Thanks, Tom, for bringing the UK study to my attention. I will waste no time in locating and reading it. barb given


Barbara K. Given, Ph.D.
Associate Professor Emerita of Special Education;
Faculty Affiliate, Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study; and former Director, Center for Honoring Individual Learning Diversity, an International Learning Styles Network Center.
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030-4444
Ph: 703-549-4483
Fax: 703-993-4325



----- Original Message -----
From: tsticht at znet.com
Date: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 1:22 pm
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1967]  Debunkng learning styles


> Colleagues: For a recent review of major learning styles approaches,

> including the Dunn & Dunn approach referenced by Rita Dunn, one of the

> developers of the Dunn & Dunn model, in an earlier posting,on the

> professional development list by Barbara Given,  see the report 

> entitledShould we be using learning styles? What research has to 

> say to practice. 

> The Learning and Skills Research Centre online at www.lsrc.ac.uk and

> authored by Frank Coffield, Institute of Education, University of 

> London;David Moseley, University of Newcastle; Elaine Hall, 

> University of

> Newcastle; Kathryn Ecclestone, University of Exeter, 2004. (The 

> report can

> also be located by googling the title and LSRC and author's last 

> names).

> The authors spent 16 months reviewing the learning styles 

> literature and out

> of 71 models of learning styles they selected for in-depth reviews 13

> different models or approaches to learning styles, including the 

> Dunn &

> Dunn model. They note the extensive bibliographies they found on 

> the Kolb

> Learning Styles Inventory (1004 articles), the Dunn & Dunn model (1140

> entries), and about 2000 articles on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

> 

> Concerning the use of learning styles in the classroom, the report 

> discussesthe concept of "matching" and states   quote " One of the 

> most popular

> recommendations is that

> the learning styles of students should be linked to the teaching 

> style of

> their tutor, the so- called ‘matching  hypothesis’. Much has been 

> writtenon this topic by learning styles theorists as diverse as 

> Riding, Dunn,

> Gregorc, Witkin and Myers-Briggs, but the evidence from the empirical

> studies is equivocal at best and deeply contradictory at worst. Smith,

> Sekar and

> Townsend (2002) recently reviewed the evidence and found nine 

> studies which

> showed that learning is more effective where there is a match and nine

> showing it to be more effective where there is a mismatch."end quote.

> 

> Regarding the Dunn & Dunn approach, the authors state,  quote " It 

> must be

> emphasised that this review has failed to find substantial, 

> uncontested and

> hard empirical evidence that matching the styles of learner and tutor

> improves the attainment of the learner significantly. That finding 

> does not

> prevent some of the leading developers making extravagant claims 

> for the

> benefits of matching instruction and the environment with students’

> learning preferences. Rita Dunn, for instance, claims (1990, 15) 

> that when

> students have had their learning strengths identified by the Dunn, 

> Dunn and

> Price LSI: many researchers have repeatedly documented that, when 

> studentsare taught with approaches that match their preferences … 

> they demonstrate

> statistically higher achievement and attitude test scores – even on

> standardized tests – than when they are taught with approaches that

> mismatch their preferences. Yet, as our review of their model 

> showed (see

> Table 3, Section 3), the research she refers to is highly 

> controversial,and much of it has been sharply criticised for its 

> poor scholarship and for

> the possible influence of vested interests, because the Dunn 

> centre conducts

> research into the instrument which it sells (see Kavale and 

> Forness 1990).

> …As noted previously (see Table 9, Section 3), the ‘matching’ 

> hypothesishas not been clearly supported. Where positive results 

> are claimed – for

> example, by Rita Dunn – there are frequently unresolved methodological

> issues with the studies cited. For example, the training provided 

> by the

> Dunns goes far beyond the idea of matching instruction to learning 

> styleand introduces other systematic and generic

> pedagogical changes; for example, in lesson structure and in the 

> nature of

> homework." End of quotes

> 

> In a table showing their Overall Assessment of the Dunn & Dunn 

> learningstyle work, the authors state, quote "Despite a large and 

> evolving research

> programme, forceful claims made for impact are questionable 

> because of

> limitations in many of the supporting are questionable because of

> limitations in many of the supporting studies and the lack of 

> independentresearch on the model. Concerns raised in our review 

> need to be addressed

> before further use is made of the model in the UK." End quote The same

> recommendation should hold for the US.

> 

> 

> Tom Sticht

> Adult Literacy's One Man Bunco Squad

> 

> 

> 

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Adult Literacy Professional Development mailing list

> professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov

> 

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to 

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/professionaldevelopment

> Email delivered to bgiven at gmu.edu 

> 

> Professional Development section of the Adult Literacy Education 

> Wiki 

> http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Adult_Literacy_Professional_Development

>