Running Head: LEARNING STYLES PAPER

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

!1

!
!
!
!
Learning Styles Paper
Jennifer Delsescaux
Azusa Pacific University

LEARNING STYLES PAPER

!2

!
Theorist Howard Gardner developed the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Gardners theory
states that the way in which students process information is based on their particular learning style.
Understanding a persons learning style will not only aide them in making learning more enjoyable and
easy but also allow educators to understand ways in which to help their students better in the classroom.
The Theory of Multiple Intelligences has always been a fascinating study for me and I have
always enjoyed seeing how it works in my own education as well as others. I have taken surveys to
determine my learning styles but I hadnt taken one in quite awhile. I decided to take the survey created
by Walter McKenzie (McKenzie, 2013) to determine if my learning styles had changed at all. I discovered
that they havent changed much over the years but I was surprised to see how they had shifted. My
strengths are predominately musical, existential, verbal, intrapersonal and visual. What I was surprised by
is that my top two strongest learning styles according to this survey were existential and intrapersonal.
Normally my top learning styles were verbal and visual and they definitely came in a very close second.
To understand specifically what that meant I went to Concept to Classrooms (Educational Broadcasting
Coproration, 2004) website to read specifically what each intelligence was.
After reading about the different intelligences I discovered I tend to be very self-aware and in
tune with my emotions and beliefs but I am also sensitive and I like to tackle deep questions. These are all
very true attributes of who I am and I realize that knowing I learn this way allows me to look deeper into
questions and the meaning of things. Yet I also realize that the implications of this are Im very
introverted at times and I may not understand others who dont see the world or content from that deeper
perspective. When Im in the classroom I may need to lighten up how I present concepts and not expect
my students to tackle the concept from a deeper perspective as I would tend to do. I also realize that I
work well with others but I do enjoy working on my own and in a classroom setting not all students work
well alone and may need time to work in groups.
Knowing my personal learning styles definitely helps me understand how to be a stronger teacher
not only because I am self-aware of how I learn best and how that may effect my students but Im also
aware of how they learn and ways in which I can differentiate my assignments and lessons to fit their
learning styles as well.

LEARNING STYLES PAPER

!3

!
References

!
!
Educational Broadcasting Coproration. (2004). Concept to classroom: Tapping into multiple intelligences.
Retrieved from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/mi/
McKenzie, W. (2013). Multiple intelligences survey. Retrieved from http://surfaquarium.com/MI/
inventory.htm