Challenges of Multimedia Learning
I took another classic learning style test, this time by Felder and Solomon of North Carolina State University. No big surprises; I am a visual learner who prefers learning through active application and discovery of possible relationships.
However, there is something more that needs to be taken from the idea of the learning style test.
One of multimedia’s strengths is its potential for nonlinear, random-access presentation of information. The current approach to integrating technology into the educational system is completely ignoring this potential. Introducing a videogame or a film into the curriculum is simply paying lip service to multimedia. We have the ability to cater the curriculum to individual learning styles. Why not automatically develop custom units based statistically on the results from a learning style test? This is not a new idea; Morrison and Lowther discuss a low-tech version using pencils and paper. However, we can harness the computational power available to us to maximize educational productivity. A student is more receptive to verbal communication? Assign a custom homework unit, generated automatically based on learning style results, which includes a podcast. With a little organization up front, the modularity and automation of the software package could handle the rest. I think this possibility is definitely worth exploring.
January 30th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
I think that is a really great idea, and would use technology in a more fundamental way than what has been proposed so far. But two things - it would be necesarry to make the learning test more accurate and precise. One problem with it is that there are only two possible choices, there is no way to indicate a degree of applicability. Also, would might it be a good idea to try to develop someone’s learning style in areas they are poor on? But again, your idea for categorization would be useful in identifying what areas (and what learning techniques) need improvment.