Why is it important to know your learning style?

Everyone has different learning styles and understanding yours can help you to maximize your learning. There are three main types of learners: 

1. Visual learner: someone who learns by reading, seeing pictures, writing things down, etc. 
2. Auditory learner: someone who learns by hearing, listening, reading out loud, etc.
3. Tactile/kinesthetic learner: someone who learns by touching and doing, such as hands-on activities 

The majority of people learn best visually. Sixty-five percent of the general population are visual learners. The second most common learning style is auditory at thirty percent, leaving 5 percent of people being tactile/kinesthetic learners.

What is your learning style?

I surveyed some of iUniversity Prep’s students to see what their learning styles were. Since most of the content is taught through textbooks, it makes sense that eighty-five percent of the students surveyed were visual learners. 

To find out your learning style, you can take an online quiz such as this one. 

How does your learning style help you?

It is important to know which learning style you acquire. In addition, you should understand what learning methods are specific to each style of learning. For example, one anonymous student, who is a visual learner, said “I learn well by watching or reading material, so the fact that we read our lessons at iUP really helps me! It makes it much easier to understand and comprehend the material.” K.M is a visual and auditory learner. She says that live lessons are very helpful to her since they adhere most to her learning styles. Isabella Ansari is also a visual learner and said that attending live lessons helps them learn best as well. Amirah Santos Figueroa is an auditory learner. She says that “attending live lessons, reading out loud, and meeting up with teachers to practice” helps her apply auditory methods to her learning. Yadiz Martinez is a tactile/kinesthetic learner and she says, “It’s easiest for me to apply my learning style during science projects where I can get hands-on involvement!”

In addition to the learning techniques mentioned by some of the students above, here are some other strategies you can use to fully take advantage of your learning style:

• Visual learners can draw symbols and pictures, create graphs and charts, and ask for demonstrations.
• Auditory learners can participate in class discussions, read assignments out loud, and record themselves reading terms/definitions out loud. 
• Tactile/kinesthetic learners can write things down, underline main points, and use fidgets while studying.

Despite being a virtual school, the different learning styles can still be applied at iUP. The live lessons allow students to receive information in both a visual and auditory manner. In addition to providing students with slides, the teachers make use of the mic throughout the lesson. In many live lessons there are also opportunities for students to use the mic as well. Canvas courses provide not only the text but even have an audio recording for students to listen along to. Even if you are a tactile learner, the projects and portfolios are a great opportunity to learn hands-on. 

Conclusion

There are three primary learning styles: visual, auditory, and tactile/kinesthetic. By understanding your learning style and the specific techniques that apply to it, you can ensure you are getting the most out of your learning. 

Works Cited:

Study Tips for the Tactile Learner, 4 Mar. 2022, https://www.columbiastate.edu/tutoring-learning-center/ap-study-skills/study-tips-tactile-learner.html.

Buşan, Alina-Mihaela. “Learning Styles of Medical Students – Implications in Education.” Current Health Sciences Journal, Medical University Publishing House Craiova, 2014, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4340450/#:~:text=In%20the%20general%20population%2C%20the,%25%20auditory%20and%205%25%20kinesthetic.

Fleming, Grace. “Study Strategies for the Visual Learning Style.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 21 Nov. 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/visual-learning-style-p2-1857113.

Fleming, Grace. “Understanding the Auditory Learning Style.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 21 Jan. 2020, https://www.thoughtco.com/auditory-learning-style-p3-3212038.

“What’s Your Learning Style? The Learning Styles.” What’s Your Learning Style? the Learning Styles, http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-styles.shtml.