The ‘Troubled History’ of Labelling Learning Styles

The ‘Troubled History’ of Labelling Learning Styles

For better or worse, the educational theory that seems to have permeated American education more than any other has been the notion of learning styles. Although the definition can vary, the most popular version of the idea argues that people can be categorized as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learners. From its earliest origins, though, critics have underscored the very thin and tangled research line that supported the learning styles framework, and in recent years cognitive psychologists have tried to toll the death knell of this approach—without much success. Something about the broader idea of learning styles seems so appealing or persuasive that it continues to shape the thinking of many classroom teachers and parents as well as our own self-descriptions. Thomas Fallace of William Paterson University has written a book titled You Are Not a Kinesthetic Learner: The Troubled History of the Learning Style Idea, tracing the theory from its early origins through a half-century of teaching and thinking about education. He talks with us about whether learning styles actually exist, whether the concept has helped or harmed students, and—if learning styles don’t exist—whether we should just abandon the idea once and for all. Key Topics Discussed: * Cold War psychologist Herman Witkin’s experiments to test whether people could tell they were seated upright in a tilted room and the unlikely link between those studies and the idea of learning styles * The problematic application of the learning styles idea over time, often emerging out of the efforts of well-intentioned people trying to improve educational outcomes—and in fact succeeding in some cases * The vagaries of the “kinesthetic learner” label and how it’s been applied disproportionately to Black and Hispanic students, those with special needs, and English-language learners * Why the idea of learning styles has been so popular and persistent * Why the danger comes from labelling students as one kind of learner or another, not from varying the modalities in which they engage with course content * Drawing on the history of research on learning styles as we think about the role of AI-assisted learning Guest Bio: Thomas Fallace is a professor of education and director of the master’s in secondary education program at William Paterson University. His research focuses largely on curriculum history and the history of ideas in schools, and he is the author of five books, most recently You Are Not a Kinesthetic Learner: The Troubled History of the Learning Style Idea. Resources Mentioned: * Thomas’s Book: You Are Not a Kinesthetic Learner: The Troubled History of the Learning Style Idea [https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/Y/bo248650721.html] (The University of Chicago Press) * Episode Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mH18qtfS21fhFUnMmKpJyjp5zlBpIFMnPBF6u8NTwzQ/edit?usp=sharing] Designed for Learning is hosted by Jim Lang [https://learning.nd.edu/about/team-bios/james-lang/], a professor of the practice in Notre Dame Learning’s Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence and the author of several influential books on teaching. The podcast is produced by Notre Dame Learning’s Office of Digital Learning. For more, visit learning.nd.edu/podcast [https://learning.nd.edu/podcast]. You can also follow Notre Dame Learning on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/nd-learning].

Centering the People in Online Courses

Faculty who teach online know that it comes with distinct benefits, with the ability to reach learners who might not otherwise have access to your course prominent among them. But as meaningful as that is, the logistical challenges online teaching can present means we don’t necessarily think of it as a “joyful” exercise, particularly in those courses with limited live interaction between instructor and students. An author and longtime advocate for online teaching, Flower Darby has written a new book titled The Joyful Online Teacher: Finding Our Fizz in Asynchronous Classes. It has much to offer anyone teaching in the online modality, whether your course is entirely on-demand or features regular live sessions. Key Topics Discussed: * The turning point with a student that reshaped Flower’s approach to online teaching * Drawing on positive psychology’s PERMA theory of well-being to create a better online learning environment * Why being a “joyful” teacher entails something different than surface-level happiness * The importance of introducing energy to and generating energy in online classrooms * The impact instructors can have on students by doing simple things like knowing their names and genuinely responding to what they’ve said * Why Flower believes instructors bringing their full selves into their asynchronous classes is the most effective way to counter unethical uses of AI * Finding creative ways to connect with students and lean into what gives you joy as a teacher to improve their experience and your own Guest Bio: Flower Darby is an associate director of the Teaching for Learning Center at the University of Missouri, an author, and a keynote speaker. She’s taught in higher ed for more than 30 years in subjects ranging from psychology to jazz dance. Her latest book is The Joyful Online Teacher: Finding Our Fizz in Asynchronous Classes, which is part of the Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher Ed Series at the University of Oklahoma Press edited by Designed for Learning host Jim Lang and Michelle Miller. Resources Mentioned: * Flower’s New Book: The Joyful Online Teacher: Finding Our Fizz in Asynchronous Classes [https://www.oupress.com/9780806196534/the-joyful-online-teacher/] (University of Oklahoma Press) * PERMA Theory of Well-Being [https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/learn-more/perma-theory-well-being-and-perma-workshops] * Sarah Rose Cavanagh’s Book: The Spark of Learning [https://wvupressonline.com/node/642] (West Virginia University Press) * Flower’s Website [https://flowerdarby.com/] * Flower’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/flowerdarby/] * Episode Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oMaG0XG9hR2v7yTi5g4rk3BfvcEqwL7ubcPkfU2rsyE/edit?usp=sharing] Designed for Learning is hosted by Jim Lang [https://learning.nd.edu/about/team-bios/james-lang/], a professor of the practice in Notre Dame Learning’s Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence and the author of several influential books on teaching. The podcast is produced by Notre Dame Learning’s Office of Digital Learning. For more, visit learning.nd.edu/podcast [https://learning.nd.edu/podcast]. You can also follow Notre Dame Learning on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/nd-learning].

