The Three Styles Of Learning
We often say that people learn in different ways, but what does this actually mean? Have you ever found yourself doodling as instructions are handed out? Are you fanatical about making notes? Do you prefer to have instructions given to you orally rather than on paper? These would be indicators of your learning style. As educators, we often use the three styles of learning to identify how we can best reach our student’s learning needs.
Everybody has a preferred learning style. Knowing and understanding our learning style helps us to learn more effectively. The best learners will use a combination of all three learning styles, but one will always be dominant. Even as adults we can learn from this. Ever felt you weren’t doing well at work? That could be because the job you are doing does not match with your learning style.
Visual Learners: learn through seeing...
These learners need to see the teacher's body language and facial expressions to fully understand the content of a lesson. They tend to prefer sitting at the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions (e.g. people's heads). They may think in pictures and learn best from visual displays including diagrams, illustrated text books, overhead transparencies, videos, flipcharts and hand-outs. During a lecture or classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to absorb the information.
Auditory Learners: learn through listening...
Auditory learners learn best through lectures, discussions, talking things through and listening to what others have to say.
Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listening to tone of voice, pitch, speed and other nuances. Written information may have little meaning until it is heard. These learners often benefit from reading text aloud and using a tape recorder.
Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners: learn through moving, doing and touching...
Tactile/Kinesthetic people learn best through a hands-on approach, actively exploring the physical world around them. They may find it hard to sit still for long periods and may become distracted by their need for activity and exploration.
Good teachers will use a variety of techniques which meet the needs of all learners. This can be as simple as allowing children to get up and walk around during a writing session. Understanding your learning style can really help you
make the most of your learning opportunities. Current best practice world wide is to make students more aware of how they are learning and to offer learning experiences which are accessible to all learning styles.
| When you.. | Visual | Auditory | Kinesthetic & Tactile |
| Spell | Do you try to see the word? | Do you sound out the word or use a phonetic approach? | Do you write the word down to find if it feels right? |
| Talk | Do you sparingly but dislike listening for too long? Do you favor words such as see, picture, and imagine? | Do you enjoy listening but are impatient to talk? Do you use words such as hear, tune, and think? | Do you gesture and use expressive movements? Do you use words such as feel, touch, and hold? |
| Concentrate | Do you become distracted by untidiness or movement? | Do you become distracted by sounds or noises? | Do you become distracted by activity around you? |
| Meet someone again | Do you forget names but remember faces or remember where you met? | Do you forget faces but remember names or remember what you talked about? | Do you remember best what you did together? |
| Contact people on business | Do you prefer direct, face-to-face, personal meetings? | Do you prefer the telephone? | Do you talk with them while walking or participating in an activity? |
| Read | Do you like descriptive scenes or pause to imagine the actions? | Do you enjoy dialog and conversation or hear the characters talk? | Do you prefer action stories or are not a keen reader? |
| Do something new at work | Do you like to see demonstrations, diagrams, slides, or posters? | Do you prefer verbal instructions or talking about it with someone else? | Do you prefer to jump right in and try it? |
| Put something together | Do you look at the directions and the picture? | Do you talk it out loud to yourself or ask someone to tell you? | Do you ignore the directions and figure it out as you go along? |
| Need help with a computer application | Do you seek out pictures or diagrams? | Do you call the help desk, ask a neighbor, or growl at the computer? | Do you keep trying to do it or try it on another computer? |
