Teaching and learning styles and Selection of appropriate instructional strategies

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CURRICULUM DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT BY HINA JALAL (PHD SCHOLAR GCUF)
5. Selecting and implementing Strategies of instruction
5.1 Styles of teaching and learning
A. Visual (spatial):
Visual learners retain information more effectively when visual aids are used, such as, pictures, images, film clips,
colours and diagrams. They're also good at understanding visual data presented in maps, charts and graphs.
Strategies for teaching visual learners:
• Use visual aids - most other learners will benefit from visual elements as well.
• Sometimes graphics are not easy to use for specific topics but consider writing key points in front of the class
as this provides visual cues.
• Substitute words for colours and pictures.
• Ask the students to write down explanations and take notes because this entails looking at your presentation or
visualizing what you’re presenting.
• Include exercises where the students create mind maps.
• Use storytelling to help with visualization.
• Colour-code and organize any materials you provide as this helps organize things in their minds.
B. Aural (auditory):
Aural learners respond to sound, music, recordings, rhymes, rhythms etc. They remember conversations well and music
causes an emotional response in them.
Strategies for teaching aural learners:
• Encourage your students to participate in discussions.
• If reading is required suggest audio books if appropriate.
• Allow recordings of your training sessions or make your lessons accessible online - this is also helpful for other
learning types.
• Encourage problem-solving aloud.
• Suggest rereading their notes back to themselves when they get home.
• Use mnemonic devices and rhyming.
• If you are explaining a story, play relevant sounds from your computer.
C. Verbal (linguistic):
Verbal learners favour using words and linguistic skills - in speech and in writing, such as, reading, writing,
listening or speaking. They like word games, puns and rhymes etc. and are often strong public speakers.

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Strategies for teaching verbal learners:
• Use verbal teaching and writing activities.
• Ask them to discuss or present.
• Get the class to read aloud. Try to get them to read in a varied way rather than in monotone.
• Role-playing, for example, practicing elevator pitches or interactions between employees and clients.
• Ask them to teach members of the class certain material.
• Suggest they reread and rewrite their notes, including summaries.
• Incorporate quizzes into your lessons.
• Show them or provide them with lists of key words.
D. Physical (kinesthetic):
Practical learners process information effectively when they use their psychomotor senses and when they are actually
doing something. They put their learning into practice.
Strategies for teaching physical and tactile learners:
• Use physical exercises and provide hands-on experiences.
• Include activities where they use a pen and paper to map out their thoughts and problem-solve because writing
is a physical exercise.
• Find a venue that provides these learners with large spaces, so they can write and draw.
• Get them to interact with physical objects or solve puzzles.
• Role-playing.
• Provide real life examples, such as, case studies.
• Suggest reviewing their notes whilst they engage in physical activity.
• Ask them to teach other class members some of the lesson content.
E. Logical (mathematical):
Logical learners favour using logic and reasoning. They like to classify and categories information and solve problems
with numbers. Logical learners are especially good at analyzing cause and effect relationships.
Strategies for teaching logical learners:
• Provide the class with problem-solving tasks.
• Challenge them to work things out for themselves.
• Ask them to interpret abstract visual information.
• Include critical thinking exercises.
• Provide statistics and facts.
• Ask them to suggest conclusions after providing them with evidence.
F. Social (interpersonal):
Social learners process information by interacting with and relating to others. They enjoy working with others and are
often strong leaders.

