April 17, 2018 - Rasool Somji
It’s believed people processes information uniquely, so trainers and teachers should understand the different learning styles. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to tailor your teaching to suit your students or trainees.
In this article, we discuss methods of teaching for the eight different learning styles, as well as conflicting evidence which suggests these learning styles may not be as effective as once believed.
The learning styles
Everyone has a dominant learning style depending on the situation. There are eight in total:
- Visual learners
- Aural learners
- Verbal learners
- Social learners
- Logical learners
- Physical and tactile learners
- Solitary learners
- Naturalist learners
We’ll now go through each of these in detail.
1. Visual learners
Visual learners retain information more effectively when visual aids are used, such as, pictures, images, film clips, colours and diagrams. They're also good at understanding visual data presented in maps, charts and graphs.
Strategies for teaching visual learners:
- Use visual aids - most other learners will benefit from visual elements as well.
- Provide visual analogies and metaphors to help with visual imagery.
- Sometimes graphics are not easy to use for specific topics but consider writing key points in front of the class as this provides visual cues.
- Substitute words for colours and pictures.
- Ask the students to write down explanations and take notes because this entails looking at your presentation or visualising what you’re presenting.
- Colour or emphasises key points in text.
- Avoid using large blocks of text.
- Include exercises where the students create mind maps.
- Use storytelling to help with visualisation.
- Colour-code and organise any materials you provide as this helps organise things in their minds.
- Get students to visualise using phrases, such as, "Picture this", "Let's see what you would do."
Build Career Skills Online
Fast-track your career with award-winning courses and realistic practice.
Start a Free Trial
2. Aural learners
Aural learners respond to sound, music, recordings, rhymes, rhythms etc. They remember conversations well and music causes an emotional response in them.
Strategies for teaching aural learners:
- Encourage your students to participate in discussions.
- If reading is required suggest audio books if appropriate.
- Suggest for them to listen to music as they go over material.
- Allow recordings of your training sessions or make your lessons accessible via online course platforms - this is also helpful for other learning types.
- Get students to pair up and explain concepts to each other.
- Encourage problem-solving aloud.
- Suggest rereading their notes back to themselves when they get home.
- Use mnemonic devices and rhyming.
- If you are explaining a story, play relevant sounds from your computer.
3. Verbal learners
Verbal learners favour using words and linguistic skills - in speech and in writing, such as, reading, writing, listening or speaking. They like word games, puns and rhymes etc and are often strong public speakers.
Strategies for teaching verbal learners:
- Use verbal teaching and writing activities.
- Ask them to discuss or present.
- Use acronyms or mnemonic devices.
- Get the class to read aloud. Try to get them to read in a varied way rather than in monotone.
- Role-playing, for example, practicing elevator pitches or interactions between employees and clients.
- Ask them to teach members of the class certain material..
- Suggest they reread and rewrite their notes, including summaries.
- Incorporate quizzes into your lessons.
- Show them or provide them with lists of key words.
- Providing these learners with a combination of information in a variety of verbal ways can assist their learning, for example, they may initially read about a concept, afterwards they listen to an audio to support what has been read, then they write notes and finally they partner up with someone and discuss the topic.
4. Social learners
Social learners process information by interacting with and relating to others. They enjoy working with others and are often strong leaders.
Strategies for teaching social learners:
- Be inquisitive and ask them what they think about a concept/topic/idea.
- Ask them to bounce ideas off of each other and compare their ideas with others'.
- Allow them to discuss and share stories.
- Include group work.
- Engage in a role-play.
5. Logical learners
Logical learners favour using logic and reasoning. They like to classify and categorise information and solve problems with numbers. Logical learners are especially good at analysing cause and effect relationships.
Strategies for teaching logical learners:
- Provide the class with problem-solving tasks.
- Challenge them to work things out for themselves.
- Ask them to interpret abstract visual information.
- Include critical thinking exercises.
- Provide statistics and facts.
- Ask them to suggest conclusions after providing them with evidence.
6. Physical and tactile learners
Practical learners process information effectively when they use their bodies and when they are actually doing something. They put their learning into practice.
Strategies for teaching physical and tactile learners:
- Use physical exercises and provide hands-on experiences.
- Exercises where they are standing and walking are very effective.
- Include activities where they use a pen and paper to map out their thoughts and problem-solve because writing is a physical exercise.
- Find a venue that provides these learners with large spaces so they can write and draw.
- Encourage them to draw diagrams, graphs and maps.
- Get them to interact with physical objects or solve puzzles.
- Role-playing.
- Provide real life examples, such as, case studies.
