An Introduction to Learning and Teaching Styles: Making the Match

The manner in which a student learns is considered his or her learning style. A student may learn best by seeing, hearing, being active, or reflecting, to name a few. Learning styles are typically described by a student's sensory modalities (i.e., visual, tactile, auditory, and kinesthetic) and intellectual processes (i.e., active, reflective, global, or analytical). Teaching styles and tools also vary and typically include giving lectures, holding discussions, role playing, or demonstrating. Mismatches between teaching styles and student learning styles can cause students to become inattentive and unproductive in class. Numerous learning style inventories are available to identify individual student learning styles. These inventories help both student and instructor learn how the individual student best processes new information. Therefore, we suggest instructors administer learning style inventories to obtain a profile of students' learning styles. Students will undoubtedly learn more effectively if instructors match their teaching styles to student learning styles.