Using Multiple Learning Styles

Written By Colēgia

While many of us might have a learning style we’re used to, there’s a lot of merit in trying things outside of our comfort zone. Sometimes we might need to improve at our other learning styles simply out of necessity since that’s the only available option. Today we want to cover a few styles worth considering along with some easy ways to work on them on your own.

Auditory

Auditory listening focuses on on sound and how we use that to process information. Class lectures where we’re listening to the teacher are a classic example of this. The benefit to this style is that it’s extremely accessible since all we really need to do is slow down our thoughts and actively listen. A good way to practice this on your own is by listening to educational podcasts. We can do this either passively while doing something else or actively taking notes while listening. Alternative ways to use this are by recording a class lecture with teachers permission to reference key points later. Because of how easy it is to access, this style is one of the most intuitive ones to use since we can learn while doing other things such as exercise. Doing this consistently can build better habits and make us more excited to learn in the process. 

“Auditory listening focuses on on sound and how we use that to process information.”

Kinesthetic

Kinesthetic learning focuses on movement and how it works in tandem with learning. Sports are one of the best examples of this since there are some things we can only learn by doing. A lot of things that we learn might start off as something we have to consciously think of such as learning to walk when we’re a baby. Eventually though once we do something enough it becomes autonomous and we don’t have to spend energy thinking about it.  It’s important to balance learning with doing since there’s a sort of practicality when we put things into practice. Kinesthetic learning helps us by getting our body moving so we can learn all the small intricacies of things. One way we can work towards this is by learning new activities that require some form of motion. Weight lifting falls under this since we need to learn the proper posture so we can stay safe. Having a good balance of anaerobic and aerobic exercises can benefit Kinesthetic learning since it teaches us different concepts that can carry over into other areas.

“Kinesthetic learning focuses on movement and how it works in tandem with learning.”

Visual

Visual learning relies upon what we see to understand more about the world around us. Looking at a white board and all the concepts written on it one version of this. Other examples include charts, graphs, or even a PowerPoint presentation. The goal of visual learning is to condense concepts into something we can immediately look at and have an understanding of what to expect. There are many ways we can use this learning style in day to day lives. Flash cards can help immensely for remembering a speech or for referencing different concepts or words we learned in class. One thing to consider is that there are many things that require the use of multiple learning styles. Painting falls under this since it requires us to be mindful of brush strokes along with how much we push down on the brush in addition to how we’re using visual space. A presentation requires all three of these since we need to convey ourselves through sound and movement along with having a visual example of what we’re talking about. Taking a balanced approach and being willing to adapt to different learning styles can make our lives easier and give us the chance to try out new things.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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