4 ms·

> I’ve always considered myself more of a visual learner, and seeing posts here and elsewhere about this supposedly not being a thing has never sat well with me

> I’ve always considered myself more of a visual learner, and seeing posts here and elsewhere about this supposedly not being a thing has never sat well with me (though I never delved into the actual research). My understanding of the research is that your preference for visual learning is real. But your preference doesn't actually translate into better learning outcomes. Ie, you might prefer visual stimulus but the research suggests you'll still learn content just as fast if its presented in other mediums.

cncivubyv 3y ago
Is that for the people that didn't drop out or are the drop outs included in the stats?
- watwut 3y ago
  Afaik those were short term experiments - people don't drop out that quickly.
  - cncivubyv 3y ago
    That seems like a pretty useless study if it's not covering the full effects of learning styles that cater to an individual's preferences.
kqr 3y ago
> But your preference doesn't actually translate into better learning outcomes. Ie, you might prefer visual stimulus but the research suggests you'll still learn content just as fast if its presented in other mediums. These two are not actually the same, despite the "i.e." connecting them. I'm sure you know that -- just pointing itnout because it's a common sleight of hand when referencing science. "Failed to show an improvement in learning speed" does not mean "successfully showed an equality in learning speed". The latter is very hard to prove, and is probably the null hypothesis -- we just assume it to be true without evidence to the contrary.
mobiuscog 3y ago
I doubt the research accounts for Neurodivergent folks, assuming it even correctly represents Neurotypical. As with many of these studies, they're treated as fact despite it being clear that it does not address the real-world problems. Do I actually learn better visually ? No idea, but it's also clear that I don't learn in the same way as the majority of people in the classes I attended, and failed many exams despite being able to achieve the same outcomes. I think the definition of 'learning' needs to be considered. It is measured by an exam, or is it a true understanding of the subject taught, as these are often two very different outcomes.
- Jensson 3y ago
  Exams not being a good measure has nothing to do with learning styles.
  - savolai 3y ago
    I do not see how it would not? Appears to me that responding to exams is at once an expression and practice of the learning. It’s not as if a test situation is isolated from the overall learning process. If a learner is not oriented towards written or read communication, their exam results may not reflect a written test. If a learner has problems with their practical skills being observed in action, a practical test may not reflect their actual skills or understanding.
    - Jensson 3y ago
      > If a learner is not oriented towards written or read communication, their exam results may not reflect a written test Being unable to communicate what you have learned is a serious disorder and not a learning style issue. Learning styles are about how you learn, not how you demonstrate what you learned. But yes, people who are unable to write or read or very bad at writing have problems and tend to get extra support on written exams to make it fair for them, as the exam should test their knowledge and not their ability to write. For example they don't give blind people a zero just because they failed to read the exam.
marcosdumay 3y ago
AFAIK, that, and also there is no clustering anywhere, so it makes no sense to talk about the styles as if they were a fixed set. But every thing I've read sustains that the real conclusion from the styles holds: that you learn best if you are exposed to several of them.

cncivubyv 3y ago

Is that for the people that didn't drop out or are the drop outs included in the stats?

watwut 3y ago
Afaik those were short term experiments - people don't drop out that quickly.
- cncivubyv 3y ago
  That seems like a pretty useless study if it's not covering the full effects of learning styles that cater to an individual's preferences.

kqr 3y ago

> But your preference doesn't actually translate into better learning outcomes. Ie, you might prefer visual stimulus but the research suggests you'll still learn content just as fast if its presented in other mediums. These two are not actually the same, despite the "i.e." connecting them. I'm sure you know that -- just pointing itnout because it's a common sleight of hand when referencing science. "Failed to show an improvement in learning speed" does not mean "successfully showed an equality in learning speed". The latter is very hard to prove, and is probably the null hypothesis -- we just assume it to be true without evidence to the contrary.

mobiuscog 3y ago

I doubt the research accounts for Neurodivergent folks, assuming it even correctly represents Neurotypical. As with many of these studies, they're treated as fact despite it being clear that it does not address the real-world problems. Do I actually learn better visually ? No idea, but it's also clear that I don't learn in the same way as the majority of people in the classes I attended, and failed many exams despite being able to achieve the same outcomes. I think the definition of 'learning' needs to be considered. It is measured by an exam, or is it a true understanding of the subject taught, as these are often two very different outcomes.

Jensson 3y ago
Exams not being a good measure has nothing to do with learning styles.
- savolai 3y ago
  I do not see how it would not? Appears to me that responding to exams is at once an expression and practice of the learning. It’s not as if a test situation is isolated from the overall learning process. If a learner is not oriented towards written or read communication, their exam results may not reflect a written test. If a learner has problems with their practical skills being observed in action, a practical test may not reflect their actual skills or understanding.
  - Jensson 3y ago
    > If a learner is not oriented towards written or read communication, their exam results may not reflect a written test Being unable to communicate what you have learned is a serious disorder and not a learning style issue. Learning styles are about how you learn, not how you demonstrate what you learned. But yes, people who are unable to write or read or very bad at writing have problems and tend to get extra support on written exams to make it fair for them, as the exam should test their knowledge and not their ability to write. For example they don't give blind people a zero just because they failed to read the exam.

marcosdumay 3y ago

AFAIK, that, and also there is no clustering anywhere, so it makes no sense to talk about the styles as if they were a fixed set. But every thing I've read sustains that the real conclusion from the styles holds: that you learn best if you are exposed to several of them.