Learning Styles: What They Are, And Why You Need To Know Yours…

For years I’ve seen the hullabaloo about personal “learning styles” and I admit, I never really “got” it. Oh, I understood the theory, but it didn’t seem relevant - Apparently, that’s because the articles weren’t presented for my learning style ; )

That all changed this week, as I worked my way through an online class in content creation (more on that another time). The course authors not only wrote a lesson on the topic, but went out of their way to engage participants of all learning styles. So I got it, finally. And lucky you, I need to share what I learned, as part of learning.

Here’s the thing: Different people connect to new material in different ways - not just different ways, but multiple ways. I’ve not found any hardcore science studies on how this works exactly, but I imagine it involves switching on different parts of the brain and creating new neural pathways. Why everyone seems to do it a bit differently, I’ve no idea, but the ideal combination varies from person to person.

The most commonly mentioned styles are linked to the senses: vision, hearing, and touch.

• Visual learning involves imagery, diagrams, pictorial cues that engage the visual parts of the brain.
• Auditory learning uses sounds, words, and music to engage the learning process.
• Kinesthetic learning styles involve action, touching, moving or manipulating things in order to understand them. They need to be involved with the material in some way.

There are other aspects to learning styles as well; some people need to process information on their own, quietly. Others need feedback and interaction with a group. Some people need a roadmap of the material before they begin, others do best with information that builds to a conclusion step by step.Chances are that you’re a combination of all of these types, but that some elements are more important to your learning process than others.

Why does all of this matter?

Knowing how you learn best allows you to seek out the types of material that you’ll learn best from. For example, if you’re primarily visual, audio books are likely not the best choice, but if you’re auditory, they’re perfect.

Perhaps more importantly, by learning which styles are best suited to you, you can learn to engage them even when they aren’t built in.

A visual learner may find ways to visual, that audio course on alien telepathy that your friends are raving about may not connect for you… but if you learn to visualize the aliens projecting their thoughts as you listen, the information is more likely to stick with you. Or you might be more kinesthetic, in which case doodling, writing notes, or even working out while you listen might help engage your learning modes.

Ideally, you can find materials suited to your particular learning needs, but if not, learn to add the missing aspects.

As it turns out…

Kinesthetic learning styles work best for me. It took a lot of analysis to realize this - I’d assumed that being so verbal and artistic meant I’d be one of the other types. I learn by doing, whether it’s sketching a subject over and over, writing code or, more commonly, reworking concepts in my own words — I learn in the act of applying knowledge.

I also learn best when interacting with others. It doesn’t seem to matter so much if they’re actually providing me new insight, just that they’re present and contributing something that engages my brain.

So learning via blogging makes perfect sense for me; it keeps me involved with the material (kinesthetic) and it’s at least pseudo interactive (I know someone will read it, and likely comment). Plus, I can come up with pretty pictures (I’m also fairly visual) that serve as markers of sorts for my brain.

How about you?

Do you already know your preferred learning styles? Are you interested in hearing more about them?

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MindTweak: C’mon, Interact with me so I can learn, dammit!

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