Understanding your own learning style can pay dividends in your professional life. Find out what yours is to maximise your potential.
The concept of seven learning styles has been around for several decades and many teachers find it helpful in tailoring their techniques to different students' needs. Despite some schools of thought that debunk the efficacy of defining people by how they best understand and process new information, it is undeniably useful to many people to know how they most efficiently learn.
Here's more on the seven styles and what they mean.
Visual (Spatial)
Known for doodling, visual learners respond well to information presented in diagrams and charts. They love organising groups of ideas visually and often find colours and symbols useful in categorising pieces of information.
Aural (Auditory-Musical)
If reading's never appealed to you and you find it helpful to say things out loud in order to learn them, your style is aural. You'd grasp a new concept much more quickly from participating in a group discussion than from being handed a worksheet with a detailed explanation.
Verbal (Linguistic)
Verbal learners find it easiest to digest information through reading about a subject and then writing about it. They love playing around with language and are never happier than when they discover a new word and learn its meaning.
Physical (Kinesthetic)
Physical learners like using their hands to learn. For example, if a child is learning what shapes are called, they will learn far more quickly by holding a wooden cube than seeing a drawing or reading a description of one.
Logical (Mathematical)
If you're great with numbers and are able to quickly identify patterns, you're likely a logical learner. You get a kick from classifying large quantities of information, and will always solve complex problems in your head before reaching for the calculator.
Social (Interpersonal)
Are you a people person? You're probably a social learner, in that case. Social learners are at their most comfortable when time in class involves open discussion, role play and anything else that requires more than one person.
Solitary (Intrapersonal)
If you find you can only truly concentrate when you're alone, you're a solitary learner. People who prefer this learning style tend to like reading information and then having time to process it privately for it to fully sink in.
Understanding your own style and those of your colleagues can help you perform well as a team by playing to your individual strengths. This article by Lessonly includes some great tips on designing training programs that are tailored to get the best from people based on their individual learning styles.
Take this free test to discover your learning style, and share it with your coworkers.
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