An Organization of Learning Styles Theory and Constructs.

DOCUMENT RESUME TM 830 554 Curry, Lynn An Organization of Learning Styles Theory and Constructs. Apr 83_ 28p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (67th, Montreal, Quebec, April 11-15, 1983). Speeches/Conference Papers (150) -Reports Research /Technical (143) MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. *Cognitive Style; Definitions; Individual Differences; *Learning Theories; *Models; Psychometrics; *Research Needs; Standards In; the past 3 years there has been a resurgence of interest in learning styles as applied to education generally and to professions education in particular. For all this activity there are difficulties preventing significant progress. Chief among these is the bewildering confusion of definitions surrounding_learning style conceptualization, and the concomitant-wide variation in the scale of behavior claimed to be predicted by learning style conceptualizations. This presentation outlines a technical reorganization of learning style constructs and proposes an empirically testable structure encompassing style concepts that have established psychometric standards. (Author) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** r U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION _NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) >1. This document has been roproduced cs received from the persun or organization originating it. Minor_ changes have boen made to improve coproduction gualitY. Points of wow or opinions statod in this document do not necessarily represent official NIE LC1 position or policV. OD An Organitation of Learning Styles Theory and Constructs Lynn Curry; Ph.D. Division of Continuing Medical Education Dalhousie University Halifax, NS 13311 4H7 prepared for presentation at American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, April 1983 Montreal; Canada 2 "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." Abstract for: An Organization of Learning Styles Theory and Constructsfor: An Organization of Learning Styles Theory and Constructs In the past three years there has been a resurgence of interest in learning styles as applied to education generally and to professions education in particu2ar. For all this a:tivity there are difficulties preventing significant p:.Igress. Chief among these is the bewildering confusion of definitions surrounding learning style conceptualization, and the concommitant wide variation in the scale of behaviour claimed to be prediCted by learning style conceptualizations. This presentation outlines a technical reorganization of learning style constructs and proposes an empirically testable structure encompassing style conceptS thAt have established psychometric standards. An OrganitatiOn of Learning Styles Theory and ConstruCtS Introduction Lynn Curry, Ph.D. Division of CME Dalhousie University Halifax, NS In the past three years there has been a resurgence of interest in learning styles as applied to education generally and health professions education in particular. This interest stems from those with research interests in learning style(1,2), those charged with the responsibility for curriculum determination(3,4), and from those with political responsibility to insure the quality of initial training and continuing education(5). For all this activity there are difficulties presently preventing significant progress in application of learning styles to professional training and continuing education. Chief among these difficulties is the bewildering confusion of definitions surrounding learning style conceptualizations, and the concommitant wide variation in scale or scope of behaviour claimed to be predicted by learning style models. Some learning style conceptualization, for example, claim to predict only an individual's choice between a lecture style course versus a small group style course; others attempt to predict habitual procedure for all learning acts in which an individual might engage. Needless to say the evidence gathered to support various conceptualizations varies radically in terms of psychometric standards. The organization described here attempts to bring some order to this chaos by proposing an empirically testable structure encompassing learning style concepts that have established psychometric standards.