Meeting the Learning Styles and Needs of the Cornerstone University Student

As with the students of any university, it is possible to identify dominant cultural realities and unique learning styles and needs of the student body. Below are ten descriptors of the Cornerstone student as identified by the Cornerstone University Provost Task Force, which met during the summer of 2007. These descriptors where discussed in the fall faculty work days and were then made the topic of two faculty development workshops in the fall semester of 2007. The materials below are a review of those discussions.

Who Are Our Students?

1.      Spiritually Focused

2.      Strong Work Ethic

3.      Middle-Class

4.      Lack of Diversity

5.      Local/Regional Focus

6.      Active Learners

7.      Visual Learners

8.      Social Learners

9.      Practical Orientation

10. Technology Orientation

Source: Provost Task Force, Summer, 07

Professor suggestions from faculty development workshop:

The professor must intentionally work to connect course content to the actual lives students.

The professor needs to model in class how the course content is connected to the student’s world.

The professor can appoint a “so what” person for the class. This person is given the responsibility of yelling “so what” whenever the course content seems to be straying from the real-world lives of the student.

The professor can create intentional opportunities for students to create community. They often do not know one another. Community can create and build motivation for learning.

The professor can include a final exam question that requires students to create a seating chart of the classroom to show their knowledge of the names of all the students in the class.

The professor can create a structure to enable study groups. The more these groups are perceived as student initiated, the more successful they are.

The professor can intentionally work during class and outside of class to recognize the personal and emotional issues and needs of the students.   To encourage this, the professor can come to class early and engage in informal conversation with students.

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Below is a comparison of Traditional Classroom Strategies (traditional defined as the kind of college experience Cornerstone faculty probably had) and the Adaptive Classroom Strategies that may be more successful in meeting the learning styles and needs of the current Cornerstone students.

Meeting the needs of the Cornerstone Student

Traditional Classroom strategies

Teacher directed classroom/Content directed classroom

On-going use of lecture/ large group discussion format

The professor provides the majority of the content/ideas for the class

Student’s oral contributions are evaluated in light of “correctness”

Emphasis on auditory learning (students listening)

Emphasis on note-taking (getting the information down about course content to study for understanding at a later time)

Normative assessment

Cumulative assessment

Grading is final and permanent after assignments have been submitted

Use of a limited number of large assignments due at specified times throughout the course

Readings/text assignments are parallel to course content. The student is expected to make the connections between the reading and the class session content/ideas

Adaptive Strategies

Students are given opportunities to present course content/ideas to their peers

Students work in pairs or small groups to discuss and reflect upon course content and ideas.

Student’s prior knowledge, life experience, and formative ideas are valued and integrated in course content.

Student oral contributions are coveted and celebrated (even if incorrect)

Emphasis on visual and relational learning (seeing and communicating)

Emphasis on students talking about and reflecting on course content in class to practice higher order thinking skills of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation

Criterion referenced assessment

Formative assessment

Grading is provisional and assignments may be re-submitted for re-evaluation

Use of regular smaller assignments that are due weekly that may be combined to create a major project

Reading assignments are integrated into the class session. Textual references are made and explained and discussed during class.