Learning Styles

What are Learning Styles?

            A learning style is an approach or technique that aids a person in gaining and storing new material. The learning styles that I had always known about were visual, kinesthetic, auditory and reading/writing styles.  I had always considered myself as mostly a visual and kinesthetic learner.  Show me how to do something, and then let me try it, and it will stick in my memory forever! 

The two assigned tests, the VARK and the Learning and Styles and Strategies Test tested for several learning styles.  The VARK tested for visual, aural, reading/writing, and kinesthetic learning styles.  Visual learners learn with the aid of looking at charts, graphs, and pictures. Auditory learners take in information best by listening to a speaker explain and describe. In the reading and writing style the learner best takes in information through reading about it and writing about the details.  If someone is a kinesthetic, or hands on learner, they learn best by physically taking in the information in a way that they can touch or be a part of the learning experience. The Learning Styles and Strategies Test tested to see if the learner was active or reflective, sensing or intuitive, visual or verbal, or sequential or global.  The active learner is much like the kinesthetic; learning by doing.  The reflective learner needs time to process the information they have experienced in order to properly absorb it.  The sensing learner prefers facts and established methods for learning and problem solving, while the intuitive learner is able to grasp more abstract concepts easily.  The visual learner, as mentioned before, prefers a visual reference such as a graph, chart, picture or diagram to aid in learning.  The verbal learner gets more out of spoken words and explanations.  The sequential learner prefers an orderly path to solve a problem or a sequence of steps where one learning experience builds on another, where the global learner can learn in “jumps” without having to see connections between concepts.  It is much preferred that a learner have a good balance between each of the learning pairs in the Learning Styles and Strategies Test to be an effective learner.

Testing Results!

            Because I already had an idea of the types of learning styles, and considered myself a visual and kinesthetic learner, I was eager to see if the two assigned learning styles tests confirmed my own knowledge and beliefs.  In the VARK test I was surprised to see that my highest score was in reading and writing with an 11.  Kinesthetic came next with a 10, follow by visual with an 8, and aural at 7.  In retrospect I have to agree with the test.  I do find that my main way of studying is by reading the information and writing it down in my own words over and over until I fully understand it.  I wasn’t at all surprised by my score for kinesthetic.  I’ve always known that I learn well by doing.  My lower score with visual was somewhat surprising, as I’ve always relied on visual references to better understand concepts.  Aural coming in last was very much expected.  I’ve always had difficulty processing auditory information, and note taking is especially difficult for me.

            My scores for the Learning Styles and Strategies test went along fairly well with the VARK test.  In active and reflective learning my scores showed that I am fairly well balanced in these areas.  In sensing and intuitive, I have a moderate preference for sensing over intuitiveness.  In visual and verbal, I have a moderate preference for visual learning.  In sequential and global my scores showed a moderate preference for sequential learning.

Strategies for Life-long Learning

           

            These tests and their information were very eye opening.  I’ve always known that aural/verbal learning was a weakness of mine.  Some of the ways I cope with this is by going over my notes with other friends in my classes, rereading the lectured information in my text, using the internet for further information, and asking classmates for their explanations of a topic that I’m having trouble getting.  Hearing several explanations is always helpful.  Because I tend to be more concrete than intuitive I have to seek out real life examples to make abstract concepts more understandable for me.  This is also another time where doing my own research and brainstorming with peers can be helpful.  Because I tend to be more concrete in my learning styles, it made sense to me that I favored sequential learning over the global learning style.  Thankfully, most classes I have taken have been in some form of sequential order.  When they aren’t I compensate by creating my own order, and studying things in an order that make sense to me.  I also call on the help of peers and my own research to fill in any blanks in my studies.

            It’s very important for one to understand what works best for them when it comes to learning.  Because education is so important to me, I have been aware of my learning strengths and weaknesses since elementary school, and have sought out strategies to aid in my learning.