What is Your Learning Style?

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Auditory, Visual & Tactile Learning

The way we retain information is just one of the many ways people differ from each other. Everyone reads, studies, and comprehends in their own way, but typically our study habits fall into one of three learning styles: auditory, visual and tactile.

Auditory – If you are an auditory learner you learn by listening and hearing. You prefer oral instructions and may recall information best when you read it out loud. It is important to sit where you can hear clear instructions.

Visual – If you are a visual learner you recall things by sight and prefer reading with pictures and graphs. You create an image in your head as you hear or read information. As a visual learner you are likely attracted to colors and design elements that others might not notice. You require a quiet place to study and benefit from sitting in the front of classroom.

Tactile – If you are a tactile learner you comprehend best by physical movement, doing and touching. Feeling, drawing, building and moving are essential to your comprehension. You likely gesture frequently with your hands and have trouble staying still for long periods of time. The use of a computer can help retain information though touch, as well as chewing gum and pacing while studying.

These three learning styles can be broken up into further subgroups that include:

Logical – If you are a logical learner you learn by understanding the meaning of the material. It needs to have a purpose to make sense in your mind so try to find the big picture. Logical learners excel at math and notice patterns quickly.

Social – Working in groups is the ideal situation for social learners. They master information through other perspectives and conversation. A social learner will thrive when assigned group projects and take advantage of one-to-one meetings with teachers or program leaders.

Solitary – If you are a solitary learner you learn by studying alone in a quiet, distraction-free zone. Solitary learners prefer not to share information or ask for help so sometimes they can waste time trying to find an answer before reaching out for assistance.

Determining How You Best Learn New Information

Learning is a life skill that goes beyond the classroom. Determining your learning style can help make studying and learning stress-free and more productive. Below are links to a number of online quizzes that can help you determine your learning style.

When taking these interactive tests be sure to answer quickly. Don’t dwell on a question for long, as there is no right or wrong answer. Your gut reaction will help make the results more accurate.

For the best results take several quizzes. The criteria for each quiz differs, so to ensure accuracy try at least three and compare the results. It is okay if you get a mix of answers. It is not uncommon for people to have more than one learning style.

Success in your career and personal life only comes with change and growth. You can’t have growth without the development of new skills and knowledge. By taking the time to understand different learning strategies you are investing in your future education.