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Besides the traditional face-to-face learning medium, online media are now available for students in various learning environments. The delivery of coursework through online media is on the increase in colleges and universities. However, research on the use of online learning media in beginning collegiate level foundational mathematics courses for non-mathematics and non-science majors is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate, within a foundational mathematics course, connections between media used for instruction in hybrid and online enhanced face-to-face learning environments and students’ media preferences. The online Web Course Tools (WebCT) Vista template used in this study was designed by the researcher and her colleague as a part of the hybrid fellowship project for a two-year college. Applying transactional distance theory and engagement theory, designers carefully analyzed each concept and determined which concepts would be delivered most effectively in each learning medium. This study was quantitative in nature. During Fall 2005, thirty-eight students in the Introduction to Mathematical Modeling course at a community college in the southeast participated in the final study. Students in the hybrid sections comprised the treatment group while students in the online face-to-face section comprised the control group. Throughout the semester, all students were asked to respond to questions on the following instruments: Assignment Feedback, Quiz Feedback, Test Feedback, and Project Feedback. Chi-Square analysis showed that significant differences were found in the majority of items on the Test Feedback instrument related to the linear and quadratic modules. In general, the treatment group preferred online learning at least half of the time and believed online resources provide the basic resources for learning the subject matter. Students’ written responses from the treatment group indicated that both online learner-content interactions, and in-class learner-instructor interactions supplemented the learning of mathematics. The control group preferred predominantly face-to-face learning and believed that learning primarily took place in a physical setting. The findings showed that the proportion of students who completed the course using the hybrid and face-to-face learning environments was not significantly different. Therefore, the data showed the success rate for both learning environments was about the same.

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The purpose of this study was to determine the learning styles of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students and associate degree Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) students and identify any association between their learning styles and examine the association between gender and age by learning style. Participants included 337 DPT and PTA students attending CAPTE accredited institutions with doctoral DPT or associate PTA programs in Tennessee and southwest Virginia. The Felder (1996) and Soloman Index of Learning Styles (ILS) was used to determine learning style preferences within 4 learning style dimensions (active-reflective, sensing-intuitive, visual-verbal, and sequential-global). Demographics included program of study, gender, age, ethnicity, and highest level of education. Participants were 18-63 years (mean age 25.87, standard deviation 5.62, median age 24); 205 (60.8%) DPT students, 132 (39.2%) PTA students; 205 (60.8%) female, 132 (39.2%) male. Five research questions with 20 null hypotheses were evaluated using Cross-tabulated tables with frequency counts, percentages, and chi square tests. Statistical significance was established using an .05 alpha. Only 1 null hypothesis was rejected (Ho51: There is no difference in the active-reflective learning style among PTA students by age). There was no significant difference between the learning styles of DPT and PTA students. Participants were found to be balanced on the active-reflective dimension, sensing on the sensing-intuitive dimension, visual on the visual-verbal dimension, and balanced on the sequential-global dimension; preferences were toward the active, sensing, visual, and sequential learning styles. This study demonstrated that DPT and PTA students have a balanced learning style with a strong preference toward active, sensing, visual, and sequential. Therefore, teaching methods should provide an instructional environment that addresses these learning style preferences. The student’s awareness of his or her learning style will enable the learner to capitalize on strengths and develop areas of weakness. This ability to employ effective learning strategies will equip an individual for the challenges of his or her chosen profession and lifelong learning.

