LEARNING STYLES

Study Outline

Physiological Preference Psychological Preference

• Nature and Definition • Nature and Definition
• Perceptual Strengths Elements: • Elements
• Auditory • Analytic - Global
• Visual • Impulsive - Reflective
• Tactile
• Kinesthetic
• Intake
• Time-of-Day
• Mobility

THE ELEMENT OF AUDITORY LEARNING

Auditory learners….
Auditory learners will typically say….
• Likes to read to self out loud
“That sounds good to me.”
• Is not afraid to speak in class
“ I hear what you are saying.”
• Likes oral reports
“Something is telling me it’s okay.”
• Is good at explaining and remembering
“I hear voices.”
names
“The name rings a bell.”
• Notices sound effects in movies
“That’s music to my ears.”
• Enjoys music
“Just listen to what I’m saying.”
• Is good at grammar and foreign language
“I can hear you’re disappointed.”
• Reads slowly
“I get tuned into the discussion.”
• Follows spoken directions well
“We are all ears.”
• Can't keep quiet for long periods
• Is good in study groups

How much of an auditory person are you?

• In a class lecture, I do not recall much of what
• Students who can retain information best by
is being said. I find it difficult to listen for long
first listening to lectures, audio tapes, or
periods of time.
discussions are auditory learners.
• I sometimes sit in a class lecture and then
“tune-out.” I have to concentrate to “stay put”
with a lecturer.
• I interested, I can learn by listening; if bored, I
do not know what is going on.
• I find it easy to learn by listening.
• I remember things I hear. In fact, I can ever
concentrate and reconstruct a lot of what has
been said by the speaker.
THE ELEMENT OF VISUAL LEARNING
Visual learners will typically say….
“It’s a hazy idea.”
“ I get the whole picture.”
“in view of the foregoing.”
“Your child is showing off again .”
“That’s a picture perfect scenery.”
“That appears to be the best solution.”
“It looks like you’re on the right track.”
“Let’s meet eye to eye on that matter.”
“I need to put it in the right perspective.”
“I give you a bird’s eye-view of the situation.”
Visual learners…
• Like for the teacher to give demonstration
• Recognize words by sight
• Take detailed notes
• Learn from diagrams, maps, and videos
• They have a good sense of direction
• Use lists to organize thoughts
• Tend to be unaware of noise
• Have well developed imaginations
• Are easily distracted by movement or action in
the classroom

How much of a visual person are you?

• I often read a page, come to the end, and say, • Visual learners are students who capture,
“I don’t understand what I have read”. Then, I absorb and retain new and difficult
go back to the page and read again. information by creating a picture in their
minds, seeing words or reading them first.
• Sometimes, I need to read a page again
because although I have read it once, virtually
no meaning has been absorbed.
• If interested, I can retain a great deal of what I
have read; if not , I can go through the text
without absorbing what the words actually
mean.
• I remember a great deal of what I read!
• I can concentrate on things I read even for long
moments. I can close my eyes and “visualize “
the open book, the section of the page and the
paragraph, focus on the print – and remember
what I have read.

