Science / Fiction
Carol Black,
Jul 16, 2018
I think this is a really important article, and not just because of the more contentious statements it makes when it discusses "'evidence-based' education, scientific racism, & how learning styles became a myth." As readers know, I have addressed the topic of learning styles over the years and have clashed with learning styles debunkers who seem to think its really important that we treat them as a myth. My analysis is slightly different from Carol Black's, but we agree on the basics: there is widespread agreement that there are differences in cognitive style, and the argument that "learning styles don't exist" is based on bad science.
"If you review the writings of the most vocal learning styles 'debunkers,' you quickly find that they are almost always simply advocates for traditional, teacher-controlled direct instruction. They tend to favor a traditional 'core knowledge' curriculum, traditional forms of discipline, and they adhere to a traditional IQ-based view of intelligence. It's important to note that the debunkers' claim is thus based almost entirely on studies of teacher-controlled direct instruction; they don't involve scenarios where learners have agency... Education researchers would do well to know that adults in cultures all over the world maintain that direct instruction is in fact the least effective approach to learning –– and should be avoided whenever possible... "
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