Mix Styles And Mediums

Finally, the last piece of the puzzle for better information absorption is to present the information in different styles, mediums, forms, and all of the above.

When it comes to learning, there are about a million and a half different so-called styles, methods, and mediums, each with their own cadre of advocates using supporting hypotheses. The learning pyramid might be the most infamous one that you have probably heard of (yes, that one was disproven as well). Another one might be the myth about hemispheres having different functionalities, such as the right hemisphere of the brain possessing our creative potential, while the left hemisphere houses the logical aspects. That one has also been disproven.

In reality, this is a relief because it means that information is simply information, no matter how it is presented. There is no need to engage in special formulas or techniques just to optimize learning. Whether you hear information through reading or writing makes no difference to how you process it.

This comes with a rather large caveat.

The notion of different styles and mediums still has quite a bit of merit because learning comes down to how focused you are and how much attention you pay. That’s really what determines how much information you can absorb. You can hear a lecture and read a book on the same topic, but if you are constantly distracted while reading the book, you might be better serviced with audio lessons in whatever you want to learn.

Perhaps the important lesson regarding learning styles, approaches, and mediums is that you learn the best in whatever you can pay attention to. When learning becomes tedious and boring, that’s when it becomes ineffective. Therefore, we will explore a few different ways for you to absorb information. Ultimately, whatever works best for you is what you should adopt, be it from a disproven myth of learning or a scientifically proven theory. As long as it produces results, either choice is fair.

references. It was created in: 1996

The styles, which we will discuss in greater detail, are below. Just because some of the styles appear to oppose others doesn’t mean that you can’t feel a connection to both or all of them.

• active versus reflective

• sensing versus intuitive

• visual versus verbal/other

• sequential versus global

Active versus reflective. An active learner obtains knowledge by doing. They’re constantly interacting with what they’re learning by putting it into practice or having exchanges with others where they explain or debate it. Reflective learners are more likely to consider the material they’re learning first, analyzing and sorting it out mentally before putting it into action. More concisely put, active learners say, “Let’s do something!” while reflective learners say, “Let’s think this through!”

Let’s take woodworking as an example. An active learner would get all the materials they need, read through some basic instructions, and start putting a table together. They learn a lot by trial and error: finishing the wood surface, cutting pieces, and putting them all together to see how they worked. A reflective learner, on the other hand, might stop after reading the instructions and consider the geometrical strategy, analyze the different kinds of paints and stains they might use, and basically just add more levels of thoughtful planning to understand what they want to happen. As long as this part doesn’t lead to an unacceptable amount of procrastination, that’s fine.

Sensing versus intuitive. This pair of learning styles is related to the dichotomy of “detail-oriented” and “big-picture” thinkers. Sensing learners are attracted to information, memory, and traditional designs of learning—they’re practical. They have an eye for specific elements in a task, itemize and follow established problem-solving procedures, and pay close attention to the particulars of a problem.

Intuitive learners, on the other hand, focus on the effects, connections, and potentials of a certain skill. They’re creative and seek new prospects for understanding the relationships between concepts. They don’t always pay mind to the little details and might make errors more often, but their intense understanding of the goal at hand keeps their perspective vital. They think more abstractly.

For example, a sensing learner in a web development program would focus on all the minutia of their code. They’re fastidious about reviewing each line, spotting errors, and making adjustments as needed. They’d know the intimate details of their scripts and would probably know how to fix an error quite quickly. An intuitive learner would be more focused on how certain applications and codes would work together, how the individual cogs relate to each other in service of a bigger purpose. The sensing learner sees HTML code, JavaScript, and individually executable components; the intuitive learner sees the components of an online store and tries to make them all work in sync.

Visual versus auditory versus read-writer versus kinesthetic. These styles are differentiated in the way information is presented to the learner. Visual learners, as you’d expect, respond to pictures, charts, graphics, sketches, movies, live demonstrations, and other eye-friendly media. They learn through seeing things. A visual student of social studies responds to a graph showing population distribution; a visual cooking student appreciates a tutorial video of someone making pan-fried chicken.

We classify two slightly different styles under the heading of verbal learning. Auditory learners learn through hearing and speaking, as in a lecture or discussion group. Their grasp of the Battle of Waterloo is greater when an animated professor is telling the story.

Read-write learners, on the other hand, focus on the written word, retaining information through books, research narratives, and transcripts; written reports or accounts are also their preferred output for explaining what they’ve learned. They’d prefer to read a book about Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. Both auditory and read-write learners place heavy emphasis on words.

Kinesthetic learners thrive on physical activity. They need movement. Their muscles are the primary conduits for their memory; they tend to excel at hand-eye coordination, physical timing, and reaction. Obviously, kinesthetic learners tend to excel at sports, dancing, and other physical actions. But astute teachers can instruct more intellectual subjects to kinesthetic learners—for example, by encouraging them to draw diagrams or sketches of what they’re learning (it keeps their hands moving).