Meeting Students Where They Are: Learning Styles, Equity, and Critical Thinking in Higher Education
Socrates famously said, "I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think." This ancient wisdom resonates powerfully in today's classrooms, where we recognize that learning is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. As educators in higher education, our role extends far beyond content delivery—we must meet students where they are, understand how they learn, and equip them to navigate an increasingly complex information landscape.
The Diversity of Learning Styles
Every student who enters a classroom brings a unique approach to learning. Some are visual learners who thrive on diagrams, charts, and written instructions. Others are auditory learners who absorb information best through lectures and discussions. Kinesthetic learners need hands-on experiences and movement, while reading/writing learners excel with textbooks and note-taking.
Beyond these traditional categories, we must also recognize that students process information at different paces and depths. Some need time for reflection, others learn through immediate application. C.S. Lewis understood this well when he wrote, "The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts." We aren't here to strip away what students bring with them—we're here to nourish their growth in ways that honor their individual paths.
Breaking Down Barriers: The Role of Experienced Educators
Students from different socio-economic backgrounds often face invisible barriers that have nothing to do with their intelligence or potential. A first-generation college student may have never been shown how to navigate a learning management system. A student who worked full-time through high school might not know the unwritten rules of academic research. A student from an under-resourced school district may have limited experience with digital databases or academic journals.
This is where experienced educators become invaluable. Those who have worked with diverse student populations understand that confusion about finding resources isn't a failure—it's often a gap in prior exposure. These educators know to ask, "Have you used our library database before?" rather than assume everyone arrives with the same toolkit.
As the philosopher Epictetus taught, "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows." Sometimes our students don't even know what questions to ask because they don't know what they don't know. Experienced educators recognize these moments and create spaces where students feel safe admitting uncertainty.
Teaching Critical Engagement in the Digital Age
Perhaps our most crucial responsibility today is teaching students to question what they encounter online. Social media algorithms feed us information that confirms our existing beliefs. Websites can look authoritative while spreading misinformation. Even AI-generated content can appear seamlessly convincing.
Aristotle reminded us, "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." This principle is more vital than ever. We must teach students to:
Examine the source: Who created this information? What are their credentials? What might their biases be?
Cross-reference claims: Does this information appear in multiple credible sources? What do experts in the field say?
Follow the evidence: Are claims supported by data, research, or verifiable facts—or just opinions and anecdotes?
Question motivations: Why was this content created? Who benefits from me believing this?
C.S. Lewis warned, "A man who is eating or lying with his wife or preparing to go to sleep in humility, thankfulness and temperance, is, by Christian standards, in an infinitely higher state than one who is listening to Bach or reading Plato in a state of pride." The point? Even engagement with "high" culture or information means nothing if we approach it without humility and discernment. Reading academic articles doesn't make us wise—thinking critically about what we read does.
Creating Equity Through Intentional Teaching
When we combine understanding of learning styles with explicit instruction in information literacy and research skills, we create equity. We level the playing field for students who may not have had these advantages before arriving on our campuses.
Marcus Aurelius wrote, "Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one." Similarly, we should waste no time assuming students should already know how to navigate higher education. Instead, we should actively teach them, guide them, and walk alongside them.
This means:
Demonstrating how to use the learning management system rather than assuming it's intuitive
Showing students how to access library databases, not just telling them they exist
Teaching evaluation of sources as an explicit skill, not an assumed competency
Offering multiple ways to access course content—videos for auditory learners, transcripts for visual learners, discussions for those who learn through dialogue
Conclusion: The Examined Education
Socrates also said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Today, we might add: the unexamined claim is not worth believing, and the unexamined assumption about student knowledge is not worth holding.
As educators, especially those of us who have worked with students across the socio-economic spectrum, we have a profound responsibility. We must recognize that different students learn differently, that barriers to success are often systemic rather than personal, and that critical thinking is a skill we must actively cultivate—not something we can take for granted.
When we meet students where they are, teach them how to learn in ways that match their strengths, break down barriers to accessing information, and model relentless questioning of sources and claims, we fulfill education's highest calling. We don't just transfer knowledge—we create independent, critical thinkers who can navigate complexity with discernment.
That is the work of SOL in higher education, and it is work worth doing.
What strategies have you found most effective in helping diverse learners succeed? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
