Preparation and suitability of material

Learning styles can be described as the different ways in which people carry out activities that bring about learning. According to (Litzinger &

Osif, 1992, 73), each individual develops a preferred and consistent set of behaviours or approaches to learning, and such approach is the individual’s style of learning. Learning styles can therefore be referred to as the different approaches or ways of learning which can be categorised in many different ways on the basis of learners’ consistent behaviours and habitual approach to learning tasks. A learning style becomes effective and useful if and only when it aids retention of learned facts or concepts. Learners need to be supported to achieve better learning behaviours that will give them a sense of self-direction, motivation and satisfaction. Learner satisfaction comes into play when a learner can remember what he/she learnt and use that to excel in assessment.

Brief Explanation of the Learning Styles

It is important to emphasis that, learning styles forms aspects of the characteristics of ODL learners, according to Honey and Mumford (1986) the four main learning styles could be described as follows:

a) Activists: In this category, learners involve themselves fully and without bias in new experiences because they enjoy the here and now activities. Learners in this category are more comfortable learning in group because they are naturally gregarious.

b) Reflectors: Learners in this category usually stand back to ponder on their experiences, they collect data and tend to postpone reaching definitive conclusions.

c) Theorists: These are the learners who adapt and integrate observation into complex but logically sound theories, they tend be perfectionists, and can be detached and analytical in their activities.

d) Pragmatists: Learners who are pragmatists in orientation often try out theories to see if they work in practice, they act quickly and confidently on ideas while they are impatient with ruminating discussions.

e) Visual, Auditory and Tactile/Kinesthetic learning styles:

Also, the visual, auditory and tactile/kinesthetic learning styles, shows how learners in this category learn by: Reading (visual), Listening (auditory), Seeing (visual) , Speaking (auditory) ,

33 Doing (Tactile/Kinesthetic). They emphasised however that the environment plays a role in the effectiveness of each style. The first three on the list, according to them, are passive types of learning, while the last two are active types of learning. How much an individual remembers is a function of the type of learning s/he prefers and his or her level of involvement in the learning. People often learn through a combination of the ways described above.

• The Active Learning Modes

Given a good learning environment (be it online or traditional), most people tend to remember best that which they do - practicing the real thing. Next, a combination of doing and speaking about what we learn produces a high retention rate, followed by speaking alone. These levels of involvement are all active learning modes.

• The Passive Learning Modes

The passive learning modes - seeing and reading - fall just below the active learning modes on the retention ladder. After speaking, the combination of listening and seeing produces the best retention results, then listening, then seeing, and then reading.

The table below describes how learning styles can be related to the way individuals perform certain learning activities.

How people with different learning styles respond to various activities

Learning style Responds well to: Responds poorly to:

ACTIVIST 'Here, let me do that'

New problems, being thrown in at the deep end, teamwork

Passive learning, solitary work, theory, precise instructions

THEORIST 'Yes, but how do you

justify it?'

Interesting concepts, structured situations, opportunities to question and probe

Lack of apparent context or purpose, ambiguity and uncertainty, doubts about validity

PRAGMATIST 'So long as it works'

Relevance to real problems, immediate chance to try things out, experts they can emulate

Abstract theory, lack of practice or clear guidelines, no obvious benefit from learning REFLECTOR

'I need time to consider that'

Thinking things through, painstaking research, detached observation

Being forced into the limelight, acting without planning, time pressures

34

(Adapted from Honey and Mumford, 1986)

3.2 Learning Orientations

Learning orientation can be described as the method of learning that has been imbibed after a period of induction. There are four major segments of learning orientations. According to Martinez, the four segments are different from learning style and can be explained as follows:

a) Conforming Learners

This segment comprises learners who like routine, structure, supportive relationships, and stability. They generally are more compliant and will more passively accept knowledge, store it, and reproduce it to conform, complete assigned tasks (if they can) and often please and help others.

They also typically prefer to leave the holistic, critical, or analytical thinking to others. Conforming Learners value step-by-step feedback and guidance to help them monitor and review progress, accomplish goals set by others, and plan next steps. They generally prefer to be less sophisticated learners and have less desire to control or manage their own learning, take risks, or initiate change in their jobs or environment.

Their focus is on social interaction and supportive relationships.

b) Performing Learners

These learners are generally self-motivated in learning situations that particularly interest them, otherwise they may seek extrinsic rewards for accomplishing objectives that appear to have less value or benefit to them. They most often:

• are skilled, sophisticated learners that systematically follow principles, processes, or procedures, think hierarchically, and capably achieve average to above-standard learning objectives, tasks, and performance.

• may sometimes clearly acknowledge meeting only the stated objectives, getting the grade, streamlining learning efforts, and avoiding exploratory steps beyond the requirements of the situation and learning task.

• take control and responsibility for their learning but may also rely on others for motivation, coaching, goal setting, scheduling, and direction.

• may self-motivate and exert greater effort in situations that greatly interest or benefit them. These learners may lose

35 motivation or may even get frustrated or angry if too much effort or risk is required and the recognized rewards are not enough to compensate the perceived effort.

• are steadfast, true, and reliable when they recognize and appreciate the importance of implementing tasks, procedure, and structure.

c) Resistant Learners

Resistant learners are resistant for many reasons. Ironically, some resistant learners may actually be eager learners on their own outside of formal learning institutions. For example, they may be frustrated transforming learners who aggressively resisted the strictures of too structured, restrictive goals and school environments and chose to learn on their own, quite successfully. Learners in this category, lack a fundamental belief that academic learning and achievement can help them achieve personal goals or initiate positive change. Too often they have suffered repeated, long-term frustration from inappropriate learning situations. A series of unskilled, imperceptive instructors, unfortunate learning experiences, or missed opportunities have deterred resistant learners from enjoying learning. These learners do not believe in or use formal education or academic institutions as positive or enjoyable resources in their life.

d) Transforming Learners

These learners are generally highly motivated, passionate, often persistent even in the face of failure, and highly committed learners.

They most often:

• place great importance on learning ability, committed effort, independence, vision, and intrinsic resources.

• use personal strengths, ability, persistence, challenging strategies, high-standards, learning efficacy, and positive expectations to self- direct learning successfully.

3.5 Comparisons between Learning Orientations and