What are
Learner Characteristics
Learner characteristics is a concept that revolves around how the student learning experience is influenced by personal, social, cognitive, and academic elements. It’s presumed that these aspects play a pivotal role in both how and what students learn. Through a series of studies, educators can determine what characteristics impact students the most. The findings of this research are passed on to instructional designers so that they can develop tailored instructions for specific groups of students such as those with learning disabilities.
An understanding of learner characteristics enables students to be more efficient and effective in their learning. It also encourages educators to be more precise in their teachings. Learner characteristics are so diverse that they range from personal to academic. The former refers to traits like gender, language, age, and cultural background. Meanwhile, academic characteristics consist of logic, objectivity, intellect, insight, and practical applications. These combined qualities contribute significantly to the student learning process.
What is the benefit of learner characteristics?
A landmark study by Felder and Silverman (1988) on learning styles and instructional strategies highlighted the importance of aligning teaching methods with learner characteristics. The study found that students taught in ways that matched their preferred learning styles exhibited higher engagement and academic achievement than those in mismatched environments. This work laid the foundation for incorporating learner characteristics into effective teaching practices in higher education.
There are also four key reasons why learner characteristics are considered by instructors when developing teaching curricula. Personalized learning is where teachers recognize individual traits such as learning styles, motivation and prior knowledge. Faculty can customize Top Hat’s Interactive eTexts to reflect the diverse makeup of their students. For instance, educators can add campus imagery, popular culture music videos and open-ended discussions that offer a more inclusive learning experience. Enhanced engagement is when educators consider emotional, social and cultural factors to make learning experiences more relatable. Equity and accessibility is the third reason why learner characteristics are important. This is when teachers consider the unique demographic of their students and ensure opportunities are distributed fairly and equitably. Finally, considering learner characteristics supports retention and performance—when the unique needs of learners are considered, they are less likely to drop out.
What are some examples of learner characteristics?
Examples of learner characteristics in higher education include a wide range of traits and attributes that influence how students approach and succeed in their studies. These characteristics can be cognitive (such as critical thinking ability and examining learning styles), emotional and motivational (such as intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy), social characteristics (such as collaborative skills and cultural background) and demographic and contextual characteristics (such as age and socioeconomic background).
Learner characteristics and learning styles are interconnected concepts that describe how individuals acquire, process, and retain knowledge. While learner characteristics encompass a broad range of traits that influence learning, learning styles refer specifically to preferred methods or approaches students use to engage with and understand information. Visual learner characteristics, kinesthetic learner characteristics and auditory learner characteristics all fall under learning styles. Visual learners often prefer images and diagrams to understand concepts—such as watching a video or building a mind map before a high-stakes test. Kinesthetic learners appreciate hands-on activities and enjoy learning by doing. Auditory learners learn best through listening and speaking—for instance by discussing topics in a group setting or recording lectures to listen to after the fact. Ultimately, the goal of capturing learner characteristics is for an educator to plan personalized lessons to boost engagement among all students no matter their abilities or interests.