Learning styles

Have you ever had trouble learning something?

Did you overcome the problem? How?

Have you ever sat in class wondering if you would ever grasp the information that was being taught?

Maybe the presentation didn't fit your learning style.

Our minds and bodies gather information in different ways and from all around us: seeing, hearing, and doing. Then our brains process that information, organizing it and making connections to things we already know. This process can also work in different ways: Do we think in pictures or words? Do we remember details or the big picture?

When we're trying to learn, it helps to know how our brain works. How do we best gather and organize information? Different people have different learning styles. For example, one person might struggle with written information but understand it immediately in an illustration. Another person might have problems with the picture, but not the written text.

Psychologists have identified seven basic learning styles:

Linguistic These people learn by using language - listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

Logical These people learn by applying formulas and scientific principles.

Visual These people learn by seeing what they are learning.

Musical Instead of finding music a distraction, these people learn well when information is presented through music.

Kinesthetic Movement and physical activities help these people learn.

Intrapersonal These people learn best if they associate new information directly with their own experiences.

Interpersonal These people learn well by working with others.

You will often encounter situations that do not match your strongest learning style. If you know what your strengths are, you can develop strategies to balance your weaknesses, for a more successful learning experience.

Learning styles: Study USA

Image: Technology in the classroom

Image: Excite Edu - How to Bring Diversity in The Classroom

Image: Ted InFo - International Forum for Teacher Educator Development - Regional Seminar - Norway 2017

Read the article. Find the words in italics in the article.

Then match each word with its meaning.

1. grasp

2. the big picture

3. gather

4. struggle

5. distraction

6. associate

⬜ a. try hard to do something

⬜ b. understand

⬜c. something that takes attention away

⬜d. show one thing is connected to another

⬜ e. a general view of a situation

⬜ f. pick up or collect

These sentences are false. Correct each one to make it true.

1. If you can't understand something, you aren't concentrating hard enough.

2. Linguistic learners will not comprehend written information.

3. A visual learner will probably learn best by listening and speaking.

4. A musical learner needs peace and quiet to focus on something.

5. Intrapersonal learners generally work well with other people.

Which learning styles work best for you?

Image from University of Adelaide - Institute for Machine Learning (AIML)

Seven Basic Learning Styles

Understanding your own learning styles

By recognizing and understanding your own learning styles, you can use techniques better suited to you. This improves the speed and quality of your learning.

Many people recognize that each person prefers different learning styles and techniques. Everyone has a mix of learning styles. Some people may find that they have a dominant style of learning, with far less use of the other styles. Others may find that they use different styles in different circumstances. There is no right mix. Nor are your styles fixed. You can develop ability in less dominant styles, as well as further develop styles that you already use well.

Learning Styles

Visual (spatial): You prefer using pictures, images, and spatial understanding.

Aural (auditory-musical): You prefer using sound and music.

Verbal (linguistic): You prefer using words, both in speech and writing.

Physical (kinesthetic): You prefer using your body, hands and sense of touch.

Logical (mathematical): You prefer using logic, reasoning and systems.

Social (interpersonal): You prefer to learn in groups or with other people.

Solitary (intrapersonal): You prefer to work alone and use self-study.

Understand the basis of learning styles

Why Learning Styles? Your learning styles have more influence than you may realize. Your preferred styles guide the way you learn. They also change the way you internally represent experiences, the way you recall information, and even the words you choose. We explore more of these features in this chapter.

Research shows us that each learning style uses different parts of the brain. By involving more of the brain during learning, we remember more of what we learn. Researchers using brain-imaging technologies have been able to find out the key areas of the brain responsible for each learning style.

For example:

Visual: The occipital lobes at the back of the brain manage the visual sense. Both the occipital and parietal lobes manage spatial orientation.

Aural: The temporal lobes handle aural content. The right temporal lobe is especially important for music.

Verbal: The temporal and frontal lobes, especially two specialized areas called Brocaïand Wernickeï areas (in the left hemisphere of these two lobes).

Physical: The cerebellum and the motor cortex (at the back of the frontal lobe) handle much of our physical movement.

Logical: The parietal lobes, especially the left side, drive our logical thinking.

Social: The frontal and temporal lobes handle much of our social activities. The limbic system (not shown apart from the hippocampus) also influences both the social and solitary styles. The limbic system has a lot to do with emotions, moods and aggression.

Solitary: The frontal and parietal lobes, and the limbic system, are also active with this style.