Peer Review

Learning Styles Questionnaire

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Mar 6, 2004 by Teacher Education

Bookmark

Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This instrument is an online, multiple-choice test which provides insight into
the learning styles of the test taker. There are 44 questions which the student
can quickly move through. The student clicks on the answer that most applies.
At the end of the survey, students submit their answers and immediately receive
results in the form of a scale with their preferred learning styles. There
are links to more detailed information about learning styles, implications of
students preferred styles and further bibliographic references. The Index of
Learning Styles was created in 1991 by Richard M. Felder, a chemical engineering
professor at North Carolina State University, and Barbara A. Soloman, then the
coordinator of advising for the N.C. State First-Year College. The four learning
style dimensions of the instrument were adapted from a model developed in 1987
by Dr. Felder and Linda K. Silverman, an educational psychologist then at the
University of Denver.
Type of Material:: Questionnaire/Inventory
Recommended Uses:: The material is designed to help students determine their strong preferences in
learning. This could be useful in education classes when discussing alternative
ways to present lessons and pedagogical approaches like Multiple Intelligences.
Technical Requirements:: None
Identify Major Learning Goals:: The main goal of the questionnaire is to help the test taker determine his or
her learning style. Based on the results, adapations and accommodations can be
made in terms of teaching and learning.
Target Student Population:: The questionnaire was designed for use with college students. Although the
original application was for engineering students, it is applicable to high
school age and adults for assessment of learning styles. It can work for both
face-to-face and online classes.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: None

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: The questionnaire provides a quick and easy way to introduce students to the
concept of styles of learning. In a recent study, Professor Malgorzata Zywno of
Ryerson University collected ILS responses for several hundred engineering
students and assessed test-retest reliability, internal consistency reliability,
and several quantities related to the independence and construct validity of
the four instrument scales. She concluded that the ILS meets criteria of
acceptability for instruments of its type. The survey is simple to use and has
value particularly when it is given an introduction and a follow-up discussion.
The site includes a link to an explanations of learning styles and ways to
adapt one's learning styles.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: The questionnaire could be effectively used by preservice teachers as a way to
both identify their own learning styles and to begin a discussion of learning
styles and multiple intelligences regarding their future students. This is a
useful teaching and learning tool given an introduction and follow-up discussion
on how students could make use of knowing and understanding their learning
styles. A discussion of what happens if a learning style is different from a
teaching style is a useful one to have and would help the student modify some of
his/her learning strategies.

There is also an excellent explanation that the student can link to after they
take the survey which discusses learning styles and ways to adapt ones learning
style.
Concerns:: Students can individually take the on-line questionnaire. However, their
results cannot be collected by a professor unless the professor requires
students to print out their results or the professor contacts NC State
(yskarpe@gw.fis.ncsu.edu) for permission to use the instrument and signs a
nondisclosure agreement.

When a teaching style does not match a student's learning style, the student
can find reasons for failure in the class . A discussion prior to and after
taking the survey is imperative.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: There is an FAQ available for this instrument available at
http://www.ncsu.edu/effective_teaching/ILSdir/ILS-faq.htm

There was no difficulty using the questionnaire on a variety of browsers.
Results are immediate and can be printed.
Concerns:: Scoring key is not available online. It is, however, available by contacting the
Technology Transfer Office as noted below.

The learning styles results page had a weak interface and could be difficult to
understand for the novice especially if they were unaware of learning styles
initially. I wish the designers would have spelled out the words on the
scale. The scale can be clumsy.

Other Issues and Comments:: The ILS is available at no cost to students and faculty at educational
institutions to use for non-commercial purposes, and also to individuals who
wish to determine their own learning styles. The commercial rights are held by
North Carolina State University. If you wish to administer it locally to your
students, employees, or clients, please contact Mr. Yatin Karpe of the N.C.
State Technology Transfer Office, yskarpe@gw.fis.ncsu.edu. If you are affiliated
with an educational institution, you will be asked to sign a nondisclosure
agreement.

Immediate results are a real plus.

?Learning Styles And Strategies" gives students ways to address other learning
styles even though they had specific preferences.
Creative Commons: