LEARNING

STYLES
AND HOW THEY AFFECT TEACHING

Introduction
Introduction - As I dug deeper into my research for this seminar I realized
that in order for the best Professional Development experience to occur,
there must be a more in-depth understanding of how people learn and
what motivates them to learn new things. Learning Styles of staff members
plays a great role in the successful delivery of information.
At what point in their education should students become aware of their
learning style and work around that for best performance or work on other
styles to be more rounded?
As educators, is it our duty to differentiate instruction to meet each of our
students learning styles as well as their varying levels of academic
ability?
How much are students responsible for understanding their own learning
style?
As educators, what is our learning style and to what degree does it affect
our teaching style? What is the relationship between ones personal
learning style and their teaching style?

Three Learning Styles

Everyone processes and learns new information in
different ways. There are three main cognitive
learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.
The common characteristics of each learning style
listed below can help you understand how you
learn and what methods of learning best fits you.
Understanding how you learn can help maximize
time you spend studying by incorporating
different techniques to custom fit various
subjects, concepts, and learning objectives. Each
preferred learning style has methods that fit the
different ways an individual may learn best.

Neil Fleming's VAK

Model

The Three Different Learning Styles:

In order to be proficient in the classroom,
you must understand the three different
learning styles, according to Fleming's VAK
model so you can understand how you learn
best. Different learning styles require varied
methods to keep you motivated and
successful in the classroom.

Visual
Visual
Fleming states that visual learners have a preference
for seeing material in order to learn it.
Strengths of the visual learner: Instinctively
follows directions, can easily visualize objects, has a
great sense of balance and alignment, is an excellent
organizer
Best ways to learn: Studying notes on overhead
slides, reading diagrams and handouts, following a
PowerPoint presentation, reading from a textbook,
studying alone

Auditory
Auditory
With this different learning style, students have to
hear information to absorb it.
Strengths of the auditory learner:
Understanding subtle changes in tone in a person's
voice, writing responses to lectures, oral exams,
story-telling, solving difficult problems, working in
groups
Best ways to learn: Participating vocally in class,
making tapes of class notes and listening to them,
reading assignments out loud, studying with a
partner or group.

Kinesthetic
Kinesthetic
Kinesthetic learners tend to want to move while
learning.
Strengths of the kinesthetic learner: Great
hand-eye coordination, quick reception,
excellent experimenters, good at sports, art,
drama, high levels of energy
Best ways to learn: experiments, acting out a
play, standing, moving, or doodling during
lectures, studying while performing an athletic
activity like bouncing a ball or shooting hoops.

Common
Characteristics
Visual
Uses visual objects such as graphs, charts,
pictures, and seeing information
Can read body language well and has a
good perception of aesthetics
Able to memorize and recall various
information
Tends to remember things that are written
down
Learns better in lectures by watching them

Common
Characteristics
Auditory
Retains information through hearing and
speaking
Often prefers to be told how to do things and
then summarizes the main points out loud to
help with memorization
Notices different aspects of speaking
Often has talents in music and may concentrate
better with soft music playing in the background

Common
Characteristics
Kinesthetic
Likes to use the hands-on approach to learn
new material
Is generally good in math and science
Would rather demonstrate how to do
something rather than verbally explain it
Usually prefers group work more than
others

Helpful Tips for

Visual Learners
Turn notes into pictures, charts, or maps
Avoid distractions (windows, doorways, etc.)
Learn the big picture first and then focus on the
details
Make mind and concept maps instead of
outlines
Color code parts of new concepts in your notes
Use flash cards when trying to study vocabulary

Helpful Tips for

Auditory Learners
Record lectures and then listen to them
Repeat material out loud and in your own
words
Discuss materials in your study groups
Read textbooks aloud
Listen to wordless background music while
studying

Helpful Tips
for Kinesthetic
Learners
Take study breaks often
Learn new material while doing something
active (e.g., read a textbook while on a
treadmill)
Chew gum while studying
Work while standing
Try to take classes with instructors who
encourage demonstrations and fieldwork

Understanding and U
sing Learning Style
Students, in fact all individuals, are most
s:
effective when they are taught in their
personal learning style. In fact, there are
three major types of learners: visual,
auditory, and tactile/kinesthetic. While most
individuals without disabilities can learn
using any one of these styles, most people
have one for which they show a stronger
affinity.

How to Effectively
Use Learning Styles
in Class

In the best of all possible worlds, you would

incorporate all three learning styles into each of your
lessons. However, this is just not possible in the real
world of teaching. In truth, it is often not hard to
include both auditory and visual learning styles in
your lessons. For example, you can have instructions
written on the board and say them out loud.
However, it is not always as easy to include the
tactile/kinesthetic learning style into your lessons.
The sad truth is that many students have this as their
strongest learning style. It is best to not force the
issue but instead find natural places to include
kinesthetic learning. If your class warrants it, you
could include simulations, role-playing or debates.

