Know Your Learning Style
Last month, we unveiled the need to schedule a time for learning, knowing that we can’t leave our life-long learning plan to chance, and we also looked at Kunle’s dilemma. The truth is we are learning all the time, often without even knowing it. But when it comes to achieving focused learning goals, our minds appreciate regularity and rhythm. This places a demand on us to know our learning style.
“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardour and attended to with diligence.”
― Abigail Adams
We will be looking at four major learning styles from which you can determine where you belong and subsequently improve as a life-long learner. Are you a
- Visual Learner
- Auditory Learner
- Reader/Writer
- Kinesthetic Learner
Visual Learner: If you are a visual learner who is more inclined to pictorial and diagrammatic studying, there are a few things you can do to solidify your learning and studying. Tables and diagrams can really help explain and organize information in an approachable way. Sometimes exchanging words for symbols can help too. Additionally, colour coding can help too. You can choose one colour for each topic to help you remember related ideas. Anything that makes notes more visually appealing, will appeal to a visual learner!
Auditory Learner: Auditory learners learn preferably through listening, it can also include talking. For some, it helps the most to not only listen to the information but also talk about it. If you have to explain to someone, chances are you will understand it better. Even better, if you study with other auditory learners, they can learn audibly while you teach them orally. A win-win! Another thing to do is read your notes aloud. Again, there is a double purpose here too. You can record this and replay it until you learn the material. For this type of learner, it is really helpful to get a study group together!
Reader/Writer: This is the learning style that most professors find appealing. Their advice is to write, write, write and rewrite some more. In all honesty, this actually works. There is a research that supports this theory. Writing again and again on a white board or jotter puts what is written more in view and allows you read again and again till it sticks.
Kinesthetic Learner: Kinesthetic learners can also be referred to as tactile learners. This does not necessarily mean that everything needs to be hands on, but if you have that chance it is recommended. When it comes to more abstract ideas, it helps to turn them into real life examples. Also, using pictures and diagrams to map out harder concepts can help too.
Of course, there are many others and combinations of a few. You need to find what works for you. This is just a guideline of what research has found so far.
See you next month.