage of the cycle is associated
an informal setting, while others might perform with a distinct learning style. You can enter the
better in a more traditional desk and chair. cycle at any of the four processes. The diagram
below illustrates the Experiential Learning
Finally, the most difficult, and time- Model.
consuming responsibility of the teacher is to
plan and develop a variety of alternate learning Kolb’s Experiential Learning Model
activities that will accommodate the different
learning styles of the students (role plays,
instructional games, reading, individual assign-
ments, group discussions, writing in a journal,
etc.).

STUDENT’S ROLE

Each student is responsible for

developing an understanding of his or her
learning preferences and using that under-
standing to enhance his or her own learning
experience. Armed with the knowledge of how
they learn, students should be able to select
appropriate activities so that they will be able
to learn more quickly, and retain the new • Concrete Experience occurs when the
information. Studying should be much more learner is actively experiencing an activity
productive. (e.g. science lab, field class).
KOLB’S EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING • Reflective Observation occurs when the
MODEL learner is consciously reflecting back on
that experience.
Like the Dunn & Dunn model, Kolb’s • Abstract Conceptualization happens when
model of experiential learning recognizes the the learner is being presented with or trying
need to address individual differences in to conceptualize a theory or model of what
learners. Each advocated that in order to be is (or is to be) observed
effective, instruction must be modified to

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Chapter 1: Know Yourself — Socrates Lesson 7: Learning Models

• Active experimentation happens when the small group discussions, and peer feedback.
learner is trying to plan how to test a model, They tend to solve problems intuitively, relying
or theory or plan for a forthcoming on others for information.
experience.
Reflectors (or Diverger) like to learn
The four quadrants within the learning using reflective observation and concrete
cycle represent the four personal learning experience (logs, journals, brainstorming).
styles. Because each is based on two dimen- They like time to think about the subject.
sions, it is somewhat more complex than the
Dunn & Dunn model. According to Kolb’s The best instructional approach to use
model, the four learning styles include the with reflectors is lectures with plenty of
Theorists, Pragmatists, Activists, and reflection time. Their strengths lie in an imag-
Reflectors. inative ability.

Theorists (or Assimilator) like to learn Our learning comes from all four
using abstract conceptualization and reflective quadrants, but we have one that is our favorite.
observation (lecture, papers, analogies) and like The ideal learning environment should include
to ask such questions as “How does this relate each of the four processes, and the learning
to that?” activities should be flexible so that the learner
can spend additional time on his or her
The instructional approach for theorists preferred learning style.
includes using case studies, readings, and
thinking alone. Theorists’ strengths lie in their The following is an example of teaching
ability to create theoretical models. They are someone how to ride a bike using the Kolb
often more global thinkers and are concerned Experiential Learning Model.
with abstract concepts.

Pragmatists (or Converger) like to Learning to ride a bicycle:

learn using abstract conceptualization and • Reflectors — Thinking about riding and
active experimentation (laboratories, field watching another person ride a bike
work, observations). They ask “How can I • Theorists — Understanding the theory and
apply this in practice?” having a clear grasp of the biking concept.
• Pragmatists — Receiving practical tips and
The instructional approach that works techniques from a biking expert
best with pragmatists includes peer feedback • Activists — Leaping on the bike and trying
and activities that apply skills. They prefer to to ride it
be self-directed, autonomous learners.

Activists (or Accommodator) like to CONCLUSION

learn using concrete experience and active
experimentation (simulations, case study, Learning models facilitate the process
homework). They tell themselves “I’m game
of linking instructional activities to individual
for anything.” learning styles, thereby increasing the learner’s
ability to acquire and retain knowledge.
The instructional approach for activists
include practicing the skill, problem solving,

Unit 3: Foundations for Success 41