Exploring Antecedents of Performance Differences on Visual and Verbal Test Items: Learning Styles Versus Aptitude

Abstract

Many educators and researchers have suggested that some students learn more effectively with visual stimuli (e.g., pictures, graphs), whereas others learn more effectively with verbal information (e.g., text) (Felder & Brent, 2005). In two studies, the present research seeks to improve popular self-reported (indirect) learning style measures and explore whether visual or verbal learning styles predict student performance on visual or verbal assessments. The improved self-reported learning style scale was not predictive, although systematic differences in student performance were found. A direct measure of individual differences—mathematical aptitude—was found predictive. Implications for the use of indirect measures of learning style, the development of direct measures of learning style, and educators’ application of visual and verbal performance assessments are discussed.