Should Instructional Designers Accommodate Learning Styles?
Abstract: In many ways, human learners are very similar. Learners take in sensory information, process it within more or less standard neurological structures, and retain knowledge for future use. However, some theorists propose that learners can be divided into different categories according to how they prefer to access new information. As a result, a number of theories have emerged about how people can be classified into different groups as learners, and proponents claim that learning will improve if the instructional style is matched to learners’ styles. Instructional designers are faced with a challenging dilemma: whether and to what degree to consider learning style categories in order to design appealing and fruitful learning experiences that fit the particular needs of individual learners. Because all learners engage in similar cognitive processes, instruction that activates all processing systems will benefit each individual learner more effectively than will focusing on specific learning styles serially or separately.