Most training materials are presented in a way which ignores differences in learning style. The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of a short, computer-presented test of verbal-imagery learning style, capable of incorporation into computer-based training (CBT) packages. The test was validated by measuring its relationship to performance on textual and pictorial learning materials.The test consisted of pairs of words presented on the computer screen. It was anticipated that verbalizers would respond more quickly to pairs that could be answered through verbal associations, while imagers would do so on those which required the use of mental pictures. The sample consisted of 60 school students, aged approximately 13 years. There were equal numbers of males and females. The students were grouped in mathematics according to their previous performance in the subject. The performance of the lower ability group, who were typical of many trainees with lower levels of prior attainment, revealed that a mismatch between their learning style and the mode of presentation of the information made a critical difference to performance in the post tests. To be cost-effective training must be capable of adapting to the learning style of the individual trainee. This pilot study provides a clear indication of one direction for future research.
One hundred and eight children from 11 to 14 years were given instruction on shears and rotations, and how these transformations could be used to show the truth of Pythagoras's Theorem. The experimental group, which saw a computer-presented animated display of the transformations, scored more highly on a subsequent test than either of two control groups, the first of which saw no computer at all, but only a diagram sheet which was in the possession of all the children. The second control group saw a computer-presented display which showed only the same ten discrete stages of the transformations as the diagram sheet. It was concluded that animation per se can facilitate the understanding of a mathematical task.
It is proposed that individual differences in visual imagery, together with a lack of understanding that others may think in a radically different way in this respect, may have had a profound effect on theories of thought and knowledge from ancient times onwards. From the end of the nineteenth century, however, there has been a growing awareness of these differences, and of the nature of mental imagery, which has been shown to be constructive and perceptual. Such fundamental differences in thinking style might have been expected to have important didactic and heuristic implications, yet attempts to validate measures of this variable in terms of educationally significant correlates have been relatively unsuccessful. Two possible reasons for this are the selfreport nature of most tests, and the failure to distinguish between different aspects of visual material in the validating tasks. It is argued that increased awareness of the issue of mental imagery, among both teachers and pupils, could lead to more flexible teaching methods which take greater account of a pupil's individual style of thought and its interaction with the nature of the learning task.
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