Learning Styles

Learning Styles

• A learning style is a method an individual uses to understand new information using sight, touch, and sound

Types of Learning Styles

• Kinesthetic
• Visual
• Auditory

Kinesthetic Learning Style

• This learning style requires practitioners to directly practice the learning material
• Reading theory and doing assignments is not enough
• Increases body movements, direct experiences, and hands-on field work
• Kinesthetic learners showcase achievements in direct, practical lessons

Characteristics of Kinesthetic Learners

• Understand material easily with movement through practice
• Enjoy activities that involve body movement and practical lessons such as sports, computers, dance, etc
• Like experimental activities done in the field or in the laboratory
• Walk while memorizing

Kinesthetic Visual Strategies

• Images and diagrams
  • Relevant pictures, diagrams, or graphs help learners visualize concepts
• Presentation of material in visual form
  • Visual presentations, slides, or interactive whiteboards to highlight key points
• Group activities
  • Activities encourage collaboration and interaction between students

Kinesthetic Approaches

• Experiments & Demonstrations allow seeing and feeling abstract concepts directly
• Modeling uses physical models or real-world entities to visualize complex concepts
• Opportunities for practical exercises or hands-on practice to strengthen kinesthetic understanding
• Integration of movement or light physical activity to maintain focus and energy
• Exploring the environment combines visual and kinesthetic experiences

Visual Learning Style

• Uses the sense of sight
• Easier to understand and remember the material if it involves visual components
• Commonly used in Physics and Biology

Characteristics of Visual Learners

• Digest information for a longer time
• Need to physically see something in order to process it well
• Prefer to read text that contain pictures, diagrams, charts, graphs, photos, etc
• Often take notes using pencils, pens, or markers of various colors
• Tend to remember things easily when they appear in different colors
• Easily remember what they see
• Prefer demonstrated material, either directly or through video

Visual Learner Strategies

• Images and Graphics
  • Use pictures, graphs, diagrams, and illustrations to visualize concepts
• Concept or Mind Maps
  • Organize and connect concepts to understand relationships between ideas
• Visual Presentation
  • Attractive visuals, graphics, and text to explain concepts easily
• Color Coding
  • Use color coding to differentiate and identify concepts and topics
• Flashcards with Images
  • Strengthen connections between images and concepts
• Symbols and Icons
  • Use symbols or icons to simplify understanding and memory
• Flowcharts and Organization
  • Use flowcharts or organizational diagrams to visualize complex processes, relationships, or steps
• Interactive Whiteboard

Visual Tools

• Physical models/demonstrations visualize abstract/complex concepts
• Digital media creates visual information
• Concept mapping using images and text visualize info
• Picture books and comics strengthen understanding
• Tables and graphs present information simply
• Visual projects and presentations illustrate concepts

Auditory Learning Style

• Uses hearing
• Understand and remember something better when they hear the explanation
• Easily remember what they hear
• Convey what they think and feel directly
• Require concentration in listening

Characteristics of Auditory Learners

• Prefer listening to explanations
• Like to talk to themselves when studying
• Read while making sound
• Have good verbal skills, that helps when explaining something
• Better memory when they hear information

Auditory Learning Strategies

• Active Listening
  • Listen during lectures, presentations, or learning materials to focus on the intonation and voice
• Recording Voice
  • Record lectures or presentations to review the material
• Group Discussion
  • Hear different viewpoints and share ideas
• Voice Reading
  • Listen to audiobooks or spoken word for understanding/retention
• Singing or Memorization Through Songs
  • Use singing or making songs
• Repetition
  • Repeat material to retain
• Active Participation in Class

Auditory Tools

• Verbal notes convert written information into verbal cues to help understanding
• Practicing communication with classmates builds communication skills
• Podcasts and audio materials related to learning topics improve concept understanding
• Recording tools record and playback discussions to allow for self evaluation
• Oral explanations help prioritize gathering information for interviews and lectures
• Receive guidance or tutoring to obtain additional explanations

Learning Styles: Preferences

• The following table show preferences between learning styles and are sensory related
• Kinesthetic Learners
  • Learn by doing
• Visual Learners
  • Learn by seeing
• Auditory Learners
  • Learn by hearing
• Charts in the text provide an outline to the reader with example strengths related to the learning styles