The purpose of the study was to gauge Grade 4 Life Orientation educators‟ understanding of what learning style diversity entails, and to explore how they accommodate diverse learning styles during teaching and learning in inclusive Life Orientation classrooms. The study explored the educators‟ choice of teaching methods and strategies, learning activities and assessment approaches to accommodate diverse learning styles in their classrooms. The first phase of the study was characterized by a literature review, which guided the formulation of focus group interview questions as well as observation criteria. The literature review explored the notion of accommodating diverse learning style needs as an important aspect of inclusive education, as well as the teaching methods and strategies, learning activities and assessment approaches that could be employed to accommodate learning style diversity in inclusive Life Orientation classrooms. The second phase of the study comprised the empirical research. Within an interprevistic framework, qualitative research by means of focus group interviews and observations was undertaken to collect data in order to determine educators‟ understanding of learning style diversity and to explore how they accommodate diverse learning style needs in their inclusive Grade 4 Life Orientation classrooms. Focus group interviews were conducted with a convenient and purposively selected sample of Grade 4 Life Orientation educators (n=40) who teach at Township schools in the Sedibeng West District of the Gauteng Department of Education. In addition to the focus group interviews, observations were done in the classrooms of five willing educators who took part in the focus group interviews to observe how the educators accommodate diverse learning style needs in practice during their teaching. The data analysis revealed that educators do not have an adequate understanding of what diverse learning style needs imply, and do not accommodate diverse learning style needs in a balanced way in their classrooms. Both the findings from the focus group interviews and observations indicated that educators experience challenges in accommodating diverse learning style needs during the teaching of Grade 4 Life Orientation in inclusive classrooms. These challenges inter alia relate to time, workload, overcrowded classrooms and a need for guidance on how to accommodate diverse learning style needs. Based on the data obtained, examples of teaching, learning and assessment activities that could form part of a teaching and learning programme for Grade 4 Life Orientation was developed to guide educators in addressing learning style diversity during teaching. In the absence of curriculum-based teaching and learning programmes that guide educators in accommodate diverse learning styles during the teaching of Life Orientation, this study makes a valuable contribution. Key concepts: learning style diversity, learning preferences, pedagogical barriers to learning, inclusive education / PhD, Teaching and Learning, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

The implementation of learning styles models in the classroom remains a heavily debated topic in education. Notable problems with utilization of learning styles in the classroom include a lack of empirical research support and potential maladaptive effects on student learning and motivation. The primary research questions focused on the presence and quantity of learning styles discussion in the text, which definitions, models, and recommendations were presented, and which of the cited references were based on empirical data. The answers to these questions were compared between educational psychology and introduction to education textbooks. A content analysis of introduction to education (n = 10) and educational psychology (n = 10) textbooks was conducted. Eighty percent of the textbooks included a discussion of learning styles. Half of the textbooks defined learning style as a preference or approach and the other half as an individual process or style. One-fourth of the textbooks recommended matching instructional methods to learning styles. One comparison of text types, the number of empirical references cited in the text, was statistically significant. Given that most textbooks do not recommend matching instructional methods to learning styles, future research should examine the source of teachers’ beliefs that student learning is improved with the matching of learning styles to teaching approach.

The purpose of the study was to gauge Grade 4 Life Orientation educators‟ understanding of what learning style diversity entails, and to explore how they accommodate diverse learning styles during teaching and learning in inclusive Life Orientation classrooms. The study explored the educators‟ choice of teaching methods and strategies, learning activities and assessment approaches to accommodate diverse learning styles in their classrooms. The first phase of the study was characterized by a literature review, which guided the formulation of focus group interview questions as well as observation criteria. The literature review explored the notion of accommodating diverse learning style needs as an important aspect of inclusive education, as well as the teaching methods and strategies, learning activities and assessment approaches that could be employed to accommodate learning style diversity in inclusive Life Orientation classrooms. The second phase of the study comprised the empirical research. Within an interprevistic framework, qualitative research by means of focus group interviews and observations was undertaken to collect data in order to determine educators‟ understanding of learning style diversity and to explore how they accommodate diverse learning style needs in their inclusive Grade 4 Life Orientation classrooms. Focus group interviews were conducted with a convenient and purposively selected sample of Grade 4 Life Orientation educators (n=40) who teach at Township schools in the Sedibeng West District of the Gauteng Department of Education. In addition to the focus group interviews, observations were done in the classrooms of five willing educators who took part in the focus group interviews to observe how the educators accommodate diverse learning style needs in practice during their teaching. The data analysis revealed that educators do not have an adequate understanding of what diverse learning style needs imply, and do not accommodate diverse learning style needs in a balanced way in their classrooms. Both the findings from the focus group interviews and observations indicated that educators experience challenges in accommodating diverse learning style needs during the teaching of Grade 4 Life Orientation in inclusive classrooms. These challenges inter alia relate to time, workload, overcrowded classrooms and a need for guidance on how to accommodate diverse learning style needs. Based on the data obtained, examples of teaching, learning and assessment activities that could form part of a teaching and learning programme for Grade 4 Life Orientation was developed to guide educators in addressing learning style diversity during teaching. In the absence of curriculum-based teaching and learning programmes that guide educators in accommodate diverse learning styles during the teaching of Life Orientation, this study makes a valuable contribution. Key concepts: learning style diversity, learning preferences, pedagogical barriers to learning, inclusive education / PhD, Teaching and Learning, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

