Learning

Learning Styles
styles Kinesthetic
M

U
Aural/ L
Auditory T
I
- Read/
Write
M
Visual
 Academic
Research

Rationale
Essay

The Pieces of Academic Success

Maximize Learning & Instructional Styles!
The Basics
•Most people have developed a preference
for how they learn.
•One style is not better than another,
and all of approaches to learning can be
improved.
•Effective learners know how their minds
work and are able to adapt their studying
strategies to any learning situation.
 Characteristics of Visual Learners

Visual learners tend to: VISUAL

• Have a keen sense of aesthetics, visual media and art.

• Easily remember information presented in pictures or diagrams.
• Have strong visualization skills. They can look up and “see” the
information invisibly written or drawn.
• Make “movies in their minds” of information they are reading.
Their movies are often vivid and detailed.
• Have very strong visual-spatial understanding of things such
as
sizes, textures, angles and three-dimensional depths.
• Pay close attention to the body language of others (facial
expressions, eyes, stance, etc.).
 Visual learners:
learn best when information is
presented visually and in a picture or
design format.
In a classroom setting, benefit from
instructors who use visual aids such as
Visual
film, video, maps and charts.
benefit from information obtained
from the pictures and diagrams in
textbooks.
When trying to remember something,
can often visualize a picture of it in their
mind.
have an artistic side that enjoys
activities having to do with visual art and
 Study Tips for Visual Learners
• Convert information into visual study tools
(diagrams, maps, charts)
• Copy & write new info - see it in your own writing.
• Visualize & make movies as you read and study.
• Use nonverbal clue’s by instructors to provide you with important information.
• When learning mathematical or technical information, make charts to organize
the information. When a mathematical problem involves a sequence of steps,
draw a series of boxes, each containing the appropriate bit of information in
sequence.
• Use the computer to assist in organizing material that needs to be memorized.
Using word processing, create tables and charts with graphics that help you to
understand and retain course material. Use spreadsheet and database software to
further organize material that needs to be learned.
• Use "color coding" of new information in your textbook or notes. Mark up the
margins of your textbook with key words, symbols, and diagrams and use
highlighter pens of contrasting colors to "color code" the information.
 Characteristics of Aural/Auditory Learners
Aural/Auditory learners tend to:
• Remember quite accurately details of important information heard
during conversations or lectures.
• Have strong language skills, which include a well-developed
vocabulary and an appreciation for words.
• Have strong oral communication skills. They can carry
interesting
conversations and can articulate their ideas clearly.
• Have a “fine tuned ear” auditory may lead to learning a foreign
language more easily.
• Often have musical talents, can hear tones, rhythms, and individual
notes.

AURAL/
AUDITORY
 Aural/Auditory learners:

Tend to find when trying Aural/

to remember something, Auditory
can often "hear" the way
someone told you the information,
or the way you previously repeated
it out loud.
learn best when interacting
with others in a listening/
speaking exchange.
 Study Tips for Auditory Learners
• Discuss/study with friends. Join a study group to assist you in
learning course material. Or, work with a "study buddy" on an
ongoing basis. If not possible, talk out loud and recite information
your are learning.
• You can retain and understand information better by teaching another
person, or conversing with an instructor.
• Record information and listen to it. You may benefit from
using a recording device to make audio files to listen to later.
Use computerized technology – Text to Speech in Word,
Audacity, etc.
• When learning mathematical or technical information, "talk your way"
through the new information. State the problem in your own words.
Reason through solutions to problems by talking out loud to yourself or
with a study partner.
• Try games or interaction activities that provide the sounds of words
being spoken.
 Characteristics of Kinesthetic Learners
Kinesthetic learners tend to:
KINESTHETIC

• Work well with their hands and may be good at repairing

work, sculpting, art or working with various tools.
• Often have well coordinated and have a strong sense of
timing and body movement.
• Learn with movement = often do well as performers:
athletes, actors, or dancers.
• Often wiggle, tap feet or move their legs when
seated.
• Have been often labeled “hyperactive” as children.
 Kinesthetic learners:
learn best when physically engaged in a "hands on" activity.
In the classroom, they benefit from a lab setting where
you can manipulate materials to learn new information.
learn best when you can be physically active in the
learning environment.
benefit from instructors who encourage in-class
demonstrations, "hands on" student learning experiences,
and field work outside the classroom.
Kinesthetic
Study Tips for Kinesthetic Learners
• Take notes as you read – text and/or graphic organizers.
• Pace as you study. When studying, walk back and forth with textbook,
notes, or flashcards in hand and read the information out loud.
• Make large-sized study tools – flipcharts, chalk/white boards. When
reviewing new information, copy key points onto a chalkboard, easel
board, or other large writing surface.
• Learn by doing. Think of ways to make your learning tangible, i.e.
something you can put your hands on. For example, make a model
that illustrates a key concept. Spend extra time in a lab setting to
learn an important procedure. Spend time in the field (e.g. a museum,
historical site, or job site) to gain first-hand experience of your
subject matter.
• Use your hands and your fine motor skills. Study with pen/pencil in
hand.
• Use exaggerated movement for emphasis and expression.
• Use case studies, examples and applications.
 Characteristics of Read/Write Learners
Read/Write learners tend to: READ/
• Like lists and words to keep ideas and “To Do” WRITE
items straight.
• Remember information displayed as words.
• Emphasize text-based input and output -
reading and writing in all its forms.
• Prefer PowerPoint, the Internet, lists, filofaxes,
dictionaries, thesauri, quotations and words,
words, words...
 Read/
Write

Read/Write learners:

learn best when information is presented visually and in

a written language format.
In a classroom setting, they benefit from instructors who
use the blackboard (or PowerPoint, overhead projector,
etc.) to list the essential points of a lecture, or provide an
outline to follow along with during lecture.
 benefit from information obtained from textbooks and
class notes.
often see the text "in your mind's eye" when trying to
remember something
 Study Tips for Read/Write Learners
• Use a word processor – take notes as you read. Rewrite
the ideas and principles into other words.
• Use dictionaries and/or make flashcards to remember key
vocabulary.
• Write out the words again and again. Read your notes (silently)
again and again.
• When learning information presented in diagrams or illustrations,
write out explanations for the information. Organize any
diagrams, graphs ... into statements, e.g. "The trend is..."
• When learning mathematical or technical information, write out
in sentences and key phrases your understanding of the
material. When a problem involves a sequence of steps, write
out in detail how to do each step.
 VISUAL

AURAL/ MULTI- READ/

AUDITORY MODAL WRITE

KINESTHETIC
Life is multimodal. There are seldom instances where one
mode is used, or is sufficient.
Those who prefer many modes almost equally are of two
types.
There are those who are context specific who choose a single
mode to suit the occasion or situation.

There are others who are not satisfied until they have had
input (or output) in all of their preferred modes. They take
longer to gather information from each mode and, as a result,
they often have a deeper and broader understanding.