Concerns When
Incorporating Learning
Styles

Though more rare today then in the past,

some teachers discount the importance of
learning styles. They continue to teach in
their one major method without trying to
vary instructional methods. This is a
mistake that will lead to less learning in the
classroom.

Key Points
Learning styles and preferences vary for each of us and in different
situations.
By understanding this, and developing the skills that help you learn in a
variety of ways, you make the most of your learning potential. And because
you're better able to learn and gather information, you'll make better
decisions and choose better courses of action.
By understanding that other people can have quite different learning
preferences, you can learn to communicate your message effectively in a
way that many more people can understand. This is fundamentally
important, particularly if you're a professional for whom communication is
an important part of your job.
Take time to identify how you prefer to learn and then force yourself to
break out of your comfort zone. Once you start learning in new ways you'll
be amazed at how much more you catch and how much easier it is to
assimilate information

Visual-Spatial
Visual-spatial
intelligence allows
you to see and
modify things in
your mind. This kind
of understanding of
the visual world and
its relation to
physical items is
valuable in solving
spatial problems,
designing, and
doing crafts.

Sample activities:
Use art projects to create
representations of the
content you are learning.
Draw related images next to
your notes (along with arrows
between ideas) to create
connection and reference
points.
Organize with color. Use
different-colored highlighters,
paper, index cards, folders, or
tabs to create a visual system
for finding things and
grouping topics.
Visualize your topic. When
you are learning something
new, imagine what it looks
like.

Verbal-Linguistic
Verbal-linguistic
intelligence (along with
logical-mathematical
intelligence) is often
associated with doing
well in school. It
involves the ability to
use words effectively
for reading, writing,
listening, and speaking.
The poet has been
described as the
epitome of verballinguistic intelligence.

Sample activities:
Use words to explain
complicated subjects.
Ask questions.
Engage in the Socratic
method, digesting
information through a
question-and-answer
exchange.
Hone your native
ability to tell a story.

Bodily-Kinesthetic
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
is about thinking in movements
and includes the ability to use
movements for either selfexpression or precision to
achieve a goal. It is crucial for
surgeons, athletes, mimes,
choreographers, and directors.
This type of intelligence helps
you retain information when it
is associated with an activity,
such as dance, acting, and
sports. Relating what you are
trying to learn to one of these
activities will help you retain
information and gain
understanding.

Sample activities:
Perform a skit to show the
action of the idea you are
trying to learn.
Make a game out of the
materials.
Apply what you are learning
to hands-on models or inpractice examples.
Stay active when you are in a
situation in which you need
to concentrate. You can
squeeze a stress ball when
talking with someone or walk
around while reading a book.

CONCLUSION:
Planning PD opportunities for a large group
of staff members is really hard!! In addition
to the expected barriers of time and money,
we also have to take into consideration the
learning styles of adult learners. History has
shown us that a one-size-fits-all approach to
PD is no more affective than using the same
approach with students. In order to make PD
opportunities really count, we must
understand HOW people learn best.
Understanding the learning style of our
audience will help us to plan the most
beneficial learning opportunities for them.

Edutopia - Learning Sty

This quiz asks 24
le Quiz
questions and will
take less than five
minutes to
complete. Try not to
think too hard -just go with your
first thought when
describing your
daily activities and
interests. By the
end, you may have
some new insights
into your learning
preferences.

Test Your Learning

Style
Index of Learning Styles Question
naire
.
Education Planner Quiz
Edutopia Learning Style Quiz
Learning Style Quiz
Teaching Style Quiz

YouTube Videos

The VAK Model 4:22

Adult Learning In Under 3 Minutes 3:23

Adult Learning In Under 3 Minutes Episode 2 3:09
Vision of Adult Learner Today (End With This) 3:49
Adult Learning Techniques (Part 1) 9:25
Adult Learning Techniques (Part 2) 5:30
Adult Learning Techniques (Part 3) 9:47
Adult Learning Techniques (Part 4) 6:41
Adult Learning Techniques (Part 5) 7:47
Adult Learning Techniques (Part 6) 9:23

Additional
Resources

The Impact of Teachers Thinking and L

earning Styles Upon his/her Teaching S
tyle.
https://jeopardylabs.com
https://jeopardylabs.com/play/technol
ogy-vocabulary-terms
My Jeopardy Lab for RLRS https://jeopardylabs.com/play/technol
ogy-jeopardy122
WORDLE - http://www.wordle.net