- Suggest reviewing their notes whilst they engage in physical activity.
- Ask them to teach other class members some of the lesson content.
- When you are asking them to visualise, explain the sensations that would be felt, such as, "The wind was forcibly hitting against the left side of my body."
Build Career Skills Online
Fast-track your career with award-winning courses and realistic practice.
Start a Free Trial
7. Solitary learners
Solitary learners like to work and learn by themselves and self-study. They may come across as shy or cold as they keep to themselves. If you get solitary learners feeling comfortable during some of the training they are more likely to speak up during presentations or group work.
Strategies for teaching solitary learners:
- Ask questions so you know what they're thinking and how they're feeling.
- Provide individual problem-solving exercises.
- Explain why the lesson material is important as solitary learners are often interested in outcomes.
- Along with this, give the class ways to track their progress.
- Suggest links between what they have previously learned/should know and new concepts.
8. Naturalist learners
Naturalist learners process information by working with and experiencing nature. They learn by finding patterns in nature and using scientific logic for understanding.
Strategies for teaching naturalist learners:
- Include experiments in your lessons.
- Get them to imagine that what you're teaching is a new ecosystem that they can understand by finding patterns. This will help them link concepts together.
- Have exercises where they can identify and classify.
- Use examples linking to daily life, people or nature.
- Provide observational data, such as case studies.
Courses to improve your teaching skills:
- Train the Trainer Courses
Evidence against the different learning styles
The concept that people learn better when taught through their preferred learning style is very popular. However the evidence for this is lacking so we’ve included this section to make you aware of studies showing that different learning styles may not be that effective.
For a new paper in Anatomical Sciences Education, a pair of researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have conducted an investigation into learning styles with hundreds of undergrads. The findings do not support the learning styles concept, reinforcing its reputation among mainstream psychologists as a myth.
The study showed that student grade performance was not correlated in any meaningful way with their dominant learning style or with any learning style(s) they scored highly on. Also, while most students (67 per cent) actually failed to study in a way consistent with their supposedly preferred learning style, those who did study in line with their dominant style did not achieve a better grade than those who didn’t.
Additional evidence against the different learning styles:
- No evidence to back idea of learning styles
- Learning styles as a myth
- The myth of 'learning styles'
- Teachers must ditch 'neuromyth' of learning styles
- The concept of different “learning styles” is a myth
Despite the conflicting evidence for the effectiveness of different learning styles, it’s good to know different teaching methods. By varying the methods of teaching, you’ll keep the attention of your students for longer and make the learning experience more enjoyable.
FAQs
What teaching strategies must be used by the teachers to manage students with different learning styles? ›
- Engage the student in conversation about the subject matter.
- Question students about the material.
- Ask for oral summaries of material.
- Have them tape lectures and review them with you.
- Have them tape themselves reviewing material and listen to it together.
- Read material aloud to them.
The VARK system categorizes learners into four styles: Visual, Aural, Reading/Writing, and Kinesthetic. Many learners show strength in more than one learning style. Visual learners learn best from visual images that do not include writing. Graphs and diagrams are easy for them to understand.
What teaching strategies that can make learning more effective and efficient? ›- Model as you teach. ...
- Make mistakes. ...
- Work as a team. ...
- Encourage learning from experience. ...
- Let the students teach. ...
- Integrate technology into the classroom. ...
- Try graphic organizers. ...
- Emphasize behavior management.
Determining students' learning styles provides information about their specific preferences. Understanding learning styles can make it easier to create, modify, and develop more efficient curriculum and educational programs.
How can a teacher help students with different learning and thinking styles continue to learn more effectively? ›How can a teacher help students with different learning and thinking styles continue to learn more effectively? Use questions of all types to stimulate various levels of thinking and valuing.
How can a teacher help students with different learning and thinking styles? ›- Provide the class with problem-solving tasks.
- Challenge them to work things out for themselves.
- Ask them to interpret abstract visual information.
- Include critical thinking exercises.
- Provide statistics and facts.
- Ditch Your Learning Style. Are you a visual learner? ...
- Make It More Meaningful for Yourself. ...
- Learn by Doing. ...
- Study the Greats, and Then Practice. ...
- Teach What You Learn. ...
- Spend More Time Practicing Things You Find Difficult. ...
- Take Frequent Breaks. ...
- Test Yourself.
Teaching strategies play an important role in classroom instruction. Without the use of a strategy, teachers would be aimlessly projecting information that doesn't connect with learners or engage them. Strategies help learners participate, connect, and add excitement to the content being delivered.
