For Each Of The Individual Learning Preference Topics

For Each Of The Individual Learning Preference Topics That Follow Bra

For each of the individual learning preference topics that follow, brainstorm about instructional design considerations specific to your selected business/organization and the identified learner needs from your needs assessment: David Kolb's four basic learning styles, Ned Hermann's brain-based approach, Visual, Auditory, Reading, and Kinesthetic (VARK) model, Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences. Prior to outlining the design considerations for each of the above four topics, you will first need to describe your identified learners and their needs. This information should be from the results of Stage 3 (learning needs) and Stage 4 (learner needs) of your needs assessment assignment completed in Module 3. Continue using the template you have been using to organize your ideas. You may also want to make adjustments to earlier sections based on instructor feedback. This will help keep you prepared for the final project and help inform your future assignments from week to week. Please ensure that your work is well written, supported by two to three scholarly sources, and in conformance with the CSU Global Writing Center. The CSU Global Library is a good place to find these sources. Submit your completed template for grading.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

In designing effective instructional strategies tailored to diverse learner preferences within a specific organization, understanding various learning styles and intelligences is crucial. An organizational environment's success heavily depends on how well instructional methods align with learners’ needs, facilitating engagement, retention, and application of knowledge. This paper explores instructional design considerations based on David Kolb’s four learning styles, Ned Hermann’s brain-based approach, VARK model, and Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences, contextualized within a hypothetical organization. It begins by describing the target learners and their specific needs, followed by a detailed analysis of instructional considerations for each learning preference framework.

Description of Learners and Their Needs

The selected organization is a mid-sized marketing firm aiming to enhance its employee training program for new hires and ongoing professional development. The learners are adult professionals aged 25-45, with varying educational backgrounds and levels of experience in marketing. The needs assessment revealed that these learners benefit from engaging, practical, and flexible learning experiences that accommodate their diverse learning preferences. Many learners demonstrated a preference for hands-on activities, visual aids, and collaborative learning, indicating a mix of sensory and cognitive learning styles. Additionally, the assessment identified a necessity for short, modular sessions that enable immediate application, supporting adult learning principles of relevance and self-directedness.

Instructional Design Considerations for Kolb’s Learning Styles

David Kolb's experiential learning theory identifies four distinct learning styles: Diverging, Assimilating, Converging, and Accommodating. To accommodate these styles, instructional design must include varied activities such as reflective observation (e.g., case studies for Diverging learners), abstract conceptualization (e.g., theoretical frameworks for Assimilating learners), practical application tasks (e.g., problem-solving exercises for Converging learners), and hands-on experiments (e.g., role-plays for Accommodating learners). In the organizational context, incorporating case discussion sessions, simulation exercises, and problem-based projects caters to the experiential nature of Kolb's styles, fostering deep learning tailored to individual preferences.

Instructional Design Considerations for Ned Hermann’s Brain-Based Approach

Ned Hermann's brain-based model categorizes learners into four quadrants: Upper Left (Logical/Analytical), Upper Right (Intuitive/Creative), Lower Left (Organized/Sequential), and Lower Right (Intuitive/Imaginative). An effective instructional strategy integrates activities stimulating each brain quadrant, such as analytical case studies for upper left learners, creative brainstorming for upper right, structured checklists for lower left, and visual storytelling for lower right. In our organization, combining logical exercises with creative team-based activities promotes holistic engagement. Additionally, recognizing learners' dominant quadrants guides personalized support and encourages balanced cognitive development.

Instructional Design Considerations for VARK Model

The VARK model emphasizes four sensory modalities: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic. To address these preferences, instructional materials should include visual aids like charts and videos, auditory components such as lectures and podcasts, text-based resources for reading and writing, and hands-on activities like simulations and physical models. For the marketing firm, designing a blended program incorporating multimedia presentations, interactive discussions, reading assignments, and role-plays ensures that each learner can engage with content through their preferred sensory channels. Furthermore, providing optional activities allows learners to reinforce learning through multiple modalities.

Instructional Design Considerations for Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Howard Gardner identified multiple intelligences, including linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. Instructional strategies should diversify to target these intelligences—for instance, linguistic activities like writing analyses, logical tasks such as data interpretation, spatial tasks involving visual mapping, bodily-kinesthetic tasks like role-playing, and interpersonal exercises such as group projects. In the organization, utilizing diverse formats like debates, puzzles, visual mapping, physical role-plays, and team-based projects enhances learning accessibility and engagement for all intelligence types. Such differentiation fosters an inclusive learning environment where each learner’s strengths are acknowledged and developed.

Conclusion

Designing training programs that consider diverse learning preferences enhances organizational learning outcomes. Understanding learners’ styles through frameworks like Kolb’s, Hermann’s, VARK, and Gardner’s models enables instructional designers to craft varied, engaging, and effective activities. In the context of the marketing organization, aligning instructional strategies with identified learner needs ensures relevance, promotes motivation, and facilitates knowledge transfer. Incorporating multiple approaches caters to the whole learner, ultimately fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptability.

References

- Dunn, R., & Dunn, K. (1998). Teaching students through their individual learning styles: A practical approach. Bergin & Garvey.

- Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. Basic Books.

- Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice-Hall.

- Hermann, Ned. (2001). The Whole Brain Business Book: Unlocking the Power of Whole Brain Thinking in Management, Training, and Development. McGraw-Hill.

- Fleming, N. D., & Mills, C. (1992). Not Another Inventory, Rather a Catalyst for Reflection. To Improve the Academy, 11(1), 137-155.

- Smith, P., & Ragan, T. (2005). Instructional Design. Wiley.

- Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9(3), 105–119.

- Silver, H. F. (2010). Learner-centered theory and practice in online education. American Journal of Distance Education, 24(3), 159–173.

- Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. Jossey-Bass.

- Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School. National Academy Press.