Volume Two - Academic Conferences

2.3 Learning Strategies
Fatemeh Orooji et al.
On the other hand, there are several competing theories about how people learn. To give a highly
simplified overview, the theories cover three main aspects of how people study:
Perceiving information (auditory, reading): When a person gathers information about the world around
him/her (including needed data to study), he/she may employ all of his/her senses unequally. The
VARK system assesses how much people rely on: Visual (sight), Auditory (hearing), Reading, and
Kinesthetic (other sensations like touch and temperature as well as movement). People say things like
‘I’m an auditory learner’ (meaning that they are comfortable absorbing information which they have
heard or discussed); or ‘I’m a Kinesthetic learner’ (if they prefer to learn through practical classes and
hands-on activities, rather than by reading books and listening to lectures). In fact, we use all of our
senses to absorb information.
Processing information (abstract, logical, sequential, and reflective): Once a person has acquired the
information (by listening, reading, etc.), he/she then processes it mentally, as he/she thinks about it
and memorizes it. He/she will have a natural preference for how he/she:
Grasp information: does he/she prefer to deal with abstract concepts and generalizations, or
concrete, practical examples?
Order information: would he/she rather receive facts in a logical, sequential way (to build up a
picture one step at a time), or with an overview straight away (to show the big picture first, then
the details)?
Engage with information: does he/she prefer active experimentation or reflective observation?
Organizing/presenting information (analytic, verbal): Finally, there is how a person chooses to share
information with others. He/she will prefer how he/she:
Organise information: with a holistic overview, or with detailed and logical analysis
Present information: verbally or using images.
3. Selected models for proposed approach
We have provided a mechanism to build an understandable and integrated picture of learner’s LS.
This picture puts models dimensions together and shows their values via a graphical interface. The
graphical representation of models information can support the development of students’ selfawareness
and meta-cognition skills. Students who know how they learn, make more informed
choices about how to engage in learning(Coffield et al., 2004).
We wanted to depict a unified approach for different phases of dimensions definitions as well as their
inferring and representing mechanisms. Since there are different dimensions of a learner's
characteristics and behaviors concentrated in a model, it is necessary to manage all dimensions in a
similar way. In addition, the inferring method of each model may be different from the others. Thus, it
is a real demand to provide some consistent and comparable inferring methods. Furthermore, the
modelers utilize different representing mechanism. We have unified these mechanisms in order to
provide a better recognition of learners' characteristics.
Our integrated environment supports some types of models that their representing and inferring
approaches are understandable by proposed mechanism. Although there are very few robust studies
which offer, for example, reliable and valid evidence and clear implications for practice based on
empirical findings as (Coffield et al., 2004) has claimed, we have selected some models which are
more applicable in web-based educational systems as (Graf, 2007) indicated. Models consist of: Kolb
and Felder-Silverman LS inventories which indicate ‘Flexibly stable’ LSs, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
(MBTI) which considers LSs as relatively stable personality type, and Grasha-Riechmann LSs which
detects LS related to approaches and strategies(Coffield et al., 2004).
3.1 Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (1962)
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality test which includes important aspects for
learning(Briggs Myers, 1962). Derived from psychologist Carl Jung's theory, MBTI classifies students
according to their preferences on these four scales:
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