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Nature: Learning styles are rubbish and bad science. Stop it.
By Matt Jenner, on 16 December 2015
Pulped books – only those pimping VAK though!
Finally – learning styles, the notion that one person learns better from visual materials and another from auditory responses, is rubbished by Nature. So can we finally stop using these? Please. I’m not going to write much except that it’s well featured in an article in Nature called ‘The science myths that will not die’ and is followed with ‘False beliefs and wishful thinking about the human experience are common. They are hurting people — and holding back science.’
Myth 4: Individuals learn best when taught in their preferred learning style
“Learning styles has got it all going for it: a seed of fact, emotional biases and wishful thinking,” says Howard-Jones. Yet just like sugar, pornography and television, “what you prefer is not always good for you or right for you,” says Paul Kirschner, an educational psychologist at the Open University of the Netherlands.
Source – The science myths that will not die
If that’s not enough, then I guess I protest best using visual materials and SHOUTING. *sigh*, on with the show… 🙂
8 Responses to “Nature: Learning styles are rubbish and bad science. Stop it.”
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Jason Norton wrote on 17 December 2015:
A really great insight into something that I think a large majority still believe.
As a follow on a great read is this connected Nature artical
http://www.nature.com/news/why-we-are-teaching-science-wrong-and-how-to-make-it-right-1.17963
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markchilds wrote on 22 December 2015:
If that’s not enough, then perhaps The Onion weighing in on the debate might help http://www.theonion.com/article/parents-of-nasal-learners-demand-odor-based-curric-396
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Matt Jenner wrote on 18 January 2016:
This guy gets it! When The Onion can be used to back up an argument, it should.
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Damian wrote on 4 January 2016:
And yet UCL itself perpetuates the nonsense to its new students:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/transition/study-skills-resources/How_do_I_learn.pdf
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Matt Jenner wrote on 18 January 2016:
I’m on it. I’ll discuss it with the Transitions team (who are an awesome bunch of people) and see what can be done. Thanks for the heads up.
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Matt Jenner wrote on 8 January 2016:
More evidence of this neurojibberish http://qz.com/585143/the-concept-of-different-learning-styles-is-one-of-the-greatest-neuroscience-myths/
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Matt Jenner wrote on 18 April 2016:
One more viewpoint: http://www.wired.com/2015/01/need-know-learning-styles-myth-two-minutes/
RT @UCL_ELE: Nature: Learning styles are rubbish and bad science. Stop it says @mattjenner https://t.co/upqRqhwdKv