City College Manchester ESOL
Learning Styles

Multiple Intelligences for Adult Literacy and Education

Numerous researchers have tackled the problem of how to measure learning styles, and many of their questionnaires are available on the web. Two free online tests calculate your scores immediately and provide descriptions of various learning styles:

R.M Felder's Index of Learning Styles - a 44-item questionnaire available in both online and paper and pencil versions. Learning style results are presented in four categories: active/reflective, sensing/intuitive, visual/verbal and sequential/global.

Howard Gardner's 70-question multiple intelligences test relates to seven learning styles: linguistic, logical/mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal.

To try more learning style tests, see learning style questionnaires.

So what do you do once you have measured your learning style, and the styles of your students? Should you tailor your teaching to students' strengths? Or should students expand their learning styles and become more flexible learners?

In a series of learning style articles, Felder argues in favor of a varied teaching approach, presenting a number of teaching strategies aimed to appeal to as many learners as possible. In learning styles and strategies, Felder makes suggestions on how learners can take responsibility for increasing their effectiveness.

For the big picture on learning styles and links to further questionnaires, an excellent place to start is Greg Gay's Learning to Learn: Thinking and Learning Skills.