As an education practitioner I had taken cognisance of the existence of a gap in the professional development of academics at the exemplar higher education institution where most lecturers were novices in facilitating and assessing learning. I adopted the Whole Brain® Teaching and Learning Model by Ned Herrmann (1996) to transform our teaching practice. The model calls for innovative methods of facilitating learning. I adopted participatory action research to transform our teaching practice. In a community of practice, 10 novice lecturers between 35 and 50 years of age who had taught in higher education for 10 years and less implemented the Whole Brain® Teaching and Learning Model. The study’s aim was to promote a scholarship of teaching and learning in the higher education setting. I formulated the primary question: How can my fellow-lecturers and I as a collective use the Whole Brain® Thinking Model to transform teaching in higher education in Zimbabwe? A mixed methods approach was used to obtain various thoughts and views about Herrmann (1996) Whole Brain® Model of transforming practice. Diverse learning opportunities which included: different questioning techniques; various learning activities and different media were adopted. The Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI®) data was used as baseline study to determine our thinking style preferences; while student feedback questionnaire data was used to evaluate the learning opportunities. Interviews, focus group meetings that were video - and audio-recorded were used to solicit qualitative data. Quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23 and qualitative data was analysed using deductive thematic analysis. Results from the HBDI® report affirmed the diagnosis of our thinking preferences. The results showed that lecturers inspired students by their enthusiasm for work (73%); lecturers initiated learning by providing opportunities that reflected real - life situations (70%); lecturers promoted cooperative learning (71%). Students also contributed to their learning by developing a greater sense of responsibility (66%). The results of the two examinations were skewed towards the A and B quadrants. The general observation was that Whole Brain® methods of facilitating learning and the skill of setting Whole Brain® examinations were lacking. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Humanities Education / PhD / Unrestricted

Four out of five Americans will require some postsecondary education. Therefore, a majority of population will return to a community college for retraining and personal growth (McCabe, 2003). Since the turn of this century, many studies have been conducted to examine the success and challenges of the relatively new community college system. One of the most significant challenges is the large percentage of the U.S. population requiring remedial coursework. Fifty-five percent of students entering Florida's postsecondary system require remediation. Of this large remedial population, only 51% will complete their preparatory classes. Students who do complete classes take an average of two years to finish preparatory classes and move on to college-level work. It is hypothesized that learning styles information will empower students with knowledge about their study habits and positively effect academic achievement. This research first examined the quantitative effect that learning styles information had on student achievement. The second qualitative phase of the study examined students' perceptions of learning styles information. Three Introductory Algebra (MAT 0024) courses at a large suburban community college were intensively studied during one spring semester. Due to the size of the study (N=69), results obtained in the quantitative portion were not significant enough to accept the hypotheses. Responses in focus groups showed that students generally felt that learning styles information was useful and half the class used the information to modify how they studied. Half of the students in the control group modified their study habits in response to knowing more about their learning style. Although the qualitative data was supportive of the usefulness of learning styles information in the classroom the quantitative data did not support the hypotheses that learning styles information improves achievement.

Stagnant student achievement in science education in the United States has placed an increased emphasis on teacher professional development. Since many elementary educators could benefit from improved science content knowledge—and given the challenge of providing this at a level scalable and sustainable through face-to-face delivery alone—this study sought to understand what types of online self-directed content-interaction strategies are of greatest learner satisfaction and provide the highest learning impact for teachers in grades three–six. Employing Anderson's Equivalency of Interaction Theorem, and looking at age, years teaching experience, and learning preferences via Kolb and Kolb's Learning Style Inventory 3.1 (2005), this descriptive study non-randomly sampled 85 educators who passed a series of self-paced interactive web modules to rate their preferences for five different types of content-interactive strategies: (a) simulations, (b) interactive reference, (c) hands-on, (d) personal feedback, and (e) pedagogical implications. Using an online survey and a pre- and postassessment instrument it was found that (a) as age and years teaching experience increase, teachers' preferences for personal feedback, interactive reference, and simulations increased, (b) teachers' content knowledge increased significantly after completing the web modules, (c) teachers' learning style moderately aligned with their preferences for content-interaction strategies, and (d) teachers least preferred the pedagogical implications component. Instructional designers and education administrators selecting professional development for teachers may find this informative. Data from this research support Anderson's theory that if the content interaction is rich, human interaction may be provided in diminished capacities. / Ph. D.