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Strategies for teaching social learners:
• Be inquisitive and ask them what they think about a concept/topic/idea.
• Ask them to bounce ideas off each other and compare their ideas with others.
• Allow them to discuss and share stories.
• Include group work.
• Engage in a role-play.
G. Solitary (intrapersonal):
Solitary learners like to work and learn bythemselves and self-study. They may come across as shy or cold as they keep
to themselves. If you get solitary learners feeling comfortable during some of the training they are more likely to speak
up during presentations or group work.
Strategies for teaching solitary learners:
• Ask questions so you know what they're thinking and how they're feeling.
• Provide individual problem-solving exercises.
• Explain why the lesson material is important as solitary learners are often interested in outcomes.
• Along with this, give the class ways to track their progress.
• Suggest links between what they have previously learned/should know and new concepts.
H. Naturalistic
Naturalist learners process information by working with and experiencing nature. They learn by finding patterns in
nature and using scientific logic for understanding.
Strategies for teaching naturalist learners:
• Include experiments in your lessons.
• Get them to imagine that what you're teaching is a new ecosystem that they can understand by finding patterns.
This will help them link concepts together.
• Have exercises where they can identify and classify.
• Use examples linking to daily life, people or nature.
• Provide observational data, such as case studies.
5.2 Selection of instructional strategies
Instructional strategies are techniques teachers use to help students become independent, strategic learners. These
strategies become learning strategies when students independently select the appropriate ones and use them
effectively to accomplish tasks or meet goals. Instructional strategies can:
• Motivate students and help them focus attention.

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• Organize information for understanding and remembering.
• Monitor and assess learning.
For proper selection, adequate, thoughtful and comprehensive planning is necessary. It is essential to know the
learners, their culture and environment, goals and objectives well defined before knowing the type of strategy that
will be suitable for them.
❖ Behavioral Objectives and Structure of Subject Matter:
(list all the possible methods which could be used to allow achievement of the objectives. narrow down the list to
ensure the content is adequately covered.)
The teacher needs to find out "what is it he is trying to do?" This leads to the identification of educational needs,
identification of problems, highlighting objectives and analyzing the subject matter. This process entails a detailed
analysis of intellectual task, or man involves a detailed analysis of psychomotor skill the teacher wants the student
to acquire. In identifying the needs, the circumstances surrounding the needs in as far as they are interacting with
each other must be examined. Approach to objective is helpful in strategy selection for it is the task that dictates
what tool teacher will use to get the task done. No one medium is ideal for all objectives.
❖ Learning Style:
(consider their needs, capabilities, etc. This will reduce the list further.)
The learning style of every student is a potent factor in the ultimate achievement. If this must be so, the teacher
must then take pain to examine the various learning styles of students in class. Students' background is a good
monitor to their styles. While some students will find human interaction motivating, others will prefer to learn
from prints, some sound recordings and some from real things. In situations of individualized instruction, this
criterion is very vital in letting students go for the appropriate instruction packages or suitable program. In group
instruction situation the teacher has the task of aggregating the learning style of the group.
❖ Practicability:
The teacher who is the choice-maker must decide on how practical a medium is in application to learning. One
practical work has been proved very effective in on city. Can it be equally effective in other city and its
circumstances? The practicability of obtaining educational program on films, tape, sides and television has to be
considered seriously. The merit and demerits of every strategy must be weighed.

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❖ Availability:
(this will determine the final selection of methods to be used, since there is no point choosing methods which
cannot be implemented.)
It has been observed that non-availability of needed resources can inhibit instruction. Let us take the example of
the versatile overhead transparency projector. A teacher therefore must be careful to note the availability of any
medium or components of the material before a firm commitment to select the medium is made.
❖ Teacher's Capability:
It is easy for a teacher to fall for a strategy, resource, aid or medium. Ideally, instructional media should be
available that enable students to use several different sensory channels for learning. Packages both two-
dimensional and three-dimensional, need to be available that invite exploration and manipulation setting, in an
environment that is rich in variety of instructional materials that invite exploration. Materials for distribution to
student or for classroom project need to be of professional quality and permission should always be obtained for
reproduction of copyrighted packages.
❖ Evaluation:
Instructional strategy needs to be evaluated to determine its effectiveness and efficiency and to what extent the
objectives of the instruction have been accomplished. The administration of traditional post-test, examination or
short-puzzle is a valid instrument of measurement in systems approach to instruction.
❖ Feedback:
The result of the post-test could serve as a feedback to the learners. It could also provide vital information, which
the teacher may use to modify the different components of the learning situations and generally for system
modification.

Teaching and learning styles and Selection of appropriate instructional strategies

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