THE ELEMENT OF TACTILE LEARNING

Tactile learners will typically say…. • The effective use of hands by doodling,
“I can handle the situation.” highlighting or taking notes to understand and
“ Hold it.” retain new and difficult information is a
“Get in touch with me.” learning preference of students who are tactile
“Hang in there, I’m coming.” learners.
“I’m all washed-up.”
“He had a hand in the whole case.”
“I have a firm grip on the subject matter.”
“She’s difficult to handle.”
“Count me in.”
“Wave your hands to be seen.”
Tactile learners …
 • Likes to learn by doodling, highlighting or
underlining text
• Remember information by doing, rather than
listening or seeing.
• Learn through imitation and practice, love
games and group activity
• Often are very good at expressing emotions
and feelings.
• Operate best within hands-on activities such as
model building, coloring or finger-painting, or
project design.
• Conversely, tend to not hear things well and
must need things repeated often
• Tend to be struggling readers, and have a
tendency to be impulsive
THE ELEMENT OF KINESTHETIC LEARNING
Kinesthetic learners will typically say….
“He gestures a lot.”
“ It slipped my mind.”
“Give them a concrete situation.”
“I am groping for the best answer.”
“I’ll dance my way out.”
“It boils down to the basic point.”
“Please stand by, the police is coming.”
“Your body language is saying otherwise.”
“I like the way you swayed the argument.”
How much of a kinesthetic person are you?
• I would rather drive than walk.
• Often, I do not engage in energetic, action-
oriented learning.
• My degree of involvement in doing things
determined by what is being done – and by
whom.
• I like being active and involved.
• I become involved in many energetic activities.
People comment on my being very active and
on my energy level.
How much of a tactile person are you?
• I have never or rarely take down notes. I find I
have a great difficulty doing things with my
hands.
• I only take down notes on numerical data or
things that I can’t easily remember.
• Whether or not I take down notes during a
lecture depends on how difficult or interesting
the subject matter is.
• I often take down notes either during a lecture
or when reading something new or difficult
that I want to learn. I often draw or doodle to
remember. I am really comfortable with
hands-on learning.
• Even if I forget my list of things to buy, I
remember most of the things on the list. I
really need to move my hands (note-taking,
doodling, drawing, knitting or similar activities)
in order to be able to learn.
Kinesthetic learners …
• Likes to learn by being physically involved
• Do best when they are actively involved
• Have high energy levels
• Prefer to DO rather than listen
• Lose much of what is said in a lecture
• Do well in a role play
• Are naturally good at sports and dance
• Do best with a “hands on” approach to
learning
• Have a hard time sitting and listening
• Physical involvement in the entire process of
learning – like walking around, gesturing, or
moving – best shows the qualities of
kinesthetic learners.
THE ELEMENT OF INTAKE
 Some students like to munch or take snacks
while listening, reading or studying, contrary to the old
thinking that students only take advantage of the
situation and use food intake as an excuse for
whatever purpose it may serve.
Intake: With food or without food
Do you need intake while studying or learning?
• I never eat, drink, chew gum, have candies or
snacks while studying.
• I rarely eat, drink, chew gum, have candies or
snacks while studying.
• Whether or not I take snacks while studying
depends on what snacks are available.
• I often take snacks while studying.
• I need to have some kind of snack while
studying.
THE ELEMENT OF TIME OF DAY
Students learn best when their energy levels
are at their peak. When administering tests or teach
new or difficult subjects during the preferred time-of-
day of the students, their performance will be
significantly better than if they had taken the test or
been taught the lesson at a different time.
Time-of-Day Learning: Evening-morning; late morning;
afternoon
• Consider the energy levels of the students. When
they are at their peak, that is the best time to give
them academically challenging tasks and expect
higher performance.
• For many students, concentration is best achieved
when chewing, drinking or eating. The practice
starts at the onset of puberty, and gradually tapers
as the young adult grows up.
At what time of the day do you learn best?
EVENING-MORNING Energy Levels
• I learn best when I study in the evening.
• I learn best when I study at night.
• I learn best when I study in the morning.
• I learn best when I study early in the morning.
LATE MORNING Energy Levels.
• I am not really alive just before lunch.
• I can function but learning does not come
easily late in the morning.
• I can ;earn very nicely in the late morning
• I learn extremely well in the late morning
AFTERNOON Energy Levels
• The afternoon is a terrible time for me to
study. I avoid making important decisions at
this time.
• I can get through an afternoon- but not easily.
• I learn nicely in the afternoon.
• The afternoon is an excellent time for me to
learn.
THE ELEMENT OF MOBILITY
 Students are highly mobile. They find sitting
for long hours uncomfortable because only four square
inches of bones support their total body weight. When
forced to think, study, concentrate or learn in this kind
of situation, minimal performance can be expected.

Mobility: Frequent breaks; fewer breaks

Do you take more breaks or no breaks at all?
• I can sit still for long periods of time when
interested in what is being taught.
• Sitting still is not much of a problem for me.
• If interested, I can sit still; if bored, I fidget.
• I find it difficult to sit still for long periods of
time.
• I find it impossible to sit still for long periods of
time.
Often, students who need mobility feel
imprisoned in the classroom when restricted in their
movement while others can manage to sit still for long
periods of time. This defines the difference between
interest and boredom which needs to be closely
examined.

ELEMENTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL
PREFERENCE
Psychological elements determines the
processing of new and difficult information for better
retention and recall, and in making important
decisions in life. When processing information,
students can either be :

• Linear, sequential and logical, or

• Subjective and intuitive.

THE ELEMENT OF ANALYTIC AND GLOBAL

LEARNING
Analytic individuals capture and remember
information best when it is presented in a step-by-
step, methodical, sequential structure, one fact after
another, little by little, leading towards an
understanding of the concepts or lessons presented.
Analytic learner…
• May be more likely to respond to a problem
with logic first, instead of emotion.
• May feel the need to understand each part of
an algebra equation.
• May be good with time management, and
probably get to school on time.
• Tend to remember names.
• Notes may be divided and labeled, categorize
things a lot.
• Plan ahead.
 Global individuals process and retain new and
difficult information best by being introduced to the
concept or idea first before beginning to work on a
task. They need to understand the “whole picture”
before they could concentrate on the details of a task.
IMPULSIVE - REFLECTIVE
Impulsive learner makes decisions and solve
problem in a snap.
Reflective learner prefers to take time in analysis and
think about their school work.
Global learners…
• More likely to respond to a problem with
emotion first, instead of logic
• Can accept an algebra equation without
understanding how it works
• May be late for school a lot
• Tend to remember faces, but forget names
• May act on impulse
• Might play music while you study.
• Might not raise your hand much to answer
questions, because it takes awhile to sort out
their answer
• Are likely to read and read and become
frustrated, and then suddenly “get it.”
References:
What is a Tactile Learner? eHow.com http//eHow.com
Homeworkstips. About.com. http//about.com
Breaking the IQ Myth. Tenedero, Henry S. Center for
Learning Styles, Phils. Inc. 2001