THE 17 LEARNING STYLES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS - ECONOMÍA - 2025

The learning styles are different ways in which each person is able to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes. Although there are many different theories on the subject, all are characterized by defending the idea that different learning styles can be classified into several categories.

Contrary to the defenders of the traditional model of education, which considers that all students learn in the same way, proponents of theories of learning styles believe that teaching will be more effective if it is adapted to the individual characteristics of each student.

Despite the evidence that each person prefers one type of teaching method, there are hardly any studies showing the advantages of using different teaching styles. Some critics even go so far as to say that there is no evidence of the advantage of adapting to students' learning styles.

However, a large number of educational establishments of all types have begun to adopt the theory of learning styles in recent times.

Therefore, the knowledge in this field has been increasing little by little, until giving rise to the great variety of existing models today.

List of models on learning styles

It is estimated that, since the appearance of the first individualized teaching models in the 1970s, almost a hundred theories about learning styles have been created.

In this article we will see the best known. Among all the theories / models, they make a sum of 17 different learning styles.

Theory of multiple intelligences

The theory of multiple intelligences is a cognitive and learning model that is characterized by defending the idea that there is no single general factor of intelligence. On the contrary, its proponents believe that each person excels in more or less seven different types of intelligences.

The seven types of intelligence normally described are the following:

• Visual intelligence. Skilled people in this sense are very good at tasks that have to do with spatial logic, plastic arts and visual memory. Their learning style is visual: they prefer to acquire knowledge using images, colors, contextual maps, diagrams…
• Kinesthetic intelligence. People with high scores on this type of intelligence control their own body and its movements very well. With a physical learning style, they prefer to learn through role plays, using physical objects, or creating their own schematics.
• Auditory or musical intelligence. They are very good at tasks related to music and languages. With an aural learning style, your education is easier if you use rhythms, melodies, or recordings. They are also the best learners simply by listening.
• Linguistic intelligence. These people have a great command of speech and writing. With a verbal learning style, they learn best if they can read content aloud or by creating their own summaries.
• Logical - mathematical intelligence. These are people with a great capacity for reasoning. They are very good at finding common ground between various ideas, as well as organizing them into models. His preferred way of learning is by deducting information.
• Interpersonal intelligence. People with high scores on this intelligence are able to work well in a team, understand others and communicate effectively with them. With a social learning style, they acquire information better if they can collaborate with other peers.
• Intrapersonal intelligence. Finally, people with high intrapersonal intelligence are able to understand themselves and their emotions, as well as to manage them easily. Their learning style is solitary, that is, they learn best on their own, without the intervention of other people.
• Naturalistic intelligence. It is the ability to know the environment, animals, know how they work and interact with them.

David Kolb Model

David Kolb's model of learning styles is based on his theory of experiential learning, published in 1984. The basic idea behind both theories is that learning can be measured on the basis of two poles.

The first of them is that of concrete experience vs. logical abstraction. When we are learning something, we can do it based on concrete experiences that we have, or based on our own ideas and reflections.

On the other hand, the second pole is that of reflective observation vs. active experimentation. While some people simply observe the world around them and try to fit what they see into their mental schemes, others prefer to try new actions that allow them to confirm or disprove their theories.

Although Kolb's model began with the idea that all people are capable of using all four learning styles at any given time, he later realized that each of us tends to use one way of acquiring knowledge. So, I create four categories, one for each of the learning styles of your model:

• Divergent style. Formed by people who prefer to rely on their concrete experiences rather than their thoughts, and on observation rather than experimentation. They are usually quite sensitive, and use their imagination very well, so they are experts in observing a specific situation from different

This style gets its name referring to the theory of divergent thinking. This theory defends that while most people only see a direct solution for each problem, some are capable of thinking differently and generating new ideas.

People with divergent learning styles are often highly creative, keen to acquire knowledge, and skilled in the arts. They also tend to like to work in a team and learn from different points of view.

• Assimilating style. People in this group prefer to rely on their own reflections rather than on concrete experiences. Later, they will put them to the test by observing the world instead of experimenting with them.

Those belonging to this learning style tend to feel more comfortable if they are given a good logical explanation of any phenomenon. In this sense, ideas and concepts are especially important to them, and they are able to acquire and organize large amounts of information.

In general, people with an assimilative learning style do not care too much for others, preferring abstract ideas instead. They do not usually seek the usefulness of their ideas, but internal logic and pure knowledge.

These types of people tend to specialize in scientific and information fields, where they can develop their own theories.

• Converging style. Formed by people who prefer to build on their own thoughts and ideas, then put them to the test in the real world. In this sense, they seek the best way to act in the world through reflection.

