The resistance to the reality of learning styles is a sign of some faculty resisting change, said Julie Coates, one of education’s leading learning style researchers. Coates was interviewed by Psychology Today last month on generational differences.

Coates says that faculty have to learn how to recognize learning style differences, and then respond appropriately to individual learning styles of students.  She says the research clearly confirms the existence of generational learning styles, gender learning styles, and different learning styles for students with Asperger’s and other students on the autism spectrum.

A major shift for faculty is moving from the sage-on-the-stage to the guide-on-the-side, a shift that will boost completion and retention rates.

This post was written by William A. Draves, who authored "Nine Shift: Work, Life, and Education in the 21st Century" with Julie Coates. Their latest book is "Pedagogy of the 21st Century." This post originally appeared on the Nine Shift blog.