Learning Styles and On-Line Learning Analytics: An Analysis of Student Behaviour Based on the Honey and Mumford Model

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of student behaviour on a Learning Management System (LMS), as observed by means of learning analytics, and compares this against expected behaviour, as put forward by the Honey & Mumford Learning Styles Model (H&M LSM). The H&M Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ) was administered on-line to a class of 211 postgraduate students at an Irish university. A response rate of 25% was achieved, yielding 52 usable responses. Descriptive statistical analysis and hierarchical clustering was performed on the data, discovering ten clusters of learning styles, eight of which were distinct and could be quite clearly identified. The most common learning style found was ‘Reflector’ or variants thereof. Evidence of the existence of the ‘Pragmatist’, ‘Activist’ and ‘Theorist’ learning styles was also discovered. Overall, the study found sufficient evidence to suggest that the H&M LSM is a reasonable predictor of student behaviour on a LMS, notwithstanding its flaws and shortcomings.