Definition
The concept of learning style is used to describe individual differences in the way people learn. Individual learners do not use exactly the same process of learning. The physiological processes and life experiences that shape learning allow for the emergence of unique individual adaptive processes that tend to emphasize some adaptive orientation over others. There are many learning style typologies and assessment tools based on a great variety of individual differences that are thought to influence how individuals learn.
Theoretical Background
The term learning style first appeared in the research literature in the early 1970s as an evolution of psychological research on individual differences. Since then a number of frameworks that classify and discuss various learning style models and measures have been developed. In 1987, Lynn Curry developed a three-layer typology of these measures resembling the...
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bedford, T. (2006). Learning styles: A review of the English language literature. In R. Sims & S. Sims (Eds.), Learning styles and learning: A key to meeting the accountability demands in education. Hauppauge: Nova.
Curry, L. (1987). Integrating concepts of cognitive or learning style: A review with attention to psychometric standards. Ottawa: Canadian College of Health Service Executives.
Hickcox, L. K. (1995). Learning styles: A survey of adult learning style inventory models. In R. J. Sims & S. J. Sims (Eds.), The importance of learning styles (pp. 25–47). London: Greenwood Press.
Hickcox, L. (2006). A review of the inventories – 1960s-2000s and the question of their actual uses inside and outside of the classroom. In R. Sims & S. Sims (Eds.), Learning styles and learning: A key to meeting the accountability demands in education. Hauppauge: Nova.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9(3), 106–119.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this entry
Cite this entry
Kolb, A.Y., Kolb, D.A. (2012). Learning Styles. In: Seel, N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_232
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_232
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1427-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1428-6
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law