You probably don’t realize it, but in most things that you do throughout the day you are using several different channels, senses, or styles of learning.
When you drive, you are listening to the sounds of your own car, hearing noises from other vehicles, and straining to detect the source of emergency sirens. You use your sense of sight to track and gauge the speeds, distances, and directions of other cars on the road, and to take a stream of cues from instructional, directional, and caution signs. Meanwhile, our sense of touch enables us to operate our vehicles—shifting gears, braking, and accelerating, all without having to look at the stick shift or pedals.
We learn to cook using all our senses. We can smell when something is burning, or experience a wonderful aroma that tells us the cookies are ready to come out of the oven. We use our fingers to tell us when the baked potatoes are done. We can look from all the way across the room to see a steaming pot that tells us the water is at full boil. We use our ears to listen as we thump on the newly baked loaf of bread to test that it is cooked through, and we hear the rapid-fire “pops” slow down when the popcorn is ready. And we enjoy taste-testing the Thanksgiving stuffing. Too much salt? No, just right. Yum!
We all have different learning styles, different ways of taking in information and experiences, and different ways of recalling information or processes that we’ve already learned. We often use a mix of styles in order to learn new things, relying on one method over another depending on what we’re trying to learn or the circumstances that we’re in. By using a mix of learning styles or methods we greatly enhance our ability to learn new information or a new skill. You might discover that you have a dominant style, but by learning or consciously developing another method you can positively enhance your learning experience—increasing your speed, your comprehension, your ability to recall, and the overall quality of your learning.
So what are the different learning styles? Do you know which is your dominant style?
Visual vs. Aural vs. Kinesthetic Learning
If you prefer using images and spatial comprehension then you are a Visual learner. Do you use sounds, music or auditory repetition when you’re trying to memorize? If so, then you are an Aural learner. Do you use touch, your body, or your hands to learn a new skill? Then you are using physical or Kinesthetic skills.
Interpersonal vs. Intrapersonal Learners
People who prefer to learn, practice, or study with other people or in groups are social or Interpersonal learners, while those who would rather close themselves off in their room or in a study carrel are identified as solitary or Intrapersonal learners.
Logical vs. Linguistic Strategies
Do you find that you prefer logic, puzzles, reasoning, or systematic processes? Those are characteristics of someone who uses mathematical or Logical styles of learning. If you rely heavily on words, either in speech or in writing, then verbal or Linguistic strategies are your dominant form of learning.
By discovering your dominant learning style and trying to develop and utilize other methods as well, you can become a better learner!
When you drive, you are listening to the sounds of your own car, hearing noises from other vehicles, and straining to detect the source of emergency sirens. You use your sense of sight to track and gauge the speeds, distances, and directions of other cars on the road, and to take a stream of cues from instructional, directional, and caution signs. Meanwhile, our sense of touch enables us to operate our vehicles—shifting gears, braking, and accelerating, all without having to look at the stick shift or pedals.
We learn to cook using all our senses. We can smell when something is burning, or experience a wonderful aroma that tells us the cookies are ready to come out of the oven. We use our fingers to tell us when the baked potatoes are done. We can look from all the way across the room to see a steaming pot that tells us the water is at full boil. We use our ears to listen as we thump on the newly baked loaf of bread to test that it is cooked through, and we hear the rapid-fire “pops” slow down when the popcorn is ready. And we enjoy taste-testing the Thanksgiving stuffing. Too much salt? No, just right. Yum!
We all have different learning styles, different ways of taking in information and experiences, and different ways of recalling information or processes that we’ve already learned. We often use a mix of styles in order to learn new things, relying on one method over another depending on what we’re trying to learn or the circumstances that we’re in. By using a mix of learning styles or methods we greatly enhance our ability to learn new information or a new skill. You might discover that you have a dominant style, but by learning or consciously developing another method you can positively enhance your learning experience—increasing your speed, your comprehension, your ability to recall, and the overall quality of your learning.
So what are the different learning styles? Do you know which is your dominant style?
Visual vs. Aural vs. Kinesthetic Learning
If you prefer using images and spatial comprehension then you are a Visual learner. Do you use sounds, music or auditory repetition when you’re trying to memorize? If so, then you are an Aural learner. Do you use touch, your body, or your hands to learn a new skill? Then you are using physical or Kinesthetic skills.
Interpersonal vs. Intrapersonal Learners
People who prefer to learn, practice, or study with other people or in groups are social or Interpersonal learners, while those who would rather close themselves off in their room or in a study carrel are identified as solitary or Intrapersonal learners.
Logical vs. Linguistic Strategies
Do you find that you prefer logic, puzzles, reasoning, or systematic processes? Those are characteristics of someone who uses mathematical or Logical styles of learning. If you rely heavily on words, either in speech or in writing, then verbal or Linguistic strategies are your dominant form of learning.
By discovering your dominant learning style and trying to develop and utilize other methods as well, you can become a better learner!
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