Learning Styles: An overview of theories, models, and measures

Although its origins have been traced back much further, research in the area of learning style has been active for—at a conservative estimate—around four decades. During that period the intensity of activity has varied, with recent years seeing a particularly marked upturn in the number of researchers working in the area. Also of note is the variety of disciplines from which the research is emerging. Increasingly, research in the area of learning style is being conducted in domains outside psychology—the discipline from which many of the central concepts and theories originate. These domains include medical and health care training, management, industry, vocational training and a vast range of settings and levels in the field of education. It is of little wonder that applications of these concepts are so wide ranging given the centrality of learning—and how best to do it—to almost every aspect of life. As a consequence of the quantity of research, the diversity of the disciplines and domains in which the...