Week 10-Learning Styles

There are a few different learning styles that can really affect how you absorb and retain information when learning a new topic. There are 3 basic types of learners: visual, auditory and tactile-kinesthetic. Visual learners learn by watching. They retain the information that they see and learn best through charts, graphs and diagrams. An auditory learner learns the best by hearing the information. Only about 30% of students are auditory learners and they benefit from being told the information they need to know or by saying it out loud. Tactile-kinesthetic learners are very hands-on. They need to do activities to help them retain information. They benefit from putting their whole body into a situation and remember what they experience the best. Most students fit into one of these 3 categories and it can be helpful to understand which one.

Teachers can benefit from understanding how a student learns the best. They can structure lessons around the student's learning style so that they can receive the most benefit. I think it is important to offer a test to students in the beginning of the year so that their learning style can be discovered. If that is not possible, it is helpful for a teacher to offer all different methods to all the students of the class to give them all an opportunity to learn in their best possible way.

The following video is an introduction to the concept of learning styles and how they can apply to students. It is just a short intro to what learning styles do and how they can be used. It has a funny twist at the end and keeps you interested.