>> Re 3: I think it's likely that there are diminishing returns the longer you present material the same way, and that switching it up makes students more interested.
Maybe as important, variety helps keep the instructor from losing interest in what he/she is teaching. If the instructor sounds interested, that makes the subject sound interesting, and that undoubtedly is good for learning. See the Hawthorne Effect.
>> When I read that part, I assumed they were talking about the individual students performing better, not the class in aggregate. If it's student by student, that is (weak) evidence against learning styles.
The bigger issue is the the lack of evidence in favor of learning styles. Without supporting evidence, there's no particular reason to believe they exist.
Maybe as important, variety helps keep the instructor from losing interest in what he/she is teaching. If the instructor sounds interested, that makes the subject sound interesting, and that undoubtedly is good for learning. See the Hawthorne Effect.
>> When I read that part, I assumed they were talking about the individual students performing better, not the class in aggregate. If it's student by student, that is (weak) evidence against learning styles.
The bigger issue is the the lack of evidence in favor of learning styles. Without supporting evidence, there's no particular reason to believe they exist.