Editing Learning styles (section)

{{short description|Largely debunked theories that aim to account for differences in individuals' learning}}
'''Learning styles''' refer to a range of theories that aim to account for differences in individuals' learning.<ref name="Coffield">{{cite book|url=http://sxills.nl/lerenlerennu/bronnen/Learning%20styles%20by%20Coffield%20e.a..pdf|title=Learning styles and pedagogy in post-16 learning: a systematic and critical review|last2=Moseley|first2=David|last3=Hall|first3=Elaine|last4=Ecclestone|first4=Kathryn|date=2004|publisher=Learning and Skills Research Centre|isbn=1853389188|location=London|oclc=505325671|last1=Coffield|first1=Frank|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072804/http://sxills.nl/lerenlerennu/bronnen/Learning%20styles%20by%20Coffield%20e.a..pdf|archive-date=2016-03-04}}</ref> Although there is ample evidence that individuals express personal preferences on how they prefer to receive information,<ref name="Pashler"/>{{rp|108}} few studies have found validity in using learning styles in education.<ref name="Willingham2015"/>{{rp|267}} Many theories share the proposition that humans can be classified according to their "style" of learning, but differ on how the proposed styles should be defined, categorized and assessed.<ref name="Coffield"/>{{rp|8}} A common concept is that individuals differ in how they learn.<ref name="Willingham2015">{{cite journal |last1=Willingham |first1=Daniel T. |author-link1=Daniel T. Willingham |last2=Hughes |first2=Elizabeth M. |last3=Dobolyi |first3=David G. |date=July 2015 |title=The scientific status of learning styles theories |journal=[[Teaching of Psychology (journal)|Teaching of Psychology]] |volume=42 |issue=3 |pages=266–271 |doi=10.1177/0098628315589505|s2cid=146126992 }}</ref>{{rp|266}}

The idea of individualized learning styles became popular in the 1970s.<ref>In one extensive list of learning-styles instruments and theories {{harv|Coffield|Moseley|Hall|Ecclestone|2004|pp=166–169}}, the authors listed three works on learning styles before the 1950s, four from the 1950s, seven from the 1960s, 21 from the 1970s, 22 from the 1980s, and 17 from the 1990s.</ref> This has greatly influenced education despite the criticism that the idea has received from some researchers.<ref name="Pashler">{{Cite journal|last1=Pashler|first1=Harold|last2=McDaniel|first2=Mark|author-link2=Mark A. McDaniel|last3=Rohrer|first3=Doug|last4=Bjork|first4=Robert A.|author-link4=Robert A. Bjork|date=December 2008|title=Learning styles: concepts and evidence|journal=[[Psychological Science in the Public Interest]]|volume=9|issue=3|pages=105–119|doi=10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x|pmid=26162104|s2cid=2112166|doi-access=free}}</ref>{{rp|107–108}} Proponents recommend that teachers run a needs analysis to assess the learning styles of their students and adapt their classroom methods to best fit each student's learning style.<ref>{{cite book |last=Pritchard |first=Alan |date=2014 |orig-date=2005 |chapter=Learning styles |title=Ways of learning: learning theories and learning styles in the classroom |edition=3rd |location=Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon; New York |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=9780415834926 |oclc=853494423 |pages=46–65 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yOZJAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA46}}</ref> There are many different types of learning models that have been created and used since the 1970s. Many of the models have similar fundamental ideas and are derived from other existing models, such as the improvement from the Learning Modalities and VAK model to the VARK model. However, critics claim that there is no consistent evidence that better student outcomes result from identifying an individual student's learning style and teaching for specific learning styles.<ref name="Pashler" /><ref name="Vasquez">{{cite book |last=Vasquez |first=Kris |title=Getting culture: incorporating diversity across the curriculum |date=2009 |publisher=Stylus |isbn=9781579222796 |editor1-last=Gurung |editor1-first=Regan A. R. |location=Sterling, VA |pages=53–63 |chapter=Learning styles as self-fulfilling prophecies |oclc=228374299 |editor2-last=Prieto |editor2-first=Loreto R. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_cXgV4AzVDcC&pg=PA53}}</ref>{{rp|33}}