Match content, not prefs

Hey 👋

Thanks for opening. This week, the first in a short series on instructional myths…

Big idea 🍉

Learning styles—the idea that individuals differ in the mode of instruction that is best for them, and that we should tailor our teaching accordingly—is one of the most pervasive myths in education.

Not only is there no evidence to support this idea (formally known as the ‘meshing hypothesis’), which makes it a poor use of teacher and student time (which could be spent on things which do support learning)…

There are indications that it can be actively harmful. For example, it can perpetuate a fixed mindset, where students believe their abilities are static rather than adaptable. And it can prompt teachers (and parents and students) to assume that visual learners are smarter, creating unhelpful expectations around student abilities.

I’m pretty sure all you readers will be aware of this, despite studies showing that upwards of 80% of the global education profession still believe in learning styles 😱

One way we can help counteract this unhelpful idea is to have a more informed idea on hand to replace it with.

For me, our best bet is the idea that we should tailor the modality (speech, text, gesture etc.) of our teaching to the needs of the content, rather than the preferences of our learners. Aka, the best medium for the message.

This makes sense because, the cognitive architecture of our students is more similar that it is different.

What about students with SEN (Special Educational Needs)? Well, SEN is an unhelpfully broad label… but in general (aside from highly specific needs), students with SEN need this approach more than ever... because they are often less equipped to compensate for wonky teaching.

🎓 For more, check out this review of the evidence around learning styles, from Professor Daniel Willingham.

Summary

• The idea that we should tailor our teaching to student learning preferences is unhelpful.

• A better (yet still related) maxim is to focus instead on the best medium for the message.

• Students with SEND stand to gain the most from evidence informed approaches.

Little updates 🥕

• Review of failure in education → useful overview of how things like supportive feedback and adaptive strategies can foster resilience and reduce negative emotional reactions to mistakes.

• Study on mnemonics in languages teaching → suggests they help students remember both right away and later, reducing confusion between similar words.

• Paper on using hand gestures & memory → finds that forcing gestures can make it harder for people with good memory, but for emotional stories (especially negative ones) it can make it easier to remember.

• Working paper on helping teachers spot lonely students → argues it can reduces loneliness and bad behaviour, making classrooms more inclusive.

• Plus a new mini-documentary on the value of belonging in school.

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