Addressing diverse learning styles through the use of multimedia

The paper presents preliminary results of a study conducted to discern ways in which multimedia can be used to address the needs of a variety of student learners. The learning styles of students in an introductory material and energy class were evaluated and classified based according to B.S. Soloman's (1992) inventory of learning styles' four dimensions: processing (active/reflective), perception (sensing/intuitive), input (visual/verbal) and understanding (sequential/global). Students in the class used 3 multimedia based software programs developed in our laboratory. The paper presents examples of these and other multimedia programs to demonstrate the effectiveness of multimedia in addressing the learning styles typically neglected by traditional teaching methods. For example: active learners appreciate the use of movies and interaction; sensors benefit from additional reviews of abstract material, and appreciate the demonstrations; visual students appreciate the movies as well as the visual navigation scheme; global learners prefer placing the new material within a greater context. Future work will include the use of more refined surveys and individual follow up interviews that will provide the needed insight to develop guidelines for the effective use of multimedia.