Your main concern is acquiring practical knowledge. They are more oriented to solving problems or technical tasks than to social issues or interpersonal relationships. They are usually very good at technology-related tasks.

• Accommodating style. The last of the learning styles is made up of people who prefer to draw on concrete experiences to draw conclusions, and then put them to the test by experimenting in the real world.

Ushers often prefer to rely on their feelings and instinct rather than logical reflection. They also prefer to take a practical approach, thinking that information should serve to solve problems rather than as an end in itself. This style is the most widespread in the population, according to the author of the model.

VARK model

The VARK model (for its acronym in English «Visual, Auditory, Reading and Kinesthetic) is a theory of learning based on the works of Walter Barbe, and later expanded by the scholars of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP).

The basic idea is that each person has a predominant sense, which he uses most frequently to acquire information and to relate to the world. At first, only three possibilities were considered (sight, hearing, and emotions and sensations), but later reading was added as a fourth learning style.

Although the model also serves to explain certain personality differences between the people who adopt each of the styles, nowadays it is mainly used to study the way in which each of them better absorbs information.

The four learning styles of this model are as follows:

• Visual. People with this learning style acquire better knowledge if they are helped by images, graphics or diagrams.
• Auditivo. Those who adopt this style learn best if they can listen to the information told by another person, or transmit it out loud themselves. Its main learning tool is the oral repetition of information.
• Reader. People who adopt this learning style, the latest to join the model, prefer to write and read information in order to memorize it better. They are able to organize abstract ideas into coherent texts, and they tend to have great reading skills.
• Kinesthetic. This word of Greek origin refers to a better relationship with the body than normal. Kinesthetic people learn through their own experience and emotions; They prefer tasks that have to do with movement, and are excellent in areas that require manual dexterity.

Cognitive model

In 1974, psychologists Anthony Grasha and Sheryl Riechmann developed this model of learning styles. They were based on the idea that each person processes information in different ways.

Unlike other models, the authors of this one divided the learning styles into adaptive and non-adaptive. In this way, they developed a test to determine the learning style of each person, in such a way that they could help him change it if he was not among the positive ones.

The six styles contemplated in this theory are the following:

• Competitive. Competitive people acquire knowledge to be better than others. They believe that they have to overcome the rest to get a reward, which may be more attention, a better job…
• Collaborative. On the contrary, students with a collaborative style prefer to learn through an exchange of knowledge and ideas. They prefer to work in a group and debate with the rest.
• Avoidant. This style is typical of people who would prefer not to have to learn, and therefore make the minimum effort necessary to acquire new knowledge.
• Participatory. They are people who like to collaborate with the teacher to get as much knowledge as possible. They tend to try to be an active part of the learning process.
• Dependent. Typical of students who prefer to learn only what is necessary to pass the course, or to acquire a certain certification. They see teachers as reference figures that tell them what to learn.
• Independent. These are students who prefer to learn by themselves. Although they can work in a team and listen to the ideas of their teachers and classmates, they like more to be on their own and choose what they are going to learn.

NASSP model

This model of learning styles is based on the work of the National Association of Institute Directors (NASSP). In the 1980s, they conducted various investigations on different learning styles in order to create more efficient and effective educational programs.

The researchers divided the learning styles into 3 dimensions and 31 variables, which helped them to classify the students into different groups. In this way, the idea was that they would be able to adapt their teaching method to the needs of each student.

This model was based on a large amount of previous research, such as the VARK model, motivation theories, and even psychobiological theories about the circadian rhythm of people.

The model is based on individual differences in three different dimensions:

• Cognitive dimension. It refers to the way in which each person perceives the world and information, as well as their preferred way of organizing it and creating a relationship between the different data they acquire.
• Affective dimension. This dimension has to do with the motivational styles of each person, that is, how they manage to self-manage their emotions to carry out the learning task.
• Physiological dimension. The last dimension refers to the biological basis that causes differences in learning styles, such as differences between the sexes, or those caused by the quality of food, exercise and rest of each person. It also has to do with how the environment affects each one.

In this sense, the developers of the NASSP model were among those who took the most factors into account when creating their theory. Today, the test created by them is still used to determine the best way to educate students, especially in the United States.

References

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4. "7 Major Learning Styles" in: Learn Dash. Retrieved on: January 31, 2018 from Learn Dash: learndash.com.
5. "Kolb Learning Styles" in: Simply Psychology. Retrieved on: January 31, 2018 from Simply Psychology: simplypsychology.com.
6. "Learning Style Diagnostics" in: eLearning Industry. Retrieved on: January 31, 2018 from eLearning Industry: elearningindustry.com.