‘The Main Event’: Promoting Engagement in a Gen Ed Course

American higher education has always stood out for its strong commitment to general education courses, or gen ed, the premise being that undergraduates should not necessarily jump directly into a major but instead have the room to learn and explore a variety of fields before choosing a particular path. With that principled purpose comes a practical teaching challenge: Most students enroll in a gen ed course to fulfill a curricular requirement, not because they actively chose to take that class. So how do teachers make the best possible case for a required course? And how do they make it a good experience for the students who may never return to the subject when the semester ends? A professor at Boston College and regular contributor to The New York Times Magazine, Carlo Rotella has written a book that follows 33 students through his own general education course and explores answers to questions like these. Key Topics Discussed: * A description of the required literature course Carlo teaches at Boston College and why he chose to write about it * How he uses the first day of class to attempt to overcome students’ skepticism * Leading with the utility of the course, even when you as the instructor believe in the subject’s inherent beauty * The distinct value to students of coming together to participate in a classroom with peers and an instructor and why that value only continues to grow as technology advances * Strategies for getting students to participate, including working with those who aren’t as comfortable speaking during class * Carlo’s approach to managing the flow of discussions, why he doesn’t fear silence, and thinking of what goes on in the classroom as “the main event” Guest Bio: Carlo Rotella is a professor of English, journalism, and American studies at Boston College. He writes regularly for The New York Times Magazine, and his work has appeared in a number of other outlets, including The New Yorker, Harper’s, and The Best American Essays. He has written books about cities, boxing, blues, and literature and film, among other subjects; his latest, What Can I Get Out of This? Teaching and Learning in a Classroom Full of Skeptics, was named a Forbes Best Higher Education Book of 2025. Resources Mentioned: * Carlo’s New Book: What Can I Get Out of This? Teaching and Learning in a Classroom Full of Skeptics [https://www.ucpress.edu/books/what-can-i-get-out-of-this/paper] (University of California Press) * Episode Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DYkwKSYdSCgDdYVkLrQR53y3-jHJgAG7/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104032184320894310456&rtpof=true&sd=true] Designed for Learning is hosted by Jim Lang [https://learning.nd.edu/about/team-bios/james-lang/], a professor of the practice in Notre Dame Learning’s Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence and the author of several influential books on teaching. The podcast is produced by Notre Dame Learning’s Office of Digital Learning. For more, visit learning.nd.edu/podcast [https://learning.nd.edu/podcast]. You can also follow Notre Dame Learning on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/nd-learning].

