A Taxonomy of Student Learning Styles for Use in Developing Independent Study
Brian Miller Cheltenham and
Gloucester College of Higher Education, UK
Abstract: This study develops a taxonomy of students in higher education which draws upon
some theoretical elements of existing classifications. The taxonomy has the specific
objective of providing tutors with guidance on the use of independent study materials with
individual students. The paper provides a summary of the development of existing
taxonomies in order to validate the academic foundation of the proposed classification.
The resulting taxonomy identifies six groups based on the dimensions of personality
and approach to learning and utilises existing diagnostic tests in order to categorise a
student. The study describes in some detail the characteristics of each of the six
student groups and has indicated the strengths and weaknesses of independent learning for
each type. The taxonomy described in this study represents a theoretically valid
classification of students with practical value to teachers in higher education.