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Learning Styles
One of the changes in formal education includes a new understanding of how we learn which focuses on learning styles of individuals.
This is also very relevant to the way in which people learn in museums.
- We all learn in different ways.
- Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences explores a range of different styles which
people employ in order to learn these include:
- visual and spatial learners
- musical learners
- kinaesthetic learners
- interpersonal learners
- intrapersonal learners
- linguistic learners
- mathematical/logical learners
- naturalist learners
These preferences are not fixed.
- A person's response will vary according to their mood and the learning context.
- Most people are likely to have 3 or 4 preferred styles.
- Younger children and boys tend to favour a kinaesthetic style.
When designing resources and programmes for schools, whether they are exhibitions or handling
sessions, we need to take these different ways of learning into account.
The way children are taught in schools has changed because of awareness of the need to cater for different learning styles.
Museums are uniquely placed as inspiring learning environments which can provide varied, stimulating and enjoyable learning experiences for all ages and abilities through their artefacts, resources, stories and facilities.
Downloads
Learning Styles - Gardner (Word DOC, 36Kb).
Learning Channel Preference Checklist (PDF, 604Kb) ( Adobe Reader needed to view).
Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic - VAK (Word DOC, 38Kb).
Useful websites
All the links below will open in a new window. Close that new window to return here.
Inspiring Learning for All (Museums, Libraries and Archives Council) website has documents
on
Learning Styles (Word DOC, 310Kb) and an
activity to test your learning style (Word DOC, 302Kb).