Our Twice-Yearly Research Conferences
The Institute for Learning Styles Research hosts conferences every winter and summer to share the latest updates from our field. These sessions are the best place to see new research on the MMPALT-III assessment and explore fresh insights into the seven perceptual ways people learn.
The History and Mission of the ILSR
Turning Theory into Action
Where We Started
Our roots go back to the early 1970s at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. That is where Dr. Russell French first began mapping out the framework for perceptual learning styles. Through years of testing and refinement, this work evolved into the Multi-Modal Paired Associates Learning Test (MMPALT). That early commitment to academic rigor remains the foundation of everything we do today.
Proving the Science
Decades of Research and Results
Throughout the 1980s and early 90s, our research expanded across several major institutions, including Oklahoma State University and the University of South Florida. By 1995, we had built a massive foundation of evidence, including 20 doctoral dissertations and dozens of peer-reviewed papers. In 1996, a group of dedicated researchers officially formed the Institute for Learning Styles Research (ILSR) to standardize how this data is collected and used.
A Better Way to Measure Learning
The Seven Ways We Learn
We focus on seven specific pathways people use to take in and remember information: print, aural, interactive, visual, haptic, kinesthetic, and olfactory. The MMPALT-III assessment is designed to measure how you actually perform in these areas, rather than just asking for your preferences. This gives us a much more accurate and useful look at how the brain processes information in both the classroom and the workplace.
Putting Research into Practice
Our Mission Today
Today, the ILSR works with a wide range of partners, from universities to corporate training departments. Our goal is to take what we know about learning styles and turn it into better teaching strategies. To keep our standards high, the MMPALT-III is only administered by certified testers. Led by a board of experienced academics, we continue to host conferences and lead the conversation on how instructional design and cognitive development work together.
Making the Science of Learning Work for Everyone