Learning Styles & Theories

As we learned in the class there are different learning styles. Following are few I found on the web (https://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/)

• Visual:using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.
• Aural (auditory):using sound and music.
• Verbal (linguistic):using words, both in speech and writing.
• Physical (kinesthetic):using your body, hands and sense of touch.
• Logical (mathematical):using logic, reasoning and systems.
• Social (interpersonal):to learn in groups or with other people.
• Solitary (intrapersonal):to work alone and use self-study. 

In a learning environment it can use either one or combination of these different styles. Even in a traditional teaching environment it have a combination of mainly visual, aural and solitary (may be social too, even not encouraged talking in the class, I am sure some student do it).

In regards to learning theories, it is a idea of developing a model of how to combine above learning styles in effective learning outcome. According to what I have read there are three basic types of learning theory: (http://gsi.berkeley.edu/gsi-guide-contents/learning-theory-research/learning-overview/)

• behaviorist : most successful in areas where there is a “correct” response or easily memorized material, 
• cognitive constructivist: aim to assist students in assimilating new information to existing knowledge, and enabling them to make the appropriate modifications to their existing intellectual framework to accommodate that information, 
• social constructivist: It comprises cognitive structures that are still in the process of maturing, but which can only mature under the guidance of or in collaboration with others         

Individual students may have combination of there own preferred learning styles, based on their cognitive, emotional and other environmental factors. But when teaching large classes it will be hard to accommodate all individual needs of learning styles to each individual. The student centered learning environment is developed in the sight of providing most of those to the students. Similarly the teaching environments/strategies are and should be based on mix of above three learning theories. it will be hard to apply a single learning theory in designing a course plan. for an example, as I can analyses the CTHE course is delivered mainly on combination of all three or at least two, the cognitive and social constructivistic theories.