Learning is a process we undertake throughout life. This could be in the former of personal experiences or formal academic studies. People have surprisingly different ways of gathering and interpreting information, regardless of where, how or what they choose to learn. According to 'teach.com,' "our learning process is dependent on cognitive, emotional and environmental factors"(p. 1).
This implies that each student has a natural preferred way of learning. Some learners tend to be inclined towards spatial forms of learning like pictorial illustrations and diagrams, while others may prefer literature and verbal forms. If these preferences can be identified, the teaching and learning experience can be significantly improved. These can be referred to as learning styles.
Depending on the source there are four to seven different styles among them namely: visual (or spatial where one prefers pictures, images or spatial understanding), verb
...al ( or linguistic where one prefers using words, both written and spoken), aural ( where one prefers using sound and music), physical ( or kinesthetic, where you prefer using hands, body or sense of touch), logical (where you prefer using logical reasoning) social (where one prefers learning in groups) and solitary (or intrapersonal where one prefers to learn alone and self-study).
However, a 'multimodal' approach that includes all the learning styles should be taken as it engages different parts of the brain while learning. This increases the brain's ability to retain what has been learned thereby allowing the students remember more. In order to identify ones 'multimodal' style of learning, students and teachers alike can use the VARK online questionnaire.
It's evident that people learn more effectively when they take part in physical, bands on activities. This is
the physical (kinesthetic) style. People learn by doing, which could prove to be practical lessons for University and college learners. This makes the labs and tutorials imperative for them. According to 'Stephney Whillier, kinesthetic’ has a greater percentage of people who prefer it to other styles of learning. He affirms this by stating that "Kinesthetic received by and large a significantly higher mean score within each year of study” (p. 23).
While taking part in these activities, they should ensure all their senses are focused on the experience. This way they can easily recall what they have learned. The visual learning style is always easy to remember as one can picture the image in their minds when trying to remember it. One trick visual learners can use is to spatially rearrange the writings in a descriptive way rate than writing horizontally. An example is to write out the words in a pattern that describes a relationship with the topic being discussed.
Auditory leaders learn by listening. Some of the useful ways for auditory learning include lectures and group discussions. Auditory learning can improve their focus while reading textbooks by reading them out loud. They can also improve their study skills by leaving extra space while taking notes during lectures then returning to them after group discussions. They can then use the new ideas to supplement the knowledge they already have.
For read and write learners, one should pay special attention to the textbook glossaries. After the lectures, the student returns to the notes for review, read them over and create a concise condensed set for later studies. Reading and writing is mostly suitable for college style learners where
lots of textbooks and study notes are handed out. A handy tip for students while taking notes is to rewrite explanations and notes in words they can easily understand. They should be able to define the difficult words and describe the concepts in their words.
For teachers, it is important to observe and maintain a close relationship with the students. In order to boost students learning process, cooperative learning and memory retention should be used. Direct instruction methods also lay a firm foundation of the schema on which knowledge can be developed. Teachers can level the playing field for their learners by providing an ample cooperative environment on which students can interact freely. They should also incorporate multiple modes of instructions that students can easily relate to. It is important for teachers to present information to students in a socially safe way and an emotionally safe tone. Students then are able to attend their lectures in a higher level of confidence.
Surprisingly, learning how to learn about something is the first start learning. There are several resources to help one identify their style of learning.
The learning styles are used by students to be able to gather, interpret and understand information more quickly. Students who are not familiar with their learning styles are often slow and learn passively, which may lead to failure or dropping out of school.
It is important for teachers to be aware of one's learning process to be able to work efficiently. By learning that there are various learning styles, and importantly identifying one that is suitable for you, one is able to apply simple techniques in their learning process that will greatly aid them
during the learning process.
References
- Stephney, W. learning style preferences of chiropractic students: A cross-sectional study
- Teach.com, All Students Are Created Equally (and Differently.), (2016 Nov 6)
- VARK online, The VARK modalities (2016, Nov 6)
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