Felder-Silverman learning styles and learning with business games

Abstract

The problem this study dealt with was the difference in learning observed among students of a Production Control and Planning (PCP) course. The objective was to describe and to analyze the learning differences according to Learning Styles (LS). Assimilation and comprehension (test scores) and the LS of 356 students in 16 graduate classes - MBAs and Extension Courses - from five years were examined. A business game brought the experiences to life, where greater learning was observed among students with a reflective (active-reflective) or visual (visual-verbal) style. By not exploring reflection, the game may have restricted the experience learning cycle, especially among the active ones. Two guidelines for the educational design are suggested for educators: when standardizing the designone should seek to balance activities in order to meet different LS. When the design is personalized, one should insert activities which are complementary to the learner’s preferences, thus enabling a balanced experience between action and reflection.