Arabic-L:PEDA:Learning Style Response

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Tue 01 Mar  2005
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject:Learning Style Response

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1)
Date: 01 Mar  2005
From:ehrmanme at state.gov
Subject:

> I am a teacher of Arabic mainly teaching American
> students. I would like to know if there is any
> research done on the learning style of American
> students, what their preferences are and how can An
> Arab teacher have an atmosphere conducive to learning
> in his class.

Dr. James Bernhardt forwarded Noura Hamdan's query to me, since I've
devoted
a fair amount of study to learning styles. I'll try to give you a brief
response.

American students learn in a great many different ways; in fact, my
interest
in learning styles came from the fact that it became clear to me that
any
given teaching method worked better for some learmers than others. So
the
first thing is to recognize that there will be quite a lot of variation
among learners on any of the many learning style dimensions. Perhaps the
most important of these is the sequential-random distinction. A
sequential
learner tends to prefer learning one step at a time, following a
sequence
such as a lesson or syllabus design. The random learner, on the other
hand,
prefers to pay attention to things as they become interesting, often
because
the learner started looking for one thing and found branches to follow.
  (We
use the term 'random' to indicate that the processing is something like
random access on a computer, and also, because to the outsider, the
pathway
may seem arbitrary or random.  Of course to the learner, the path is
rational and has a reason for each choice of path.)  The majority of
learners prefer the sequential approach, perhaps in part because it
entails
less cognitive load than the random one.  However, the random learner
minority includes some extremely able learners, and forcing them to
follow a
pre-set sequence can result in much less efficient use of their time.

There are many other such style dimensions. Each makes a difference to
how
learners use their time best. I can provide some sources for further
reading
if there is interest in pursuing it.

More generally, you are probably already aware that American adults
often
expect to ask many questions and may seem to challenge a teacher who
does
not expect the active questions he or she receives. The students
experience
this as curiosity or engagement with the subject and may be surprised
if a
teacher from another cultural background reacts with surprise or even
dismay.

I hope this is helpful to you!

Madeline Ehrman, PhD
Foreign Service Institute

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End of Arabic-L:  01 Mar  2005