Why is it important to use a variety of teaching strategies in the classroom? ›Using a variety of strategies ensures that students have an opportunity to work with many different group members throughout the year. are finishing their work at different times. As students complete one assignment, they write their names on the chalkboard.
How teaching strategies help a teachers in teaching? ›Teaching strategies, also known as instructional strategies, are methods that teachers use to deliver course material in ways that keep students engaged and practicing different skill sets. An instructor may select different teaching strategies according to unit topic, grade level, class size, and classroom resources.
Why is it important to learn your learning style? ›
We all have our own particular ways of gaining new information. The important thing is to become aware of your unique style. If you are aware of how your brain learns best, you have a better chance of studying in a way that will pay off when it's time to take that exam.
Why is it important to understand peoples learning styles? ›Learning styles are important because they can help many individuals—including students, educators, professionals and learning and development specialists—better understand the particular modalities that can help learners process information most effectively.
What is the importance of understanding learning styles? ›Understanding your learning styles can help you understand your weaknesses and strengths. Your responses may have included: seeing and appreciating that others may learn differently. matching and seeking out ways to learn best.
Why is it important that teachers consider the different learning styles of the students when designing assessment activities? ›It is important for teachers to know their learners' preferred learning styles because this knowledge will help teachers to plan their lessons to match or adapt their teaching and to provide the most appropriate and meaningful activities or tasks to suit a particular learner group at different stages.
How would you use strategies to benefit your learners? ›- Having compassion and empathy. ...
- Creating a secure and dependable structure. ...
- Ramping up the positive. ...
- Supporting academic risk. ...
- Teaching active listening. ...
- Embedding strategy instruction. ...
- Building collaborative relationships.
Benefits of Catering to Different Learning Styles
Also, by adjusting each lesson to meet the needs of the individual, every student in the classroom will be more engaged. It becomes a more effective learning environment for everyone. By catering to multiple learning styles, we appeal to all types of learners.
This is because it allows them to devote their energies beyond regular teaching into effective education that is supportive and considerate for each learner. In this way, the students are motivated, supported, empowered, and developed because optimum learning conditions are created.
How do we select the appropriate strategy for your lessons essay? ›- Begin with objectives. Before selecting appropriate teaching strategies, determine the learning objectives for the course. ...
- Align your teaching strategies to the objectives. ...
- Align your assessment strategy to the objectives. ...
- Make modifications to the teaching strategies and assessments as you get to know your students and.
Ways In which teaching and learning plans can be adapted to meet the individual needs of learners. Course material must include imagery and content from a wide cross-section of the population, a simple example is to include a wide selection of people's names when providing examples.
What is your understanding of a learning strategy? ›A learning strategy is an individual's way of organizing and using a particular set of skills in order to learn content or accomplish other tasks more effectively and efficiently in school as well as in non-academic settings (Schumaker & Deshler, 1992).
How can teachers maintain a focus on teaching and learning? ›
These include: Essential questions, which are used to determine the goal of lessons. Activating strategy, which is a method teachers use to get students excited about and connecting the content to their own lives. Relevant vocabulary, which refers to using vocabulary that students understand.
Who proposed 8 types of learning? ›According to Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, everybody has different types of learning styles to help them comprehend new information. There are 8 learning styles in total, ranging from visual to auditory and more.
What is the most effective learning style? ›This is known as the “meshing hypothesis” [12]. In the unimodal learning style category, we found that the most preferred mode was the kinaesthetic one, followed by the visual, auditory and the read-write ones.
Who developed the 8 learning styles? ›Although there are many theories regarding learning, intelligence, and learning styles, Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences suggests there are 8 different types of learners. We'll focus on these 8 types of learners in this article. One person may have just one learning style or they may have several.
How can teaching a learning strategy be a powerful means of helping students construct their own learning? ›Inquiry-based learning is one of the most powerful teaching strategies in the classroom because research tells us that students learn best when they construct their own meaning. Inquiry-based learning triggers student curiosity. Teachers act as facilitators during the inquiry-based learning process.
How can teaching strategies be improved? ›- Dialogue with Yourself through a Teaching Log. One very important, but often overlooked, source of input on teaching is you, the teacher. ...
- Solicit Feedback from Your Students. ...
- Dialogue with Faculty. ...
- Dialogue with Peers. ...
- Seek Outside Consultation.
Make learning enjoyable. There are innovative ways to present an otherwise plain and boring lesson. You can include activities or mini games so that the students will learn while having fun. You will easily be their coolest teacher if you let them experience things others don't usually do.
