Exploration of the Multiple Impact of Learning Styles on Learners' Cognitive Information Processing

It has been controversial whether the matching of learning styles with teaching environment has improved the teaching effects. This paper constructs matching modes by choosing Sternberg's three learning styles (liberal leaning, internal scope and global level) and adopts curriculum comprehensiveness and instructing modes. The research, based on data of off-line teaching collected from 456 college students in China, finds that: (1) direct effect: three learning styles have significant effects on eight dimensions of learners' cognitive information processing (CIP); (2) matching effect: the alignment of learners' liberal leaning and instructing modes has a direct impact on the eight dimensions of learners' CIP; the alignment of learners' global level and curriculum characteristics has a direct impact on the 7 dimensions; the alignment of learners' internal scope and instructing modes have no significant direct impact on the 7 dimensions; and (3) moderating effect of the mandatory use of IT (MUIT): MUIT may restrain or strengthen effects of some matching modes on some dimensions of CIP. The key conclusion is that whether personalized instructing based on learners' characteristics can improve teaching results requires the selection of appropriate matching modes. Not all matching modes have matching effects, and matching effect is influenced by MUIT.