Learning Styles

I once invigilated a Basic Seven physics examination in which candidates expressed frustration about what separation technique worked for which mixture. Out of sympathy I asked how they were taught. I’ll paraphrase their response – to my shock – “He (the teacher) explained it all to us. Then he gave us a note.”

While that may serve some students well, it certainly wouldn’t count for knowledge with the rest. Reason? Students learn in different ways. Whatever happened to little old experiments?

Learning styles are the different methods of processing new information. This means that different people take in, understand, express and remember information in different ways.

There are four predominant learning styles: visual, auditory, textual (read-write) and kinesthetic.

Visual learners learn best through what they see. A teacher should therefore use pictures, diagrams or charts to reach them in class, otherwise he will lose them. Using a symbol to represent a section of the note, or to drive home a point, help them more than anything else. The colours in your note will also help this group. A video clip, a sketch of cartoon or whatever else can spark up an image of the new information in their head will not be lost on visual learners.

Auditory learners need to hear you speak. The teacher’s explanation must be clear and concise. They don’t care so much what your diagram is saying so long as you say it clearly in a well-articulated speech. Where words fail the teacher, she can employ a song and be certain to have effectively communicated to this group of learners. An audio works perfectly with them. They are excellent listeners. They would rather read out loud to themselves or to the whole class than read with sealed lips.

Read-write learners may be better referred to as textual learners. Give them a note and they will be fine. Tell them to write down the idea in their own words and you are home and dry. Your job gets very well done when you give them an ebook to work with. The dictionary is their friend. They love glossaries. Give them the assignment to re-arrange a list and they will think you’re the best teacher in the world.

Kinesthetic learners love to do things. If the teacher can plan hands-on experience into her lessons, they’ll be jolly well ahead of the pack. It makes sense to include an activity or two into each lesson. Let them use their hands, eyes, legs, etc. Practical work and projects help these learners. They’ll stay awake if there is something to do – walk, hop, skip, jump, ride, climb or run. So, the teacher can take the entire class out of the room into the school field for a science lesson, get them to plant the bean instead of draw it. (The latter would serve visual learners better.) Otherwise, the lesson – every lesson, or even school life – is boring! This is why it’s so important to have sports in school or an entire category of learners are left out of the school experience.