I magine this: you’re attending a workshop, and everyone around you seems to be doing well. You, however, are struggling to get just one thing done, although you know it’s pretty straight forward! What gives? Well, did you know that each of us has a natural learning style or preference?
Indeed, there are three main learning styles—auditory (listening), visual (seeing) and tactile (doing). This might well explain why you enjoy some learning experiences more than others, whether at school, work, or in daily life.
It’s important for you to understand your own learning style, because it can help you adopt a method of studying or learning that works best for you in the long run. Let’s take a closer look at the 3 learning styles:
Understanding your learning style can help you adopt the method of learning that works best. Click To TweetAuditory Learning
Auditory learners are those who understand and remember things best when they hear the information, for example from listening to lectures or attending classroom discussions. If you’re an auditory learner, you can help give yourself a learning boost by:
- Summarizing and making notes of your studies and then reading them out loud
- Studying in a quiet place, as noise will distract you
- Making recordings of lectures and discussions
- Saying the words out loud to yourself when working on a written assignment
Visual Learning
Visual learners respond best to information that is presented either in written form, pictures, diagrams or videos. They absorb much more when visual aids are used. As a visual learner, you can help yourself study better by:
- Writing notes during lectures
- Making flash cards, diagrams, charts and images to study from
- Highlighting or underlining crucial information in a textbook or your notes
- Trying to visualize what you’re hearing
Tactile learning
Tactile learners perform best when given information in the form of hands-on experience. This is because they are doers and like to be active. As a tactile learner, you can inject more physical activity into your studies by:
- Retyping your notes onto a computer
- Making diagrams, notes and flash cards to study from
- Making models and practicing assignments
- Balancing study with physical activity
Better Equipped to Learn
Now that you’re more acquainted with the three main learning styles, you might begin to understand why you’ve always struggled in some subjects, but not others. It could be that there was a bit of a clash in learning styles between yourself and the method in which the subject was taught.
Once you know your learning style, however, you’re better equipped to adapt to any learning situation, through your own self-learning methods and preferences. You can also challenge yourself by stretching beyond those preferences and developing a more balanced approach to learning new things.
Once you know your learning style, you’re better equipped to adapt to any learning situation. Click To TweetThe Brain Untapped
Each of the three learning styles discussed above engage different parts of your brain. Although the urban legend, “We only use 10% of our brains,” may not be scientifically accurate, you can always start tapping into more of your brain power.
One good way to do this is to learn a new skill like painting, playing a musical instrument, or speed reading. You can increase your reading speed at special workshops like those offered by Soundway Efficient Speed Reading™. The best part is that you get to boost your brain power and your reading and memory skills at the same time. This means you can become a better learner and a faster reader at the same time!
photo credit: Renato Ganoza via photopin cc