25th Annual Student Research Conference
Can Learning Styles Predict Performance? Simon Says "No"
Colleen R. Gallagher* and Jordan S. Fuller
Dr. Robert Tigner, Faculty Mentor
This study set out to determine if people with different learning styles perform differently when a task is catered to one style or another. In our experiment subjects were given the Verbalizer-Visualizer Questionnaire and then performed multiple iterations of a computerized memory task similar to the childrens game known as Simon, in which a random sequence of items is presented and must be recalled. The sequence grew in length with each successful recollection. In our task, the sequence could consist of either locations, words, sounds, or all three. Our primary dependent variable was the mean length of the sequence recalled in each format. We did not find a crossover interaction affirming that visualizers perform optimally with visual information while verbalizers perform best with verbal information. There were no clear links between style and performance. Our study contributes to a growing number of studies questioning the utility of learning style inventories.
Keywords: Memory, Learning Styles
Topic(s):Psychology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 313-2
Location: MG 1000
Time: 1:15