Download Summary Learning styles and regulation of learning in higher

Summary
Learning styles and regulation of learning in higher education - Towards
process-oriented instruction in autonomous thinking.
The aim of this book is twofold. On the one hand it is meant to make a
contribution to bridge the gap between theories on learning processes and
theories on how instruction should be designed. On the other hand it is
meant to contribute to the improvement of the quality of education and
training in general and of higher education in particular.
In the first two chapters a theory is sketched on regulation of learning and
the design of instruction from a cognitive-psychological perspective.
Theories on learning and theories on instruction often originate
independently from each other. Instructional design frequently takes place
without using any learning theory. In the theoretical part of this book an
attempt is made to connect the two types of theories into a unified theory
of learning and instruction. The contours of this theory, which gives a
central place to the learning and thinking activities of students, will be
outlined. In chapter 1 the way in which students themselves regulate their
learning processes is described. The cognitive, affective and
metacognitive activities students use to learn are analyzed, as well as their
mental models of learning and their learning orientations. Possible ways
in which learning activities, mental models of learning and learning
orientations are connected in characteristic learning styles are dealt with
next. Supposed relations between learning activities, prior knowledge and
learning results are discussed. The chapter ends with an exploration of
personal and contextual influences on learning styles and thinking
activities of students.
In chapter 2 several ways in which instruction (teacher, book, computer,
etc.) can regulate the learning processes of students are discussed. Three
basic instructional strategies that may be employed for this external
regulation are examined here. Different ways in which these instructional
strategies and several degrees of selfregulation of learning by students act
upon each other are focussed on next. Possible congruences and frictions
between these modes of control are discussed. From this interplay
principles are derived for an alternative instructional strategy. This
process-oriented instruction promotes congruences and constructive
frictions, avoids destructive frictions, and tries to bridge the gap between
learning theories and instructional design. It is directed at the coherent
development of students' thinking strategies and domain-specific
knowledge. The chapter ends with an exemplary discussion of the way in
which this process-oriented instruction can be implemented in different
types of learning environments.
The empirical part of the book consists of chapters 3 to 8. In these
chapters different aspects of the theory about which there is unsufficient
research evidence are empirically studied. Chapter 3 forms the
introduction to the empirical part. Here the research questions derived
from the theory are presented, as well as an overview of the eight studies
done to get an answer to these questions. To situate these studies in their
context the characteristics of these research contexts, an open university
and a regular university, are described. In chapter 4 the central question is
which learning activities students use, how this use is regulated by
internal and external sources and which learning styles can be
distinguished. The results of two qualitative interview studies with 35
students are presented. The results show, among other things, that
students differ greatly in the learning activities they employ and that these
differences are connected to the way they interpret, appraise and use
instructional measures.
Chapter 5 is directed at clarifying relations among all kinds of aspects of
learning styles. Relations among learning activities, learning strategies,
conceptions of learning, mental models of learning, personal learning
goals, motives for studying and learning orientations are examined. Also
the stability of learning styles is studied here. The construction of a
diagnostic instrument for learning styles is described. Also the results are
presented of five empirical studies with 715 Open university students and
795 students from a regular university in which this instrument was
administered. These students were from all subject areas of these
universities. Four learning styles were consistently found: an undirected,
a reproduction directed, a meaning directed and an application directed
learning style. Moreover, the results show that students mainly regulate
their learning processes themselves. External regulation was not related to
the use of deep and concrete learning strategies. The use of constructive
processing strategies was especially related to the mental learning models
of students and to their use of selfregulation strategies for learning.
Chapter 6 is aimed at gaining insight into the influence of personal and
contextual factors on the learning styles of students. The data on learning
styles described in chapter 5 are therefore related to variables as prior
educational level, subject area, study experience, type of learning
environment, age and gender. The results show that learning styles are
indeed related to these variables, but that the different learning styles have
different sources. In chapter 7 the central question is in what ways
learning styles of students are related to different kinds of indicators for
exam results in two types of learning environments and different types of
subject areas. The relations between learning strategies and learning
styles of students and their exam results in terms of percentage of exams
passed, study pace, mean exam marks, exam participation, and scores on
open questions, multiple choice questions, knowledge, insight and
application questions are examined. Learning styles showed to explain an
important part of the variance in exam results. But the results also reveal
that exams as usual in the first years of higher education hardly capitalize
on the use of critical, analytical and concrete processing strategies by
students.
Chapter 8 tries to answer the question what the learning effects are of an
instructional program meant to enhance the metacognitive knowledge of
students about constructive studying and to develop their mental learning
models. The construction of a process-oriented instructional program in
learning and thinking strategies is described. In two studies 241 students
from the open and the regular university followed different versions of
this program. Learning effects are analyzed both qualitatively and
quantitatively. Whether these learning effects differ for students with
different learning styles and background characteristics, whether time
spent on the program is connected to learning styles, background
characteristics and learning effects, and whether participation in the
program is related to exam results is also studied here. The results
revealed, among other things, that the program had different effects for
different types of students. Especially for students with an undirected or a
reproduction directed learning style the program effected in changes in
their mental learning models in a constructive direction.
In chapter 9 the results of the empirical studies are summarized and
discussed in relation to theory and practice. Here conclusions are drawn
from the research results with regard to the theory presented in the first
two chapters. Also implications of the research results for educational
practice are discussed, with an emphasis on higher education. The chapter
ends with suggestions for further research.