Identifying Learning Styles
Understand different learning styles. Education scholars continue to debate whether learning styles are useful teaching and learning practices, or even how we can define what a learning style is. While it is difficult for researchers to scientifically test and analyze how useful learning styles are, they can help us think about how we retain and process information. The three most common learning styles are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. These three appear in the majority of different theories about learning styles and are broad ways to understand how we process new information. It is important to understand that we may use different learning styles for different tasks and at different times. Visual learners learn best when they can read and look at pictures and charts. Auditory learners learn best when they are able to listen to information. Kinesthetic learners learn best when they are able to be hands on by touching and doing. Learning styles are not set in stone. Your learning style will change over time as you develop new habits and come across skills that you learn in different ways.
Find your style. To identify your learning style, spend time thinking about a lesson or skill that you recently learned. This should be a skill that you feel that you learned very well in a short period of time. How did you go about learning it? If you learned the skill by reading about it and looking at pictures that relate to the topic, you may be a visual learner. If you learned the skill by listening to a lecture or an expert presenting on the task, you may be an auditory learner. If you learned the skill by doing experiments or other hands on activities, you may be a kinesthetic learner. We all receive and process information in different ways. You may favor one learning style in some subjects and favor a different learning style in a different subject.
Identify a topic you want to learn. In order to learn how to make your learning style work best for you, it is helpful to work through the process with a goal in mind. Pick a topic that is relatively small in scope. If you pick something like learning a new foreign language, it will be difficult to gauge your success. You could pick a topic like learning how to sew, learning about a particular battle in a war, or learning about a historical site in your city. This will help you to think through your learning style and gives you an opportunity to try out new learning techniques.
Understand the scope of learning styles. Learning styles are not set in stone. The ways that we learn change over time, can be influenced by the topic that we learn, and are influenced by our environments. It is important to remember that while you may identify closely with one learning style, we can all benefit from practicing good study methods and dedicating time to learning new topics. We will not be able to tailor our learning environments exactly to our learning styles. Whether you are in school or out of school, we learn in environments that are influenced by other learners and the people who teach us. We tend to have the most autonomy over our learning when we are outside of a classroom. This could mean studying on your own or in a non-school environment, like at home or at work. These are the environments where we can use study skills that are tailored to complement our learning styles.
Learning Topics Visually
Understand the visual learning style. Visual learners are people who process information best when they can read about a topic or look at visual representations. Visual learners often diagram, draw, visualize, and read about topics when they attempt to learn them. These help learners visualize the topic and apply it to different scenarios.
Read effectively. One of the primary learning techniques that visual learners employ is active reading. When we read actively, we intellectually engage with the material that we read. This means that you are looking for key points to help you understand a topic and retaining them. Highlight information as you read it so you can return to important points later on. Part of active reading is engaging and analyzing what you read, so consider having a separate piece of paper next to you as you read where you can write down questions that you have about the material. Return to these questions and see if your notes can answer them. Not all reading material is created equally. If you want to learn your chosen topic by reading about it, identify good scholarly sources. Use the Internet or a library catalogue to search for books from reputable authors who are experts in that field.
Take good notes. Even though visual learners tend to remember the things that they read and see, notes are a good way to remember this information later on. Write in the margins of the book or take notes on a separate piece of paper. To take good notes, write down key points, dates, places, people, and actions. Your notes should not be a copy of everything that is said; instead they should contain the most relevant information. After you have reviewed your notes, make flashcards to study this information with.
Make mental maps. Visual learners tend to be able to make visual representations of what they are learning. This spatial awareness helps a visual learner connect key themes and points as they read. Drawing word or mind maps that connect key points together helps visual learners retain information. A mind map is essentially a diagram that connects information and data around a central concept. These mental maps can be applied to a variety of topics. For example, if you are learning about a historical event it may be helpful to draw a timeline that incorporates important dates and events. This will help you to visually organize the information that you’ve learned.
Eliminate visual distractions. Because visual learners do best when information is presented visually, outside distractions can make it difficult to focus on studying or learning. Eliminate these distractions by attempting to learn your topic in a quiet area where you can study alone. Some visual learners are able to work and learn with music in the background, but many must work in quiet. If you prefer quiet, consider using a white noise machine or earplugs to eliminate background noise.
Learning Through Audio
Understand the auditory learning style. Auditory learners learn by hearing and listening. Auditory learners are able to understand, analyze, and remember information after they have heard it. Auditory learners use language to learn. They can follow oral directions well, prefer listening to lectures, enjoy participating in discussions, and do well working in cooperative groups.
Teach to someone else. One useful way for auditory learners to cement what they have just learned is to teach it to someone else. By teaching a topic you have just learned to someone else, you are able to talk through the problem by identifying the key points that someone else would have to know to learn it as well. Ask a friend if you can talk to them about a topic that you just learned about. If they are familiar with the topic, ask them to pretend that they have no prior knowledge of the topic. The questions that they ask you about a topic will help you to think through what you have just learned.
Listen to learn. Auditory learners listen carefully to what someone else is saying when they are learning about a topic. For example, they tend to do well in lecture style classrooms and learning environments. Auditory learners can benefit from seeking out audio information to learn. Many universities will post lectures online for the public to enjoy. These are great sources of information from world-class experts and are free to listen to. Podcasts are also becoming increasingly available for people with smartphones and Internet access. Look at your local library for tapes and CDs that relate to a topic you want to learn. Audiobooks are also a great option for auditory learners.
Repeat what you learn. Repetition is an important factor in memorization. Repeating key pieces of information out loud, either with flashcards or using memory recall, allows learners to process information that they have already learned and commit it to memory. Many auditory learners find themselves talking to themselves or mouthing words when they are processing information. If you find yourself doing this, make sure you are in an environment where you won’t disturb other learners. Mnemonic devices are memory aids that help auditory learners retain information. They can be very helpful when learning scientific concepts.
Collaborate with others. Collaboration is a learning style that all learners can benefit from. Auditory learners do particularly well with collaborative groups because they are able to talk out problems and listen to others’ contributions. Form a study group with other people who are interested the same topic as you. This does not have to be limited to a school environment. If you are interested in learning how to knit or sew, join a crafting group where other beginners can practice their skills with more experienced crafters.
Learning Kinesthetically
Understand the kinesthetic learning style. Kinesthetic learners learn through movement, hands-on exploration, and experiences. They benefit from demonstrations and acting out what they learn through manipulation and building models.
Learn through movement. Since kinesthetic learners use movement to retain and evaluate information, you can incorporate movement into your study techniques. As you read, use your finger to trace across lines of text, headlines, graphs, and photographs. Move around as you review or study information. Many people like to pace, tap their fingers, and move their legs as they review information. Establish physical rituals for studying like moving to a certain location, changing sitting positions, or moving rooms after an hour.
Transfer information. Note taking is an important way to retain and recall information that you’ve learned. Transferring hand written notes into a typed document on a computer (or the inverse) is a good way to commit your notes to memory. Using a keyboard is a good way to reinforce learning through touch.
Learn hands-on. Hands-on learning helps kinesthetic learners to engage with the topic and to process information more quickly. If the subject you want to learn involves your body, like learning how to paint or hit a baseball, the best way to learn is by doing. If you are learning about how a physical object works, touch, move, and manipulate the object as you’re learning about its parts. Use hand motions while you are speaking or presenting about the topic to feel connected to what you are speaking about.
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