Learning Styles: What We Know and What We Need

In this essay, the authors argue that understanding students' learning styles is likely to (a) help teachers recognize the causes of some academic problems, and (b) lead to better planned, differentiated instruction. Learning style, as defined by Dunn and Dunn, is highlighted, and research supporting its effectiveness is outlined. By citing numerous examples, the author proposes that identifying patterns of individual learning needs and responding to students' learning styles can result in improved academic achievement.