“People do learn differently, but I think it is very important to say exactly how they learn differently, and focus our attention on those differences that really matter. If learning styles were obviously right it would be easy to observe evidence for them in experiments. Yet there is no supporting evidence.” -Daniel Willingham, cognitive scientist
I've put this page together to collect resources for digging deeper into the mythology of learning styles — the idea that students ought to be taught according to their learning style, that this will produce a positive effect on their learning outcomes. Basically, even though this is widely believed to be true — including amongst the teaching community (!) — the evidence isn't there to support it.
Here's where you can dig deeper.
Quick treatments
- Here's an article for The Atlantic: “The Myth of Learning Styles”
- Dan Willingham's most recent blog: “Some new data on learning styles”
Comprehensive treatments
- Dan Willingham's “Learning Styles FAQ” page — lots of links here.
- This book: Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel
- Note: that link above is an Amazon affiliate link, so if you purchase through it I get a small commission
There's plenty more for the searching, but those links above will get you well-versed.