Online Class: Understanding Learning Styles

Simply stated, learning styles are approaches and ways of learning. Not everyone learns the same way. Some of us learn more easily through seeing. Others learn more easily or primarily by listening. Yet others learn more easily through moving, doing, and touching.

Visual learners

As an example, a visual learner looks at the facial expression and body language of the teacher to understand a lesson. This type of learner will benefit from sitting at the front of the class. Plus, this student tries to avoid visual obstructions, such as looking out a window. These learners also often think in pictures and often take detailed notes. They usually especially love handouts, flip charts, videos, overheads, diagrams, and the illustrations in a textbook.

Auditory learners

Those who are auditory learners learn most easily by listening and talking. They like to take part in discussion and hear what others have to say. They pay particular attention to the voice and its intonation, pitch, and speed. Pictures often have less meaning than what these learners hear. They like to use a recorder and read aloud.

Tactile learners

If you are a tactile learner, you learn best by moving, touching, and doing. You like a hands-on approach. You love the physical world. You could have trouble sitting long. You can become distracted by your need for activity and exploring.

We don't all learn the same way. Of course, not everyone learns in just one way, but we do tend to favor a learning style. We will look more closely at learning styles later in this course.

OTHER LEARNING STYLES

Some of the other learning styles – in addition to visual, auditory, and tactile -  include global learners, sensory learners, intuitive learners, verbal learners, active learners, reflective learners, and sequential learners. We will look in greater detail at these throughout this course.

LEARNING THEORIES

Let's review that learning theories describe how a student processes and retains information. This is related to learning style. Much goes into how we learn, as we retain information and acquire new skills. Our emotions, innate abilities, and environment influence our learning. Our experiences and world view influence us, as well, in how we learn. Here are some of the thoughts about learning.

• Behaviorism looks at a system of rewards in education.

• Cognitive theory looks at the learner and memory.

• Constructivism looks at what a learner knows.

• Multiple intelligences looks at various abilities.

• Transformative learning looks at changing a world view.

We will examine these ideas throughout this course.

LEARNING STYLES AND TODAY'S ONLINE LEARNER

We have seen that each of us has a style of learning that involves a unique approach. As we look at non-traditional educational settings, such as with online learning, let's see how learning styles fit in. An online learner today, if they have a more introspective or introverted learning style, can find it easy to communicate in an online or computer-mediated environment. This could be in comparison to a traditional face to face classroom. Those who like visual communication could find visual elements easier to absorb in an online environment than in a traditional one.

Those who design online courses should keep in mind that the visual or verbal learner learns best when reading information. The auditory learner learns most easily when listening. The nonverbal and visual learner learns well with graphics or pictures. The tactile learner does best with hands-on experiences.

For visual and verbal learners

If a learner is both visual and verbal, the learner does best with teaching materials that include slides and a blackboard. They do well with written materials, in contrast to pictures. An outline to follow can help this learner. They do well with textbooks. An online classroom can include information in writing, so this kind of learner can do well with that type of information.

For nonverbal and visual learners

This type of student learns most easily with picture and graphics. They learn well from videos, maps, films, and other graphics. Images and charts in textbooks, and not just written material, works well also for this learner. This type of learner may be artistic and enjoy any artistic parts of the learning experience. The online classroom can be a good place for this type of learner.

For the auditory and verbal learner

When information is presented orally, these learners do well, as they like to listen to lectures and be part of group discussions. They also learn well from audio recordings. Interacting with others in the classroom is also helpful. Web conferencing in the online classroom can help this kind of learner. The online environment that includes group participation and collaboration will help this kind of learner. 

For the tactile learner

Hands-on activities help this kind of learner. For the online classroom, this can include field trips or field work. It can also include classroom demonstrations and simulations. Lab sessions can help, also. Some online classrooms ask students to come to a physical location such as a lab for some of their work. Online discussion about these experiences can also help. An online dissection of a frog comes to mind as an activity that could help this kind of student in an online biology class. Having a student develop a presentation is another activity that could involve the student in a physical way and help the student learn.

DETERMINING LEARNING STYLE

Here is an idea of a way students can determine their learning style as they pick from this type of list, which applies to them.

• Prefers information presented with a visual aid [visual learner]
• Prefers to listen to a lecture [auditory learner]
• Likes to write things down [visual learner]
• Likes physical models [tactile learner]
• Prefers graphics and charts [visual learner]
• Likes maps [visual learner]
• Prefers listening, to reading a textbook [visual learner]
• Likes to learn by reading from a textbook [verbal learner]
• Prefers news from a newspaper [visual learner]
• Prefers news from a radio broadcast [auditory learner]
• Learns spelling words by reading aloud [auditory learner]
• Learns spelling words by looking at them [visual learner]

• The auditory learner can concentrate on tapes, and listening again to lecture notes, and reciting aloud.

• The visual learner can concentrate on charts, maps, notes, and flashcards. Writing out materials frequently can help.

• The tactile learner can benefit by writing down materials over and over, plus keeping lecture notes and study sheets.

Of course no one is usually just one kind of learner, so using all the approaches can often help.

This course will also look at the basic differences in sensory and intuitive learners, visual and verbal learners, active learners, reflective learners, and sequential and global learners. In addition, we will look at the many ways -- including questionnaires and tests you can take -- to see where you fit in, or how you can help someone figure it out.