Your Learning Style: Define It And Benefit From This Knowledge
The process of learning new information is supposed to be exciting and interesting. We are sure it is, but students are rarely able to notice it. It can be incredibly challenging to stay afloat in academia. For some, it may seem like there is an endless sea of information and study material that needs to be mastered. You might feel overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge and skills required for success as a student or applicant; however, don't let these difficulties deter you from pursuing your dreams.
This problem can be easily solved. The first and the most obvious way to tackle learning difficulties is to find the best essay writing service. It doesn't require you to spend time doing the assignments yourself. You need just 5 minutes to fill out the order form, and then you're free and can manage your free time in whatever you want. However, we have another solution to offer – discover yourself.
It means that you need to learn your own abilities and skills. In other words, if you want to succeed in your studies, you need to know your learning style. In school, it's the teacher's prerogative to do research on each individual in class and find effective approaches to each person. When you study in college, the only person you can rely on is you, and your academic success depends on your diligence and motivation.
Learning Style 101: Definition And Significance Of Learning Style
Your cognitive skills aren't the only factor influencing the quality of your understanding of the information. Have you noticed that some classes seem much easier to you, although the subject may be more difficult? Let's try to describe what learning style is.
It's possible to give the following definition: learning style is how individuals prefer to learn, process, and memorize new information. If someone uses their learning style, there's a chance to perform better. Here are three main types of learning styles:
1. Visual. This type of learner better absorbs information presented through visual aids: images, videos, mind maps, graphs, etc. Visuals tend to remember more information when it's presented in this way because it gives them something tangible to hold onto and refer back to later on. Such people see not only the text on the image; they pay attention to colors, brightness, contrasts, and many other details the other types consider minor. Photographic memory is an important strength of these people. They memorize images and can then see them in their mind.
2. Auditory. Students belonging to this type prefer to listen to some information to memorize it. Their mind processes sound or speech better. Auditory learners can remember all the information that was said in class but will hardly be able to summarize and describe the notes they've taken. These people have strong listening and speaking skills, know how to explain ideas properly, and master all oral examinations.
3. Kinesthetic. This type is also referred to as the tactical style and focuses on the use of physical movement and hands-on activities to help students understand concepts. Kinesthetic learners learn best by doing; they need to actively participate in an activity or do something physically in order for them to grasp the concept. This type of student learns best when he or she can touch, move and manipulate objects rather than just hearing about them or reading about them.
4. Read/write. The fourth learning style is a combination of two activities: reading and writing. Such learners like to read the information and then write it down to retain it for a longer time. It's also common for them to reread the notes they've taken. Read/write learners are usually analytical thinkers who like to process information in detail before making decisions or forming opinions about topics discussed in class.
Reasons To Know Your Learning Style
These four types we discussed are the elements of a popular VARK model used to categorize people of different learning styles. This concept was introduced at the end of the 20th century, but some students are still unaware of it. Maybe people don't know what benefits this knowledge can give them. Let's try to understand why knowing your type is good:
- You explore your learning potential. This knowledge is a great aid in getting the ball rolling. If you face a knowledge gap and can't find out how to fill it out and grasp the huge amount of information fast, you need to define your learning style and test the strategies that fit you.
- You get the chance to improve your academic performance. It applies both to the grades you get for your homework assignments and your scores on exams. If you believe you can't be a straight-A student, maybe you just lack the information to become one.
- You understand how to self-learn. If your college instructors and professors cannot present information properly and you need to do a lot of work alone, awareness of your learning style lets you do it easily.
- You get your self-esteem improved. When you know how to use your brain and can brag about memorizing information fast, your self-esteem gets higher. When you can identify yourself with a certain learning style, you know your own strengths and weaknesses and can use this information with benefit.
- You understand how to enjoy learning. The popular reason for students' dissatisfaction with their studies is that they don't know how they should learn. After you gain this knowledge, you develop a comfortable strategy for yourself, stick to it and get happier.
These benefits we described refer mainly to academic settings. However, you also need to keep in mind that the ability to define people's learning styles will make you stand out among competitors in a job search. If you occupy a leadership position, you'll be an effective manager of several teams. It'll be much easier for you to present information to different people and ensure they understand it.
How To Define My Learning Style?
We hope we made it and that you're interested in discovering your learning style. You already made the first step towards understanding yourself – you've read the descriptions and strengths of each type. It can be easy for many students to understand the modality they belong to based on this information. However, it's okay if you still struggle to identify your type. Our short but comprehensive guide on determining the learning style is here. Follow these steps:
1. Use online assessment tools first. We wouldn't recommend you rely on them much and use online tests as the one and only way to discover your learning style. However, it's okay to use the combination of automated assessment tools and manual approaches discussed below.
2. Experiment with styles. Be ready to allocate some time for this strategy. Find more information on the approaches this or that learner uses. Let yourself study as a kinesthetic, audial, visual, or read/write learner for one week, and keep track of the results you achieved. Define what week was the most productive and when you remembered the information better.
3. Analyze your usual approaches to studying. Reflect on what are your study habits and what methods you use to learn new information: do you listen to it, read it, read and then write down notes? It'll tell you a lot about yourself, and maybe you'll be able to suggest the type you belong to.
4. Think about your interests. What are your hobbies? Do you like reading or watching movies? What type of communication do you prefer: written or oral? It'll tell you a lot about yourself, and you'll get closer to defining your learning style.
As you see, there are no secrets to finding the proper learning style; you don't need to be an expert. But we understand that sometimes even obvious answers are difficult to find, so we shared this information with you to send your thoughts in the right direction.
What Should Each Learning Type Do?
Knowing your learning type isn't enough to benefit from it. Visual, audial, kinesthetic, and reading/writing learners should apply different learning strategies. Let's explore the key do's and don'ts for each type:
1. Auditory learners can watch videos and listen to recordings, read the text out loud, and focus on what they're saying. It's also good for them to transform the written notes into sound and listen to them instead of reading. Participate in discussions when possible. However, students of this type will hardly be good at reading information and writing its summary in a limited amount of time.
2. Visual learners should make the notes they write visually attractive by using different colors, tables, graphs, etc. Using to-do lists and outlines is also an example of an effective strategy. You should know that this type is terrible at listening to information and then writing tests on it.
3. Kinesthetic learning type should focus on tactile experiences. It's okay to create flashcards and models yourself, using body movements to focus on what you're studying (eating something while doing homework or tapping your pencil should be effective). Tactile learners can't perform well in long tests and writing texts.
4. Read and write type is good at reading and writing, performs well on multiple-choice tests, does research well, and should read out loud to memorize information well. Oral exams and long lectures are the worst activities for read-and-write-type learners.
