Have you ever thought about how you learn? Do you prefer to hear, see or do things? Through the years, educational experts have identified a number of different ‘learning styles’ – different ways people take in, organise and remember new information. Three of the main learning styles are auditory, visual and kinaesthetic. Auditory learner If you are an auditory learner, you learn by hearing and speaking. You prefer to have things explained to you verbally rather than reading about them. You enjoy hearing stories and jokes, and you understand concepts by talking about them. You may hum or talk to yourself or others if you become bored. People may assume that you are not paying attention, but in reality, you may be hearing and understanding everything that is being said. Reciting information out-loud and having music in the background may be common ways of studying for you. Visual learner If you are visual learner, you learn by reading or seeing pictures and graphics. You like to see what you are learning, and you understand and remember things by sight. You find it easy to look at charts and graphs, but you may have difficulty focusing while listening to an explanation. You learn best by using methods that are eye-catching. You might draw pictures/ graphs to help explain and understand ideas, and you might colour-code things or use flashcards to learn new words. Signs of being a visual learner: Like pictures, diagrams, and graphs when being presented with new information Good at reading maps and charts Tend to create pictures in their minds when reading May need extra time to think while processing a speech or lecture without a visual component Generally good at interpreting body language Study tips for visual learners: Copy down information/tables/diagrams as much as you can when learning – also create your own charts or sequences to understand how things link together Use all books/textbooks available to better understand the information Use videos as a learning tool as much as possible Use multi-colored highlighters to make notes more visually appealing Create flashcards on index cards when trying to memorize information When memorizing, replace words/phrases with initials or pictures to help strengthen association to those terms Kinaesthetic or tactile learner If you are kinaesthetic or tactile learner, you learn by touching and by doing. You understand and do things through physical movement. You are a ‘hands-on’ learner who prefers to touch, move, build or do what you learn, and you tend to learn better when some type of physical activity is involved. You need to be active and take frequent breaks. You often use gestures to communicate, and you may have difficulty sitting still. Like most people, you will probably use a combination of these three learning styles for your studies, but do you have a preference for one style? Signs of being a kinesthetic learner: Enjoy using their hands and putting things together (or taking things apart) Good at remembering things they have done before (cooking, assembling things, puzzles) Most enjoy active learning, such as doing science experiments Like being active and doing activities like sports Don’t have great penmanship or spelling skills Study tips for kinesthetic learners: Make flashcards on index cards and use them to memorize facts since the act of flipping them over will engage your brain Always incorporate break time into study time – at least five minutes every hour, maybe more for some people Use examples as much as possible when trying to understand new information – it helps to picture things in your head to make associations with concepts and facts, and it engages you as you learn Make a study group and talk about what you’ve learned While you’re studying, do something active – tap a pencil, squeeze a small ball, or tap your finger on your leg Consider walking on a treadmill or stationary bicycle when studying from notes or reading a textbook to keep yourself active and engaged with the material Source 1, Source 2
