Understanding the way you learn can have a huge impact on how you
prepare for exams, meetings or even presentations.
By knowing what your preffered learning style is you'll have an easier
time with learning and, if you're teaching, you can use your students'
types to improve their chances of learning.
Although most people have a dominant style, all three usually overlap
when learning.
There are three main styles:
Visual Learners
Visual learners relate most effectively to written information, notes,
diagrams and pictures. Typically they will be unhappy with a presentation
where they are unable to take detailed notes - to an extent information
does not exist for a visual learner unless it has been seen written down.
This is why some visual learners will take notes even when they have
printed course notes on the desk in front of them. Visual learners will
tend to be most effective in written communication, symbol manipulation
etc.
Visual learners make up around 65% of the population.
Auditory Learners
Auditory learners relate most effectively to the spoken word. They will
tend to listen to a lecture, and then take notes afterwards, or rely on
printed notes.
Often information written down will have little meaning
until it has been heard - it may help auditory learners to read written
information out loud.
Auditory learners may be sophisticated speakers, and
may specialise effectively in subjects like law or politics.
Auditory
learners make up about 30% of the population.
Kinaesthetic Learners
Kinaesthetic Learners learn effectively through touch and movement and
space, and learn skills by imitation and practice.
Predominantly
kinaesthetic learners can appear slow, in that information is normally not
presented in a style that suits their learning methods.
Kinaesthetic
learners make up around 5% of the population.
Curious to know which one is your dominant? Take a
quiz
to find out!
