Learning Styles

What are learning styles?

Learning styles is the idea that different people learn and process information in different ways. There are many theories of learning styles, but most fall under three broad categories: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

The concept of learning style was first introduced by Dr. Arthur Samuel in 1962, but it is often misinterpreted and not fully understood because there’s no one “right” way to study or develop a new skillset, so everyone has their own unique methods for learning best which can’t be generalized among all individuals.

Each person has their own preference for how they learn best; this preference is called their dominant style or modality. When teaching through multiple senses—combining the use of visuals with audio input–the learner’s brain will be able to process more information than if there were only one sense used at a time (visuals without audio input).

Generally, students will use two or three of these learning approaches to absorb and comprehend the material they’re exposed to in school. These include visual learners (learn by looking at charts, graphs), auditory learners (learn by listening), and kinesthetic learners (learn through physical movement).

What is your preferred learning style?