How Do You Learn?

Did you know that there are basically three styles for learning? I think it's interesting to understand what these are and see what works best for you. You may find that a certain style works well for some situations while a different one works for others. Personally, I'm a mixture of two of these...I'll explain more later.

First, here's a breakdown of the 3 styles of learning:

1. Visual Learner: Someone who learns by seeing things.

A visual learner learns best by taking notes, making lists, reading books and printouts, and seeing demonstrations.

2. Auditory Learner: Someone who learns by hearing things.

An auditory learner learns best by talking aloud, listening to a lecture, and discussing subjects in small or large groups.

3. Kinesthetic Learner: Someone who learns by doing things.

A kinesthetic learner learns best by taking a hands-on approach: participating in field trips, simulations, live events, and physical activities.

I find that visual learning works well when I'm trying to commit something to memory. I'm a "word person" so reading something seems to implant it in my brain. I can actually close my eyes and see the words exactly as they appeared on the paper. In high school and college I used to study by just re-reading my notes and the chapters in the books. I didn't have to do much more than that.

On the other hand, if a concept is completely foreign to me, reading about it won't always do the trick. I have to actually do it. This is especially true for me with technology. I could read all day about how to do something on the computer, but until I actually click the mouse and see the screen change, I won't get it. It was the same thing in my science classes in high school and college - nothing made sense until we got to the lab. When I saw the explosions, it finally clicked.

I don't really learn well by hearing things so I definitely don't consider myself an auditory learner. In fact, this was a bit of a challenge for me in high school because I didn't really understand how important it was to take notes. I just thought I could listen to a lecture, follow along and do my homework later. But I need diagrams and a structured outline to see the big picture; otherwise it's in one ear and out the other. I didn't realize this until my first year of college. At that point, I started reading the chapters we were reviewing in class prior to the lecture. Then, I was able to make structured notes as the lecture took place. And often, I would re-read the chapter after the lecture, just to make sure it had all sunk in.

I think it's very important to know and appreciate your learning style. It can prevent a huge amount of frustration. It can also be really helpful to know the learning style that works best for your co-workers and anyone else you deal with on a regular basis.

For example: Let's say you have an important concept you want to explain to a group of staff members (or a potential client) located in another office. So, you set up a conference call to discuss it. But most of the people you're talking to are visual learners. They would get much more out of a webinar where they can see a presentation that illustrates the concept you're trying to explain. Sure, auditory learners will do just fine on a conference call. But what about everyone else?

You can see that taking the time to understand learning preferences can make a big impact on how you do things and an even bigger impact on how easily you get your point across to others. Keep these different styles in mind the next time you're trying to explain something to someone who just doesn't get it. Consider that they may learn differently and try another approach.

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