Human beings learn in a variety of ways that are often, but not always, related to the culture they were raised in. For examples, some cultures adhere to very structured and formal styles of learning where students are not encouraged to speak up or question their teachers. Others learn through storytelling and sharing or learn by doing. Any of these might also be intertwined with each other.

While in a perfect world, each student would be able to learn in the way that best suits their personal learning style that is not always possible. You might not know what your particular learning style is, but you might be aware that you learn better when you write, listen or doing a hands-on task. Everyone is different—so it can be useful if you have some “work arounds” to leverage your own learning strengths.

There are three basic types of learning styles: auditory, visual, and tactile. You may lean towards only one style or all three.

Auditory Learners

If you are an auditory learner, you learn by hearing and listening. You understand and remember things you have heard. You store information by the way it sounds, and you have an easier time understanding spoken instructions than written ones. You often learn by reading out loud because you have to hear it or speak it in order to know it.

As an auditory learner, you probably hum or talk to yourself or others if you become bored. People may think you are not paying attention, even though you may be hearing and understanding everything being said.

Here are some things that auditory learners like you can do to learn better.

• Sit where you can hear.
• Have your hearing checked on a regular basis.
• Use flashcards to learn new words; read them out loud.
• Read stories, assignments, or directions out loud.
• Record yourself spelling words and then listen to the recording.
• Have test questions read to you out loud.
• Study new material by reading it out loud.

Remember that you need to hear things, not just see things, to learn well.

There is a lot of reading in this course. If you are an auditory learner, simply reading might not work well for you. There are some online sources that can read to you, for example Google Translate. You can copy and paste text into it and it will read it out loud to you.

Visual Learners

If you are a visual learner, you learn by reading or seeing pictures. You understand and remember things by sight. You can picture what you are learning in your head, and you learn best by using methods that are primarily visual. You like to see what you are learning

As a visual learner, you are usually neat and clean. You often close your eyes to visualize or remember something, and you will find something to watch if you become bored. You may have difficulty with spoken directions and may be easily distracted by sounds. You are attracted to color and to spoken- language (like stories) that is rich in imagery.

Here are some things that visual learners like you can do to learn better:

• Sit near the front of the classroom.
• Have your eyesight checked on a regular basis.
• Use flashcards to learn new words.
• Try to visualize things that you hear or things that are read to you.
• Write down key words, ideas, or instructions.
• Draw pictures to help explain new concepts and then explain the pictures.
• Color code things.
• Avoid distractions during study times.

Remember that you need to see things, not just hear things, to learn well.

Tactile Learners

If you are a tactile learner, you learn by touching and doing. You understand and remember things through physical movement. You are a “hands-on” learner who prefers to touch, move, build, or draw what you learn, and you tend to learn better when some type of physical activity is involved. You need to be active and take frequent breaks, you often speak with your hands and with gestures, and you may have difficulty sitting still.

As a tactile learner, you like to take things apart and put things together, and you tend to find reasons to tinker or move around when you become bored. You may be very well coordinated and have good athletic ability. You can easily remember things that were done but may have difficulty remembering what you saw or heard in the process. You often communicate by touching, and you appreciate physically expressed forms of encouragement, such as a pat on the back.

Here are some things that tactile learners like you can do to learn better:

• Participate in activities that involve touching, building, moving, or drawing.
• Do lots of hands-on activities like in class labs, demos or acting out situations.
• It’s OK to chew gum, walk around, or rock in a chair while reading or studying.
• Use flashcards and arrange them in groups to show relationships between ideas.
• Trace new words and terms with your finger to learn how to spell them (finger spelling).
• Take frequent breaks during reading or studying periods (frequent, but not long).
• It’s OK to quietly tap a pencil, shake your foot, or hold on to something while learning.
• Use a computer to reinforce learning through the sense of touch.

Remember that you learn best by doing, not just by reading, seeing, or hearing.

Learning Activity 4: Learning Types

No one learning type is better than any other – they are just different. You might be surprised to find out that other people learn in the same ways that you do.

Instructions

• Break into several groups.
• Talk with your classmates about what kind of learner you think you might be.
• Try to draw a diagram that shows how the different learning styles are present in your class.
• Try to organize the people in the room to show the differences and similarities.