What is effective teaching and learning? ›Effective teaching/learning practices are evidence-based teaching strategies implemented with fidelity and informed through data to produce positive, sustained results in every student.
How will you respond to the different characteristics of learners and their learning styles? ›- Engage the student in conversation about the subject matter.
- Question students about the material.
- Ask for oral summaries of material.
- Have them tape lectures and review them with you.
- Have them tape themselves reviewing material and listen to it together.
- Read material aloud to them.
- Learning Style Inventories. ...
- Appreciate your learning preferences; adapt your study environment to your preferences.
- Appreciate the target of your learning: legal rule structures that are derived from legal concepts; know both the structures and their underlying concepts.
How do learning styles of students affect teaching and learning? ›
Using a learning-styles based teaching is useful to differentiate instruction: the identification of students' learning approaches can help teachers to implement different strategies for the benefit of different learners.
Why is there a need for teachers to match their teaching styles to the learning styles and thinking preferences of the learners? ›Aligning learning style and teaching style encourages better collaboration between faculty and student and reduces classroom management issues, allowing more time for facilitation of learning by faculty and time on task by students.
What is the impact of different learning styles on training? ›Employees retain information more efficiently when training is tailored to different learning styles. Furthermore, they improve their skill sets and are more satisfied with their roles.
How can teachers accommodate all types of learners in their planning? ›Graphical representation of learning materials through drawings, photos of charts. Asking students to draw the most important elements of the lesson they have covered with the teacher. Marking parts of text using different colored pens during studying to facilitate memorization.
What strategies will you use to learn all of these new things? ›- Ditch Your Learning Style. Are you a visual learner? ...
- Make It More Meaningful for Yourself. ...
- Learn by Doing. ...
- Study the Greats, and Then Practice. ...
- Teach What You Learn. ...
- Spend More Time Practicing Things You Find Difficult. ...
- Take Frequent Breaks. ...
- Test Yourself.
A learning strategy is an individual's way of organizing and using a particular set of skills in order to learn content or accomplish other tasks more effectively and efficiently in school as well as in non-academic settings (Schumaker & Deshler, 1992).
Why is it important to cater for different learning styles? ›Benefits of Catering to Different Learning Styles
Also, by adjusting each lesson to meet the needs of the individual, every student in the classroom will be more engaged. It becomes a more effective learning environment for everyone. By catering to multiple learning styles, we appeal to all types of learners.
Why are learning styles important? Learning styles are important because they can help many individuals—including students, educators, professionals and learning and development specialists—better understand the particular modalities that can help learners process information most effectively.
Why are teaching strategies important? ›Teaching strategies play an important role in classroom instruction. Without the use of a strategy, teachers would be aimlessly projecting information that doesn't connect with learners or engage them. Strategies help learners participate, connect, and add excitement to the content being delivered.
Why are active learning strategies important? ›Active learning encourages success
Encouraging active learning helps students to achieve higher grades, based on their enhanced skills and understanding. Because active learning encourages students to take a central role in their own learning, it prepares them better for both higher education and for the workplace.
How would you use strategies to benefit your learners? ›
- Having compassion and empathy. ...
- Creating a secure and dependable structure. ...
- Ramping up the positive. ...
- Supporting academic risk. ...
- Teaching active listening. ...
- Embedding strategy instruction. ...
- Building collaborative relationships.
- Set SMARTER goals. Anyone that's serious about achieving their goals needs to understand the importance of the SMARTER goal-setting method. ...
- Create a plan of action. ...
- Eliminate bad habits. ...
- Instill self-discipline. ...
- Mitigate your distractions. ...
- Leverage daily goal setting. ...
- Avoid procrastination. ...
- Manage your time.
The most effective strategy according to Dunlosky's research is practice testing. It consists of studying and reviewing by answering questions and actively bringing information back to mind. When this is done, information is reconsolidated, new connections are created, and memory and understanding are strengthened.
Why is it important for teachers to understand and use a variety of teaching styles? ›Teaching styles are linked to a professor's educational value system and stem from their philosophy of education. Being aware of your own teaching style (or styles) can help you improve your teaching methods, by designing your course to increase student engagement and, ultimately, enhance student outcomes.
How does teaching styles affect the process of learning? ›A teacher's teaching style (authoritative, authoritarian and permissive) affects students' experience in school. It can provoke functional or non-functional perceptions of learning, self-efficacy and schoolwork, thus an appropriate teaching style can help prevent early school leaving.
How different learning styles of different individuals can impact on learning? ›Your learning styles have more influence than you may realize. Your preferred styles guide the way you learn. They also change the way you internally represent experiences, the way you recall information, and even the words you choose.