Effectively Teaching Learners with ADHD

Imagine you have a student who starts the semester strong but unexpectedly misses a deadline, and then you don’t see them in class for a few sessions. You reach out and are surprised to learn it isn’t because they lost interest in the course; it’s because they were so ashamed of missing that due date that it prevented them from coming back. Maybe you don’t have to imagine. If you’ve been teaching awhile, chances are you’ve had this exact experience, one that might be related to a student having ADHD. So what do learners with ADHD need from us as teachers? In her new book An Educator’s Guide to ADHD: Designing and Teaching for Student Success, Karen Costa shares strategies aimed at not only supporting these students but also taking advantage of the valuable strengths and perspectives they can bring to the classroom. Key Topics Discussed: * Thinking of the ADHD neurotype as a house with all its doors and windows thrown open * What we need to unlearn about ADHD, starting with the implications of the name attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder * Tapping into the creativity and outspokenness often exhibited by students with ADHD to improve the overall classroom environment * Strategies for helping students with ADHD that will benefit everyone in the class * Karen’s own experiences as someone with ADHD—both as a student and a professional—and why that drives her to talk about them openly, even when it’s uncomfortable * Navigating potential sticking points between students who might thrive with more flexibility and faculty who are responsible for structuring a course * How helping learners with ADHD can start with something as simple as making a checklist Guest Bio: Karen Costa is a faculty development facilitator, adjunct faculty member, and the author of 99 Tips for Creating Simple and Sustainable Educational Videos: A Guide for Online Teachers and Flipped Classes. Her latest book, An Educator’s Guide to ADHD: Designing and Teaching for Student Success, was published in January 2026 by Johns Hopkins University Press. Resources Mentioned: * Karen’s New Book: An Educator’s Guide to ADHD: Designing and Teaching for Student Success [https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/53916/educators-guide-adhd?srsltid=AfmBOoowBdstmj4FpiDw45jhgfGhnzGAW_TaWgpVFZF4p2gBrLC6fFEk] (Johns Hopkins University Press) * Karen’s Website: 100faculty.com [http://100faculty.com] * Episode Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ccvgGIaCD4gMkWXP8UfAM4N1NLzdc-rw/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104032184320894310456&rtpof=true&sd=true] Designed for Learning is hosted by Jim Lang [https://learning.nd.edu/about/team-bios/james-lang/], a professor of the practice in Notre Dame Learning’s Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence and the author of several influential books on teaching. The podcast is produced by Notre Dame Learning’s Office of Digital Learning. For more, visit learning.nd.edu/podcast [https://learning.nd.edu/podcast]. You can also follow Notre Dame Learning on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/nd-learning].

Using Two-Stage Exams to Promote Active Learning in Large Classes

For decades now, the call to college teachers has been to rely less on lecture and to draw more on active learning techniques such as discussions, small group brainstorming, and think-pair-shares. Strategies like these fit well within smaller courses. But in an auditorium with a couple of hundred students, how do we encourage participation and community? To meet this challenge, Notre Dame’s Rachel Branco has turned to an assessment approach known as the two-stage exam. It’s worked so well that she has now written a how-to guide to help other instructors incorporate this active learning experience into classes of any size. Key Topics Discussed: * How Rachel initially encountered the concept of two-stage exams, in which students answer the same set of questions first as individuals and then in groups * Her experience incorporating two-stage exams into her smaller courses and why that inspired her not only to adapt the setup for her larger classes but also to write a guide for other instructors interested in doing so * Well-established advantages of using two-stage exams as well as Rachel’s own observations of the benefits based on surveys of her students * The logistics of deploying two-stage exams in a class with hundreds of students, including the importance of seating plans, the creation of the exam documents themselves, and group construction * Why Rachel has each student turn in their own answer sheet for the group part of the exam and the kinds of questions that work best in light of the group dynamic * Why it’s critical to communicate the rationale behind this style of assessment to students Guest Bio: Rachel Branco is a neuroscientist and an associate teaching professor at the University of Notre Dame, where she teaches courses through both the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the Neuroscience and Behavior Program. She is passionate about researching and implementing practical classroom strategies that improve how students learn about and experience science. Resources Mentioned: * Rachel’s Implementation Guide for Two-Stage Exams [https://learning.nd.edu/resource-library/implementation-guide-for-two-stage-exams/] * Mail Merge Tool for Notre Dame Instructors: Yet Another Mail Merge (YAMM) [https://nd.service-now.com/nd_portal?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0010974] * Grading Assistance Software for Notre Dame Instructors: Gradescope [https://nd.service-now.com/nd_portal?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0017954] * Episode Transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/19QjUJVs0lCUdS77oeYNzlSCznGk-B_fp/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104032184320894310456&rtpof=true&sd=true] Designed for Learning is hosted by Jim Lang [https://learning.nd.edu/about/team-bios/james-lang/], a professor of the practice in Notre Dame Learning’s Kaneb Center for Teaching Excellence and the author of several influential books on teaching. The podcast is produced by Notre Dame Learning’s Office of Digital Learning. For more, visit learning.nd.edu/podcast [https://learning.nd.edu/podcast]. You can also follow Notre Dame Learning on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/nd-learning].